Part II Colonialism and Cultural Objects………………………………………………………38 Chapter 3 Colonial Expansion……………………………………………………………………………………39 3.1
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VU Research Portal Treasures in Trusted Hand Negotiating the future of colonial cultural objects van Beurden, J.M. 2016 document version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication in VU Research Portal citation for published version (APA) van Beurden, J. M. (2016). 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Oct. 2021 Treasures in Trusted Hands - Full manuscript - September 2016 - ©Jos van Beurden VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT Treasures in Trusted Hand Negotiating the future of colonial cultural objects ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad Doctor aan de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, op gezag van de rector magnificus prof.dr. V. Subramaniam, in het openbaar te verdedigen ten overstaan van de promotiecommissie van de Faculteit der Geesteswetenschappen op woensdag 30 november 2016 om 9.45 uur in de aula van de universiteit, De Boelelaan 1105 door Joseph Maria van Beurden geboren te Rotterdam 1 Treasures in Trusted Hands - Full manuscript - September 2016 - ©Jos van Beurden promoteren: prof. dr. S. Legêne prof. dr. W. Veraart 2 Treasures in Trusted Hands - Full manuscript - September 2016 - ©Jos van Beurden Table of contents Preface…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6 About this book…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7 Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………………………………..9 Part I Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………….11 Chapter 1 A neglected issue in an evolving world…………………………………………………….12 1.1. Decisive experiences……………………………………………………………………..12 1.2. Changes that matter……………………………………………………………………..14 Box: Incidental returns of colonial cultural objects 1.3. Main questions and approaches…………………………………………………….20 Chapter 2 On colonial cultural objects………………………………………………………………………24 2.1. Return……………………………………………………………………………………………24 2.2. Cultural objects……………………………………………………………………………..25 2.3. Typology of colonial cultural objects……………………………………………..30 2.3.1. Gifts to colonial administrators and institutions…………………………….31 2.3.2. Objects acquired during private expeditions………………………………….31 2.3.3. Objects acquired during military expeditions…………………………………32 2.3.4. Missionary collecting……………………………………………………………………..33 2.3.5. Archives…………………………………………………………………………………………35 Box: Archives back to Suriname Part II Colonialism and cultural objects………………………………………………………38 Chapter 3 Colonial expansion……………………………………………………………………………………39 3.1. Early migration of objects to Europe………………………………………………40 Box: War booty during colonial expansion and its present whereabouts 3.2. Meagre protection…………………………………………………………………………44 Chapter 4 Settler and exploitation colonialism…………………………………………………………46 4.1. Peak in migration of objects ………………………………………………………….46 Box: Ancient Indonesian gifts dispersed Box: Relocating to preserve better: From Papua New Guinea to Australia Box: Cyprus and Dun Huang expeditions Box: War booty during settler and exploitation colonialism 4.2. Protection and preservation measures…………………………………………..57 Chapter 5 Decolonisation, the first claims and the ongoing seepage of objects……….60 5.1. Whimsicalities in collecting…………………………………………………………….61 Box: Two contestable expeditions Box: Examples of loot and arson/punitive expeditions during decolonisation 5.2. Early calls for return……………………………………………………………………….65 Box: (Pre-)independence returns 3 Treasures in Trusted Hands - Full manuscript - September 2016 - ©Jos van Beurden 5.3. Drain of cultural objects before and after independence………………67 Box: Turkey and tainted objects Box: China and tainted objects 5.4. Decolonisation an unresolved conflict…………………………………………..70 Box: Five generations of conflict researchers, a critical view Part III Colonial cultural objects and the law……………………………………………..75 Chapter 6. Increasing protection?..................................................................................76 6.1. Hard law international instruments……………………………………………….76 Box: The relevance of two conventions Box: Cases dealt with by the ICPRCP 6.2. Soft law international instruments………………………………………………..81 6.2.1. Instruments for the repatriation of human remains……………………..81 Box: Incidental returns of colonial human remains Box: Return refusals