ABSTRACT
'Respect is an odd concept, its meaning slippery, especially when that 'respect' is given to an object. 'Respect' as a concept has gained the attention of many philosophers, though few have considered how it applies to material things. In England, an official report noted the difficulty of tying down 'respect'; this was an attempt at guidance on the treatment of archaeological human remains. 'Respect' when applied to objects is a highly elusive concept, for all that is so often demanded. At the Museum of the American Indian in Washington, the staffs are 'conscious of the traditional nature of almost every object and holds the utmost respect for it. Museum objects with similar kinds of demands can be found from many different faith traditions in many different parts of the world. Even when relaxing safely among like-minded colleagues, few if any museum workers admit to betraying the trust placed in them, or even to cutting corners.
