Hamid Baghaei, head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicraft and Tourism Organisation (ICHHTO), has threatened to cut ties with the British Museum after it delayed the loan of the Cyrus Cylinder, which was due to go on display at the Iran National Museum this month.
The British Museum was to have lent the cylinder to Iran in exchange for several Persian treasures that it displayed last year in its exhibition about Shah Abbas, but postponed the loan after discovering two pieces of cuneiform tablet that were found to be inscribed with the same text as the Cyrus Cylinder.
The cylinder, which dates from 539BC, is inscribed with a declaration of universal human rights, written in Akkadian cuneiform script.
Baghaei was reported by Reuters as saying: “If we find out for certain that the British Museum does not want to send the Cyrus Cylinder to Iran and is simply trying to kill time, we will cut all our ties with that organisation.
“We will also ask all international cultural organisations, such as Unesco to reconsider ties with the British Museum for not honouring its commitments.”
A spokesman for the Iranian Embassy in London said: “The British Museum and Iranian National Museum authorities have direct contact and are dealing with this issue.”
A spokeswoman for the British Museum said the ICHHTO had agreed to the delay as the new pieces were being studied in London, and would be presented at a workshop with the involvement of colleagues from Iran.
No date had been set for the workshop, she added, but it would not be for several months. The plan is then to exhibit the two new pieces in Tehran, together with the Cylinder.
But Reza Molavi, executive director of the Centre for Iranian Studies, said he believed the British Museum should go ahead with the loan, despite the recent find. “My sense of the situation is that, irrespective of the two new tablets, rapprochement with the Iranians should be a priority.
“The British Museum, seen by Iranians as one of the levers that the British government can use, should show good faith.”
Correction 08.02.2010
Spelling of Hamid Baghaei changed from Hamid Baqaie.
Correction 01.03.2010
We said the Cyrus Cylinder is 2,500 years old. It actually dates from 539BC.
The British Museum was to have lent the cylinder to Iran in exchange for several Persian treasures that it displayed last year in its exhibition about Shah Abbas, but postponed the loan after discovering two pieces of cuneiform tablet that were found to be inscribed with the same text as the Cyrus Cylinder.
The cylinder, which dates from 539BC, is inscribed with a declaration of universal human rights, written in Akkadian cuneiform script.
Baghaei was reported by Reuters as saying: “If we find out for certain that the British Museum does not want to send the Cyrus Cylinder to Iran and is simply trying to kill time, we will cut all our ties with that organisation.
“We will also ask all international cultural organisations, such as Unesco to reconsider ties with the British Museum for not honouring its commitments.”
A spokesman for the Iranian Embassy in London said: “The British Museum and Iranian National Museum authorities have direct contact and are dealing with this issue.”
A spokeswoman for the British Museum said the ICHHTO had agreed to the delay as the new pieces were being studied in London, and would be presented at a workshop with the involvement of colleagues from Iran.
No date had been set for the workshop, she added, but it would not be for several months. The plan is then to exhibit the two new pieces in Tehran, together with the Cylinder.
But Reza Molavi, executive director of the Centre for Iranian Studies, said he believed the British Museum should go ahead with the loan, despite the recent find. “My sense of the situation is that, irrespective of the two new tablets, rapprochement with the Iranians should be a priority.
“The British Museum, seen by Iranians as one of the levers that the British government can use, should show good faith.”
Correction 08.02.2010
Spelling of Hamid Baghaei changed from Hamid Baqaie.
Correction 01.03.2010
We said the Cyrus Cylinder is 2,500 years old. It actually dates from 539BC.
