Don’t give away colonial treasures, ‘share’ them, says V&A’s Tristram Hunt

Tristram Hunt

(Picture: Dave Benett)

TRISTRAM Hunt, head of the V&A, says UK museums should “share” and not give away contested artefacts to former colonies. “The only way forward in addressing controversy around colonial-era objects is a programme of cultural partnerships, sharing objects, skills, and exhibitions across continents,” he says.

Hunt, right, whose museum has its own fair share of controversial treasures, writes in the Spectator that a new type of “government indemnity” or insurance might be needed. “The point of the V&A,” he says, “is to showcase the greatest works of human ingenuity”.