for colonial human remains Box: Successful repatriation of Maori heads 6.2.2. Instruments for the restitution of Nazi-looted art…………………………86 Box: Four soft law instruments for dealing with Nazi-looted art Box: Principles for dealing with colonial cultural and historical objects Box: Overlap Second World War-looted and colonial cultural objects 6.2.3. A human rights and a justice perspective……………………………………..92 Part IV Ambiguities between the Netherlands and Indonesia……………..98 Chapter 7 The 1975 Joint Recommendations……………………………………………………………99 7.1. Cultural heritage policy until 1949…………………………………………………99 7.2. Negotiations between 1949 and 1975…………………………………………101 Box: Papua culture in safety Box: Early returns to Indonesia 7.3. Towards an agreement.………………………………………………………………112 Box: Luwu insignia 7.4. Dynamics of the agreement’s implementation……………………………117 Appendix: Joint Recommendations by the Dutch and Indonesian Team of Experts, concerning Cultural Cooperation in the field of Museums and archives including Transfer of Objects…………………………………………………………..122 Chapter 8 New insights into the Joint Recommendations…………………………………….125 8.1. New research findings………………………………………………………………..125 Box: Thomas Raffles and Indonesia’s heritage Box: Return of Diponegoro’s pilgrim’s staff Box: Evidence of migration of objects in the first period Box: The missing kris of Diponegoro 8.2. The 1975 agreement: lessons for other bilateral negotiations……131 Box: Returns to Indonesia 1949 - 1978 Part V Approaches in other bilateral agreements…………………………………142 Chapter 9 The 1970 agreement between Belgium and Congo……………………………….143 9.1 Cultural policies up to independence………………………………………….144 Box: Lucien Cahen, director with two hats 9.2 Deliberations and transfer of objects………………………………………….146 4 Treasures in Trusted Hands - Full manuscript - September 2016 - ©Jos van Beurden Box: Repatriations and gifts to Congo Chapter 10 Nordic model for Denmark, Iceland and Greenland?..............................150 10.1. Scandinavian colonialism……………………………………………………………150 10.2. Danish colonial collecting……………………………………………………………153 Box: Cultural objects from non-Scandinavian colonies 10.3. Ancient sagas back to Iceland……………………………………………………..155 Box: Repatriation by Denmark to Faroe Islands 10.4 Peculiar agreement with Greenland…………………………………………...157 Chapter 11. Melanesian model for Australia and Papua New Guinea?......................161 11.1. Colonial collecting in Papua New Guinea…………………………………….162 Box: Papua New Guinean objects in foreign museums 11.2. The process of return………………………………………………………………….165 Box: Returns to Papua New Guinea Chapter 12. The Benin Dialogue (2010 - ….)………………………………………………………………170 12.1. Dispersal over Europe and North America…………………………………..171 Box: Benin treasures in the Netherland 12.2. Prelude to the dialogue……………………………………………………………….173 Box: Return requests between 1972 and 2008 Box: Returns between 1937 and 2014 12.3. The dialogue………………………………………………………………………………..175 12.4. Elements for the model……………………………………………………………….177 Appendix: Benin Plan of Action………………………………………………………..181 Part VI New insights, a new approach……………………………………………………….184 Chapter 13 The neglected effect of colonialism………………………………………………………..185 13.1. Towards an overview of the colonial one-way traffic………………….185 13.2. Overview of returns so far…………………………………………………………..189 Box: Two return offers rejected 13.3. Returns and other categories of contested objects…………………….192 Chapter 14 Model for negotiating the future of colonial cultural objects……………….194 14.1. The seven phases……………………………………………………………………….194 14.2. The four general guidelines………………………………………………………..198 Box: Phases and General guidelines for negotiating the future of colonial cultural objects Sources……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….204 Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………231 Samenvatting……………………………………………………………………………………………………………236 5 Treasures in Trusted Hands - Full manuscript - September 2016 - ©Jos van Beurden Preface Thirty years ago I met a poetess. Me’aza made poems about her dream - self-determination for her country and the whole of Africa. She knew them by heart, had never written down a single line and made new verses on the spot. People loved Me’aza. I met her in the eroded mountains of Northeast Africa, her hamlet under control of rebels. We had walked all night, as it had been too cold to lie down and sleep. The double local whiskey that she offered