Recent Posts
What will it take to break the British Museum’s determination not to explain when an object is ‘unfit to be retained’?
Latest Restitution News
Recent articles added to our comprehensive resource list of restitution news from around the world
FEB 2025
Netherlands
The Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science has agreed the return of 113 Benin Bronzes from the Dutch State Collection to the Nigerian government following an advisory report by the Colonial Collections Committee
FEB 2025
United States
The Cleveland Museum of Art's headless Greco-Roman bronze statue from Bubon in south-central Turkey will be repatriated at a yet-to-be-confirmed date
FEB 2025
South Africa
South Africa's authorities aim to repatriate human remains in the collections of the Horniman and Hunterian Museums, as well as in other European and US collections
FEB 2025
Nigeria
The small Nigerian port town of Koko, invaded three years before Benin City, hopes they can recover artefacts looted during an overlooked expedition by the British in 1894
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From the Editor
The latest analysis and reports on cultural restitution news
What will it take to break the British Museum’s determination not to explain when an object is ‘unfit to be retained’?
There are several reasons why Britain’s new Labour administration may be closer to agreeing a loan of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece than the previous Conservative government, even though a full transfer of ownership remains firmly off the agenda
Investigations into the collecting patterns of major US museums has resulted in two immensely readable and influential books covering today’s illegal trade in trafficking antiquities: Chasing Aphrodite and The Medici Conspiracy
About Cultural Restitution
Cultural restitution is the process by which a moveable object of historic or cultural value is returned to its country of origin after being seized, looted or acquired against the will of its owners. But it's more than just an act of return. It represents a growing recognition of the need to correct injustices committed in the past.
Today, as society’s values and the role of museums change, the legitimacy and ownership of these objects – as well as those thought to be procured legally – are coming under a spotlight. As complicated and sensitive as this debate may be, there’s no halting the growing debate between museums and communities of origin to find solutions that build new bridges of friendship and cooperation. This involves a new approach to restitution built on transparency and fairness - engaging with source communities and ensuring their voice is heard.
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Mapping the location of cultural restitutions
Our extensive Global Archive provides invaluable links to many other restitutions and other restitution news taking place around the world - organised by country.
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A Museum Perspective
"This work of redress is a crucial part of the work we want and need to do as it helps to restore trust and understanding, and builds hope for a future of peace through partnership."
Professor Dr Laura van Broekhoven, Director of the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford (Nov 2024)
