English

Noun

cultural patrimony ‎(uncountable)

1. Objects possessing continuing cultural, traditional, or historical importance to the heritage of a group, particularly those considered inalienable by the group as of the time the objects had been separated from the group or from the historical setting of the objects.
   • 1996, Andrew Solomon, The New York Times Don't Mess With Our Cultural Patrimony!

     For the New Party, the Palace Museum protests were a triumph....And by consistently calling the Palace collection "the Chinese cultural patrimony," New Party leaders and other protesters were able to rally the sympathy of a surprisingly large population that identified such material as key to Taiwan's inchoate struggle for a cultural identity.

   • 2000, Archaeological Institute of America, UNESCO Convention Under Fire

     Considered even more broadly, the historical background of pillage is also directly relevant to the current state of a country's cultural heritage and thus should be an integral part of the deliberations of the CPAC [Cultural Property Advisory Committee], especially in determining whether the cultural patrimony of the requesting country is "in jeopardy from pillage." If a substantial portion of the archaeological heritage of a nation has already been lost in the past, even moderate levels of looting would constitute a serious threat, and it becomes even more critical to preserve the little that remains.

Related terms

• cultural wealth