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Minister rules out 'nonsense' chessmen bid



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A SCOTTISH Government campaign to house the historic Lewis chessmen north of the Border has been branded "a lot of nonsense" by UK Culture Minister Margaret Hodge.
Most of the 13th-century figurines are housed at the British Museum in London, but First Minister Alex Salmond recently backed calls for their return to Scotland.

They were found on a beach near Uig on the Isle of Lewis around 1830. But Ms Hodge said the artefacts were made in Norway about 850 years ago and buried on Lewis for safekeeping, a position held by experts.

She also questioned whether the SNP policy would mean the repatriation of valuable artefacts from Scottish museums.

She said: "It's not hard to imagine someone overseas wanting the glorious mummies and antiquities in the National Museum in Edinburgh sent back to Egypt, or the Burrell's Impressionist paintings repatriated to France."

Scottish Culture Minister Linda Fabiani viewed the chessmen on a trip to the British museum on Saturday, where 82 of the 93 figurines are housed. The remainder are based at the national museum in Edinburgh. Ms Fabiani then met with Andrew Burnett, deputy director of the museum, to outline her concerns.



The full article contains 201 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 28 January 2008 11:13 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Auld Twa,

Edinburgh 28/01/2008 12:18:56
"A lot of nonsense" is neither a reason nor explanation.
Scotland has already returned artifacts and human remains to their homelands so why should we not have some of our own items on display in their home country.
2

Scottish and proud,

28/01/2008 12:36:03
Errr...Egypt and France are not part of the UK. The items would still be on display in the UK, just in the country in which they were originally found. We're all supposed to be one big happy family remember?

Why is this even news anyway?
3

Grant,

Scotland 28/01/2008 12:47:47
"Scottish Culture Minister Linda Fabiani viewed the chessmen on a trip to the British museum on Saturday, where 82 of the 93 figurines are housed."

This is the fundamental point. Why do the vastly greater proportion of the figures have to be in London, with a token "peppercorn" amount left in Scotland? It should be the reverse, if anything.

I certainly can understand the British Museum's concerns about this, the museum would be bare if this were to be repeated across the larger majority of its collections - as would most museums in London. However, in the spirit of generosity a new arrangement could be found where a few of these pieces remain on permanent loan in the BM and the greater majority are returned to the Outer Hebrides where they were found, and where they can be properly housed.

4

steve 1511,

aberdeen 28/01/2008 12:56:45
lets get them back,why do scots need to travel to london to see them,
5

spiggot,

Edinburgh 28/01/2008 13:13:07
London and Edinburgh's museum basements and storerooms are full of items which aren't even on display.... for a start all such articles should be returned to local museums near to where they were found....

Secondly we should begin immediately to return the vast amounts of cultural wealth which rich and powerful Brit. travellers have stolen from all over the world.
6

I love to eat Sellotape,

28/01/2008 13:31:30
Let's start with Mrs E MacLean of Forfar, who is in fact Canadian.
7

gorgeousgorgieboy,

Edinburgh 28/01/2008 13:36:29
They want them back cos these chessmen have a remarkable resenblance to "the twa fishes".

(Salmon and Sturgeon)
8

Bill MacD,

28/01/2008 13:44:33
Get a life. They weren't even Scottish in the first place! Let's repatriate them to Norway or wherever it was they were made. This is just silly politics by silly politicians.
9

Thorr,

Scotland 28/01/2008 13:53:32
The English got away with the theft of our oil we should resist their theft of any of our national treasures of which the chessmen are undoubtedly one.

We should also seriously review our continued subjugation to our English masters.

Freedom for Scotland!!!
10

Eve,

Scotland 28/01/2008 16:26:40
I think it important that we realise that the story is not simply about chessmen. It's about London demanding that the most interesting things found in the British Isles belongs to them.

Sadly not everyone realises the bigger picture, they only see what the Birittish museum people narrow minded perspective on the whole situation.

#8 Bill MacD: Is that yer opinon on other finds on the Scottish coast, land and water!!!

11

Highland Mighty,

28/01/2008 20:15:40
9 & 10.....Grow up. You're embarrassing yourselves.

And by posting on the net, you are embarrassing all of us as well.

The chess-set wasn't stolen but bought fair and square. Get used to it.

12

Burd Tina,

28/01/2008 21:42:57
Margaret Hodge hasn't given a valid reason for thinking it's "nonsense" for Scotland to want the chessmen back. Can anyobe read her mind well enough to tell us if she has one?
If it's because Norway might have a claim on them, I would remind her that Norway hasn't asked for them. If they do, they can reach an agreement with the Scottish Government that will satisfy both countries. And the British Museum is further from Norway than Scotland is.
I would also remind her that Scottish museums have repatriated items (including human remains) when they were asked for. What's wrong with the British Museum doing the same?
At present Scottish museums can borrow the chessmen from the British Museum if they ask nicely - but it will save a lot on transportation costs if they are in Scotland to begin with.
13

Highland Mighty,

29/01/2008 01:49:51
And STILL the nats try to rant and rage about this!

What don't you understand about the British Museum buying these fair and square from the rightful owner?

Why don't you break the mould of these tedious, ignorant and uneducated SNP crowd and actually do some research before you bore us rigid?

Just a suggestion.

 

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