[CPProt.net] Renewed row over Wales' golden cape

[MSN CPPnet (Ton Cremers)]

Renewed row over Wales' golden cape
July 19, 2005
 
Darren Devine, Western Mail
 
  
A FRESH row has begun over the ownership of a priceless golden cape that is
to go on display at a museum in North Wales.

The ceremonial cape made of solid gold was discovered in Mold, North Wales,
in 1833, but was bought by the British Museum, in London, three years later.

But some believe the cape should be permanently displayed at a Welsh Museum
and the case mirrors that of the Elgin Marbles, which the Greeks want to see
returned from the British Museum.

Plaid Cymru AM for North Wales Janet Ryder said the determination of the
British Museum to keep the cape smacks of an "old imperialistic attitude"
towards other countries' national treasures.

"One of the things that has struck me most is that if you go around the
National Museum in Ireland they have a necklace made of gold leaf balls from
the Iron Age.

"The necklace is made up of nine balls of different sizes, but they only
have eight on display because one is missing.

"In the place where the missing one should be it simply says, 'This is on
display at the British Museum, in London'.

"Like the position with the golden cape it smacks of the old imperialist
view that England owns everything. But the cape is part of our heritage and
one of our national treasures and should be classed as such."

The cape, regarded as one of the British Museum's top 10 exhibits, is the
largest gold object ever found in Wales and was discovered by workmen
quarrying stone.

The relic was found within a Bronze Age burial mound with the remains of a
skeleton and a number of amber beads.

The cape forms the centrepiece of an exhibition called Re-creations:
Visualising our Past to run from September 26 until December 17 at Wrexham
Museum.

Assembly Culture Minister Alan Pugh, who negotiated the loan of the cape
from the British Museum, refused to be drawn on whether it ought to be
permanently based in Wales.

He said the British Museum has been an excellent custodian and legally owns
it.

"I'm very pleased that it [the British Museum] has been a first-rate
custodian of the cape and I'm very pleased it has been so willing to discuss
a loan to North Wales.

"The British Museum has done an excellent job and the real question is, can
people see it?"