Season 1

The Kandy cannon is a richly decorated cannon that was built by the Netherlands during a war in Sri Lanka. Although the cannon was taken under dubious circumstances, it was soon declared an original Dutch heirloom. The cannon is currently on display in the Rijksmuseum. Martine Gosselink of the Rijksmuseum and Erik Dijkstra travel to Sri Lanka to investigate whether the cannon belongs there.

The Luba mask was brutally stolen from the Congolese village of Lulu during the period of Belgian colonialism. The mask is currently in Belgium, something the residents of Lulu are all too aware of. In their eyes, the absence of the mask causes poverty, drought and disease. Only when the mask is back can prosperity and growth return. Erik Dijkstra investigates whether it is time to return the mask to Congo.

In 1816, Lord Elgin demolished marble works of art from the Parthenon in Athens and housed them in the British Museum in London. They still reside here, much to the annoyance of the Greeks. The British Museum believes that the sculptures from ancient Greece are in a good place. In their view, the Marbles are the property of the public and can be viewed by millions of people in the national museum every year. Erik Dijkstra investigates whether the Greeks have a chance of ever experiencing the return of the Marbles.

Since 1924, the breathtakingly beautiful bust of Queen Nefertiti, one of the most famous antiquities from Egypt, has been in the Neues Museum in Berlin. It is clear to the Egyptians: this work of art of unprecedented beauty must go to Egypt. Nefertiti is the symbol for female leadership, a figurehead for the Egyptian people. The German museum director is in possession of proof that the bust was taken lawfully. In Egypt they claim that the bust was tampered with and left the country under suspicious circumstances. Emotions are running high. Erik Dijkstra delves into the issue.

The Banjarmasin diamond once belonged to the Sultan of Banjarmasin. After the sultan died in 1859, the city was forcibly taken over by Dutch troops and the diamond was taken to the Netherlands as plunder. The diamond eventually ended up in the Rijksmuseum depot and has been part of the permanent collection for a few years. Erik Dijkstra speaks to Hilmar Farid, director of the Ministry of Culture in Indonesia, among others. He also spoke to several descendants of the Sultanate of Banjarmasin. If the diamond returns to Indonesia, who would it belong to and where would it go?

In 1519, an army of Spanish conquistadors led by Hermán Cortés reached the shores of Mexico. Cortés was warmly welcomed by the Aztec ruler Moctezuma II, who gave him a crown of feathers as a gift. A historical event that ultimately resulted in the bloody colonization of the South American continent. Five hundred years later, the object can be viewed in the Museum of Ethnology in Vienna. Erik Dijkstra investigates how it got there. What do the presidents of Austria and Vienna think about this issue? How do researchers view the possible transport of the fragile and valuable feather crown?

In 1860, French and English troops destroyed the Summer Palace in Beijing. Many objects that were taken during the destruction of the palace are part of private art collections or have ended up in various museums in Europe and America. The Zodiac Heads have become a symbol of the destruction and fall of the Summer Palace, which in China is called 'the century of humiliation'. Although some of the heads have been found or bought back, some have still disappeared without a trace. Will the Chinese government succeed in bringing all twelve heads together again, and how far are they willing to go?

In 2018, President Macron finally started the dialogue about looted art during a trip to Africa. His first initiative was to return a collection of 26 objects to Benin. Musée du Quai Branly took part in an investigation, which resulted in the decision to return the treasures to Benin in 2022. But one much-loved item is not among the items returned. Gou, a beautiful and life-size iron statue of a god, forged by the king's blacksmith, remains behind in Paris. Erik Dijkstra investigates why this specific object has not been returned. And why is the museum so secretive about this statue?