The Rouen Museum has just returned a severed Maori head, which has been in its collections for 150 years, to New Zealand’s Te Papa Institute. Behind this apparently insignificant piece of news lies a remarkable story.
It has its origins in the worst periods of colonial conquest, and perfectly illustrates the philosophy of relationships between the West and indigenous peoples in the 19th century.
Faced with an ever-growing demand for precious metals and dwindling extraction sites, the world's oceans are being seen as a new Eldorado. Thousands of shipwrecks litter the ocean floor with cargoes of these 'precious metals'.
More info
This documentary investigates the clash of principles between these rich museums and source countries. Is art universal and belong to humanity or is it right to return it to its country of origin?
More info