Life and Art from FT Weekend

Why museums should keep their mummies and shrunken heads


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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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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at [email protected]. And please share this episode with your friends!

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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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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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