When looking at places like the British National Museum and when we look at many other Museums created at the height of Imperialism they were definetely signs of power over any scientific purpose.

It is the ultimate power move to get away with robbing artifacts from all over the world and putting them on display in your capital. And then having the audacity to claim to “take care of them” for your “underdeveloped” people wouldnt know how to handle your own culture.