After the prime minister of Greece called for the British Museum to return the Parthenon marbles, his British counterpart abruptly called off their meeting.
The British Museum and Greece’s prime minister are getting closer to a deal on returning the so-called Elgin Marbles to Athens. But key differences remain.
The pope will donate the 2,500-year-old pieces held by the Vatican Museums to the archbishop of Athens, a gesture that increases pressure on the British Museum to act over similar items on show in London.
Prodded by law enforcement, and pushed by foreign governments, American museums are increasingly returning artifacts to countries of origin, but critics wonder at what cost.