Janet Suzman on viewing 3D replica horse head at the Freud Museum

"Last night I stood by the head and stroked its wild white nose; its like a ghost nosing its way into our world saying science is king. It's amazing.
Every mark and notch is there: the scrub damage from wire cleaners (BM) to what might be chisel marks to the mysterious cleavage on its skull which no-one knows what is or why its there.
It's the modern world whinnying 'hi' to the ancient. It's snow white like the BM's unconscious bias. But that Pentelic marble has iron in it so it would oxidise and slowly change its colour, get a suntan, were it left outside in the Attic sun. It would turn grey with depression and filth were it left outside in Bloomsbury, with a continuous Brit cold dripping from its flaring nostrils.
Roger Michel spoke with assurance and optimism.
Friend Simon Jenkins was there too. Both Michel and Jenkins think George Osborne is keen on legacy and may surprise us. The Trustees are reflective. Something has started."

Janet Suzman, Chair of BCRPM

photo credit:Evdoxia Lymperi

The unveiling at the Freud Museum was also covered on ITV News last night.

Article in artnet news from yesterday, 01 November where Vittoria Benzine writes: "Meanwhile, repatriation negotiations between the British Museum and Greek government are allegedly underway."

In the Times today, more on page 15 from arts correspondent David Sanderson. Willian Hague ommenting on one of the longest feuds in art history is quoted as saying: “I would have thought rational people would have come to a deal on this.” And, GeorgeOsborne earlier this summer spoke about a possible deal and a partnership between the UK and Greece to share the sculptures.

On the letters page of The Times, page 26: 

Robot-carved head
Sir, On the evidence of your photo of the robotically produced marble facsimile of the Parthenon sculpture of a horse’s head (news, Nov 1), the British Museum would be wise indeed to tell the Oxford-based Institute of Digital Archaeology to keep its pirated replicant artefact — its surface is dull, dead and without history.
Michael Daley
Director, ArtWatch UK

We would add that this replica isn't dull (see Janet's comments above), it is very white but wasn't that something that the BM alo strived to do with the sculptures, scrubbing them to make them whiter? And right now it is without history, simply because it is new. Would it not be exciting for the BM to start a new chapter and be part of the history that this specific sculpture may bring to those that venture into Room 18? Right now and for some decades, a fraction of the BM's total visitors go into Room 18, and  they don't linger for very long.