The Legality of "Taking" Colonial Cultural Property: Special Reference to the Period of Dutch Occupation in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Recent demands for, and return of, cultural objects taken during colonial occupation, have raised several questions that have not been satisfactorily answered yet. Primary among these is the basis for return. While early requests (such as those made by Hemasiri de Silva on behalf of Sri Lanka), focused on the importance of the object to the home state, the host states have been more concerned with the ...