Institution data
| Institution field | Value |
|---|---|
Document reference | BG_ARM_7_6_4 (10) |
Date | 08.01.1997 |
Description | Letter from Ron Clarke, Senior Keeper, Visual Arts, Herbert Gallery and Museum, Coventry responding to BG’s request for information on the current distribution of looted Benin artefacts. This letter demonstrates how casually pieces can disappear into private collections without trace: ‘Approximately five years ago I saw a large ‘bronze’ of standing figures which struck me from its quality and patina as very comparable indeed to those in the British Museum... Whether the owner had any idea at all of what he might have had, I have my doubts. I rather fear it will now have passed into private hands and so be untraceable’. |
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