Why museums should keep their mummies and shrunken heads
The FT’s associate editor Stephen Bush tells guest host Marc Filippino why he believes displays such as mummies and shrunken heads belong in museums
Life and Art from FT Weekend · Forhecz Topher
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Show Notes
As a kid, FT associate editor Stephen Bush loved seeing ghoulish things: mummies, shrunken heads, supposedly magical severed hands. He credits these items with teaching him curiosity and a love for museums. So when he hears the argument that human remains do not belong on display, his answer is, unequivocally: if they weren’t stolen, they should stay. On today’s episode, Stephen defends his position to guest host Marc Filippino as they dig into questions of consent, ownership, and cultural context.
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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):
– Stephen’s column about this is here: https://on.ft.com/4dtnTt0
– Stephen is on X @stephenkb
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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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