Preserving the Cultural Heritage of Africa: Crisis or Renaissance?

The outflow of archaeological or artistic work from Africa, together with the ways of exhibiting African treasures, are emerging as serious issues both in political and ethical terms. They are typified by a series of hot disputes concerning the legality of the exhibition of Nok terracotta pieces from Nigeria in the Louvre. Meanwhile in Africa, there has been an upsurge of active efforts by many ethnic groups to create or recreate their own cultures by reviewing their cultural legacy. The book discusses the questions: How should Africa’s cultural heritage be preserved? How can scholars and museum professionals outside Africa support African colleagues in handing down their cultural legacy to future generations?