Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob A
The object has little value to those who created it, as they are no longer in existence. It had a notional value to the party that sold it, who were at the time satisfied with the price received.
People here who work to expand their knowledge deserve to reap the reward of their efforts. Those who fail to do so have no complaint, if their satisfaction in an exchange turns out to have been unfavorable.
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As to you first point above, while i agree that the actual creator of the object is long gone and the mask is of no value to the dead, the fact remains that is is a cultural item and as such has great value to the culture and the particular secret society from which it came. Secret societies in Africa (and no doubt in other cultures) don't simply give away or even sell their ritual items. Such an item would outlive its creator and continue to be used ritually within the culture for generations. French colonial authorities banned the Ngil Society in the 1920s when this mask was supposedly acquired. That adds even more weight to the argument that this mask was more likely taken rather than gifted or bought. While the Fang people were mostly converted to Christianity during their colonial occupation many returned to their traditional religion called Biere upon their independence. I can't be sure that the Ngil Society still exists, but its people do and apparently that want this mask returned. Its value to them cannot be measured in dollars or euros. People here who work to expand their knowledge do not deserve to reap this stolen cultural artifact as their "reward".
