Easter Islanders Seek Return Of Moai Statue Removed By The British In 1868

The people of Easter Island are seeking the return of a Moai statue that was removed by the British in 1868 and is now on display at the British Museum.


The people of Easter Island are seeking the return of a Moai statue that was removed by a Royal Navy captain in 1868 and is now on display at the British Museum, reports The Guardian. Measuring roughly seven feet tall, the large head is rare and of great importance to the Rapa Nui people for a number of reasons, notes The Telegraph. It is among the very few of the island's more than 900 figures that are made from basalt.  Further, as Rapa Nui authorities recently said, "It's a unique piece, the only tangible link that accounts for two important stages in our ancestral history." Chile has been asked to assist in the repatriation effort, and the country's national treasures minister, Felipe Ward, commented that the request "seems appropriate given the new coordination and conservation functions being carried out on the island with regards the Moai."  A British Museum spokesperson told artnet that the institution does not appear to have received a formal request for the statue's return, and stated, "We believe that there is great value in presenting objects from across the world, alongside the stories of other cultures at the British Museum." According to artnet, the spokesperson also "noted that the museum is one of the world's leading lenders and that the Trustees will always consider loan requests."