Non-Fiction Book Club - November
Location
Hosted by
The Lane Bookshop
About
🗓️ Thursday 12th October
đź•’ Doors 5:30pm, Discussion 6pm
đź“Ť The Lane Bookshop
🎫 Tickets: $10 including wine and nibbles
Please note, this is not an author talk.
ABOUT THE BOOK
In this thought-provoking new work, historian Justin M. Jacobs challenges the widely accepted belief that much of Western museums’ treasures were acquired by imperialist plunder and theft. The account reexamines the allegedly immoral provenance of Western collections, advocating for a nuanced understanding of how artifacts reached Western shores. Jacobs examines the perspectives of Chinese, Egyptian, and other participants in the global antiquities trade over the past two and a half centuries, revealing that Western collectors were often willingly embraced by locals. This collaborative dynamic, largely ignored by contemporary museum critics, unfolds a narrative of hope and promise for a brighter, more equitable future—a compelling reassessment of one of the institutional pillars of the Enlightenment.