The History of a Maya Relief: The Tension Between Transfer of Cultural Property and Knowledge Production (original) (raw)

2022, Pathways of Art: How Objects Get to the Museum, edited by Esther Tisa Francini and Sarah Csernay

Prager, Christian M., and Antje Grothe 2022 The History of a Maya Relief: The Tension Between Transfer of Cultural Property and Knowledge Production. In Pathways of Art How Objects Get to the Museum, Esther Tisa Francini and Sarah Csernay, editors, pp. 23–42. Scheidegger & Spiess, Zürich. In this Chapter of the museum catalog "Pathways of Art" Christian M. Prager and Antje Grothe focus on the history of a Maya relief panel originating from the Maya site of Pomona, shedding light on the broader tension between cultural property transfer and knowledge production. The chapter centers on the acquisition of a large Maya stela and relief panel by the Museum Rietberg, Zurich, during the 1960s under the direction of Dr. Elsy Leuzinger. The chapter discusses the ethical issues surrounding the acquisition of looted artifacts, their authenticity, and the challenges of provenance. The relief, looted from the Maya site of Pomona, was sold by art dealers through networks that trafficked such items internationally. Using modern technology like 3D scanning, the authors have re-documented the relief, revealing new details about its iconography and hieroglyphic text. This discussion highlights ongoing debates about whether to continue acquiring and studying artifacts of uncertain origin or limit demand for them. The chapter ultimately advocates for critical documentation and transparency in cultural heritage practices to foster cooperation with the countries of origin. For copyright reasons, no additional images can be shown here. The book is available for purchase in bookstores worldwide.