Digging Beyond the Tombstone Metadata: A Decolonial Perspective on How the Rijksmuseum’s Metadata Represents Potentially Looted Art

Abstract

This thesis examines the representation of looted art in the discourse and metadata of the Rijksmuseum. Focusing on the Rijksmuseum’s online collection, the study analyzes metadata and online representation of artifacts, particularly those with colonial provenance. The research is situated within the broader context of decolonization efforts within museums. Drawing from critical data studies, it explores how classifications and metadata shape the interpretation and presentation of artifacts, highlighting ethical considerations in digital heritage. The research conducts a discourse analysis on policy documents addressing the management of looted art by the museum. Subsequently, it investigates metadata through a combined quantitative metadata analysis and qualitative discourse analysis, aiming to identify inconsistencies between policy and practice at the Rijksmuseum.

The findings reveal that the Rijksmuseum engages with the issue of potentially looted art in its discourse, focusing on provenance research and underscoring its dedication to comprehending and addressing the colonial roots of its collection. However, this study reveals that this is not fully evident in the metadata practices of their online collection. The inconsistencies in metadata documentation underscore the challenges of accurately articulating colonial histories. The biases inherent in cultural institutions are apparent in the metadata creation, as evidenced in the Rijksmuseum’s collection through the selective categorization of metadata fields and absences in provenance data. This phenomenon resonates with Ann Laura Stoler’s concept of ‘colonial aphasia’, which denotes the difficulty in accessing and comprehending knowledge about colonial history.