Greeks retreat on Elgin Marbles: Country backs down on challenge to regain sculptures after rejecting advice of Amal Clooney

via “Daily Mail“

Greece has backed down from a legal challenge to regain the Elgin Marbles after rejecting the advice of actor George Clooney’s barrister wife Amal.

The high-profile human rights lawyer gave the Greek government a 150-page report urging them to take Britain to the International Criminal Court for the return of the 5th century BC sculptures just two days ago.

However, Nikos Xydakis, the culture minister, said yesterday: ‘One cannot go to court over whichever issue and besides, in international courts the outcome is uncertain.’

Instead, Athens would follow a ‘diplomatic and political’ approach, he said, arguing that the climate was slowly changing in Greece’s favour.

He added: ‘The road to reclaiming the return of the sculptures is diplomatic and political.’

There had been disquiet at the Greek government paying legal fees over the marbles at a time of austerity, though one shipping magnate had reportedly offered to pay the barristers’ fees.

The Parthenon sculptures are part of the collection popularly known as the ‘Elgin Marbles’, which were acquired by Lord Elgin in the early 1800s when he was ambassador to the Ottoman court.

The British parliament purchased the art treasures in 1816 and gave them to the British Museum.

For the past 30 years Athens has been demanding the return of the sculptures, which had decorated the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis in Athens from ancient times.

The British Museum recently turned down a proposal by UNESCO, the UN cultural agency, to mediate in the dispute.

A legal recourse had been suggested by lawyer Mrs Clooney, who is part of a team advising the Greek campaign.

Earlier this week, she said it was ‘now or never’ to win back the Elgin Marbles.. . . .

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Protecting Indian Culture Need Of the Hour: Guv

via “Express News Service“

BENGALURU: Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala has called for protecting Indian culture, which he said is the only way to achieve progress.

Speaking at the Rama Gana Kalacharya Award programme here on Sunday, he said, “No country can ever make progress if its culture cannot be protected. This is imperative and the need of the hour.”

He said the Mughals and the British, who once ruled the country, tried to destroy Indian culture. “However, we have prevailed and our culture is still rich.”

Vala also rued that the youth these days hardly have any cultural knowledge. “Understanding of one’s culture must be inculcated from a young age. However, the youth these days hardly have any knowledge. This is bad,” he added.

The Rama Gana Kalacharya Award  was presented to Hindustani classical music instrumentalist Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhat.

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The man who returned his grandfather’s looted art

by Ellen Otzen via “BBC News“

At the end of the 19th Century British troops looted thousands of works of art from the Benin Empire – in modern-day Nigeria – and brought them home. One soldier’s grandson inherited two bronzes but recently returned them to their original home.

“It’s an image that’s deeply ingrained in my memory. The dead body seemed unreal. It’s not a picture you can easily forget,” says Mark Walker.

He was 12 years old when he first saw his grandfather’s diary – the photographs inside made a deep impression.

“They were very faded, but perhaps the most shocking one for me was a partly dried-up body being held up by two men on a pole.

“Clearly the people lifting the body didn’t actually want to touch it and that seemed to me to capture the feeling my grandfather also had about them. It was something so horrible you wanted to keep it at arm’s length,” says Mark.

The pictures were taken by his grandfather, Capt Herbert Walker, in West Africa in 1897.

The two Walkers never met – Herbert died in 1932, 15 years before his grandson was born and Mark’s grandmother showed him the journal, titled To Benin and back, while he was staying with her in 1959.

The Benin Kingdom, which is now part of Nigeria, had a wealth of natural resources including ivory, palm oil and rubber which the UK was keen to control.

Mark Walker spoke to Witness on BBC World Service Radio

But in January 1897, seven British officials who were on their way to see the Oba of Benin – the king – were killed in an ambush.

The Times of London reported that the men “on quite a peaceful mission” had been “massacred by the King’s people”.

It is unclear who, if anyone, ordered the killings and there are indications that the mission was not as peaceful as the British press described it. Although its leader, acting Consul-General James Phillips had sent a message to the Oba asking to discuss trade and peace, he had told London he wanted to depose him.

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“More than 100 relics from Yuanmingyuan displayed”

This is where my specialty lies! It’s really amazing to see these on exhibition in China again.**DB

via “China Daily“

A vase is on display during an exhibition of treasures of the Yuanmingyuan at the Shandong Provincial Museum in Jinan, capital of east China’s Shandong province, Jan 9, 2015. Bronze heads of cow, tiger, monkey and pig, and more than 100 relics from the Yuanmingyuan were on display in the exhibition.

“More than £300m of Art Being Stolen in Britain Each Year”

By Graeme Paton via “The Telegraph“

“Theft of art and antiques is now second only to drug dealing as the most lucrative trade for organised criminal gangs across the UK, according to senior police officers.  More than £300 million of art is being stolen each year amid an escalating criminal trade in paintings and antiques, it has emerged. Thieves often target works on display in museums, libraries, archives and private collections and have been known to use extreme violence,the BBC reported. In one case last year, a rare medieval jug was stolen from a high-security display cabinet at a museum in Luton. The Wenlok jug – worth £750,000 – was eventually recovered and a man was jailed for more than two years for