Ten reasons or ten excuses?
- Image via Wikipedia
An article in Heritage Key by Bija Knowles lists the “10 Reasons Why the Bust of Nefertiti Should Stay in the Neues Museum“. The title is not only enraging, but actually doesn’t do justice to its content, which presents favorable counter arguments on this polemic issue.
Egypt is now an independent nation with its own eminent Egyptologists, a well managed tourism industry and the resources to build a major museum to protect and display its cultural heritage.
Egypt’s claim: You took her from me when my hands were tied. Bring her back.
Germany’s excuses: The bust is too fragile for transportation, it wouldn’t be in safe hands in Egypt, Egypt is already full of antiquities, not everyone can afford to visit Egypt, keeping priceless masterpieces in one place might be dangerous in case of war or natural disasters…
Since its transfer to Germany, Nefertiti had to endure the love of a madman who kept her abducted with plans to have a bust of himself placed next to her and provoked a world war that almost wiped out the museum which housed her. More recently, this ancient icon was used as a prop for a modern German art piece. The statue was recently called a fake. And now, despite its fragility, the bust was transported from the Altes to the Neues Museum.
There are a lot of excuses but only one reason why Germany and friends think the Bust of Nefertiti should stay in Germany: Finders keepers and she makes me a lot of money.
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