Econ Papers Daily / 期刊论文
谁应拥有过去？
Who should own the past?
摘要
We examine restitution of cultural goods and its optimal form, that is, whether restitution should be definite or take the form of a loan. We show that a loan can be optimal when the source country is indispensable due to its cultural significance, while full restitution is optimal when the host country completes restoration. Relative valuations can drive restitution, but do not pin down its form. Finally, restitution is not always optimal despite the source country's higher valuation for the cultural good. We apply our analysis to the restitution of the Icelandic manuscripts and the proposed loan or restitution of the Benin Bronzes.
中文摘要
我们考察文化物品的归还及其最优形式，即归还是应当确定性的，还是采取借展的形式。我们表明，当来源国因其文化意义而不可或缺时，借展可能是最优的，而当东道国完成修复时，完全归还则是最优的。相对估值可以推动归还，但并不能确定其形式。最后，尽管来源国对文化物品的估值更高，归还并不总是最优的。我们将分析应用于冰岛手稿的归还以及贝宁青铜器拟议中的借展或归还。