Elgin Marbles British Museum
It s a collection of stone pieces rescued removed from the ruins of the ancient greek parthenon in the nineteenth century and now in demand to be sent back from the british museum to greece.
Elgin marbles british museum. The collection is now on display in the british museum in the purpose built duveen gallery. His actions were thoroughly investigated by a parliamentary select committee in 1816 and found to be entirely legal prior to the sculptures entering the collection of the british museum by act of parliament. The sculptures that formerly decorated the parthenon temple on the acropolis in athens also known as the elgin marbles were removed more than 200 years ago by lord elgin of scotland when greece. From 1801 to 1812 agents of thomas bruce 7th earl of elgin removed about half of the surviving sculptures of the parthenon as well as sculptures from the propylaea and erechtheum.
The marbles were transported by sea to britain. The objects were removed from the parthenon at athens and from other ancient buildings and shipped to england by arrangement of thomas bruce 7th lord elgin who was british ambassador to the ottoman empire 1799 1803. Elgin marbles collection of ancient greek sculptures and architectural details in the british museum london where they are now called the parthenon sculptures. All of elgin s collection of antiquities was then transported to britain.
They further bolster their argument claiming that western culture including britain is a product of greek antiquity thus the elgin marbles are part of british history as well the british museum 2. Some refer to the collection in london as the elgin marbles after the british aristocrat lord elgin who removed them. In many ways the marbles are emblematic of the development of modern ideas of national heritage and global display which argues that localized regions have the best claim over items produced there. The 5th century artefacts are currently housed in the british museum and are widely regarded as one of the finest examples of marble sculpture on earth.
The elgin marbles are a source of controversy between modern britain and greece. Julian spalding the former head of glasgow sheffield and manchester museums agreed that the british museum should give the elgin marbles back because they re an intrinsic part of one the.