Recent Posts
A new commissioned sculpture marking the latest stage in the Renewable Cultural Partnership between the V&A and the Manhyia Palace Museum has gone on display in South Kensington
Latest Restitution News
Recent articles added to our comprehensive resource list of restitution news from around the world
NOV 2025
Vatican City
The Vatican Museums are to return a rare Indigenous kayak to Canada held since the world exhibition in 1925
NOV 2025
Switzerland
Switzerland has voluntarily returned three 19th cent sacred cultural artefacts belonging to South Africa's Nkuna royal family of Limpopo
NOV 2025
Netherlands
The Dutch government will return a 3,500-year-old Egyptian stone statue of an official, illegally exported from Egypt and exhibited at the Tefaf Maastricht art fair
NOV 2025
United States
US Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passes the HEAR Act to aid recovery of Nazi-confiscated Nazi works of art
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From the Editor
The latest analysis and reports on cultural restitution news
A new commissioned sculpture marking the latest stage in the Renewable Cultural Partnership between the V&A and the Manhyia Palace Museum has gone on display in South Kensington
A delegation of Shuar representatives from Ecuador visited the UK this month on a week-long programme to exchange knowledge, strengthen collaboration and learn how different museums in England are “looking after our ancestors”
While some museums continue to wrestle over their ‘Benin dilemma’, the Denver Art Museum is celebrating a cultural collaboration with Nigeria that has lasted over five decades
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
"To be entrusted with the temporary display of a Benin Bronze plaque on loan from the Nigerian government is a testament to the mutual respect and partnership we've built."
Christoph Heinrich, Frederick and Jan Mayer Director of the Denver Art Museum (October 2025)