Before I lose myself in the blog post I'll start a slow-moving thread of cultural objects that were NOT safe, NOT in better hands outside of their country/community of origin. When colonial powers did NOT protect cultural objects. Add some yourself. Let's bust up that myth: https://twitter.com/DrDonnaYates/status/1300714346616631296

The Dresden Codex is 1 of ~4 surviving Maya books: 4 books left from an entire literate culture. It's so beautiful that I cried seeing it in person. It was seriously damaged in WWII (bombing of Dresden). Wouldn't have happened if it was in Central America. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden_Codex

1930s: the BM scraped the Parthenon Sculptures w/ a wire brush to make the marble 'more white'. This also removed any trace of pigment AND rubbed off the fine details of muscles, sinews, etc. Sculptured that remained in Greece? Not scraped smooth http://www.parthenon.newmentor.net/cleaning.htm 

In the 1930s, Swedish Consul General in Peru illegally exported looted ancient textiles to a Swedish museum. They were improperly stored and they deteriorated. They are slowly being returned to Peru, but they all have to be stabilised and restored first. http://www.anonymousswisscollector.com/2014/06/paracas-past-looting-and-trafficking-of-mummy-bundle-textiles-from-peru.html

Last week, 27 ancient Asian sculptures from various countries were stolen from the Wilfrid Israel Museum of Asian Art & Studies in Israel: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/historic-asian-artwork-stolen-from-museum-on-israeli-kibbutz-639468

18 Chinese jade artefacts were stolen right out of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge in 2012. There have been convictions for the thieves but the artefacts have not been recovered https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/apr/04/museum-robbery-gang-imprisoned-for-six-years