Recent Posts
This week’s announcement that Cambridge University has transferred legal ownership of its collection of 116 Benin artefacts to Nigeria could be hugely significant
Latest Restitution News
Recent articles added to our comprehensive resource list of restitution news from around the world
MAR 2026
United Kingdom
After the Charity Commission agreed the transfer of a statue of the Hindu deity Saint Tirumankai Alvar, the Ashmolean Museum has returned the statue to India
FEB 2026
United Kingdom
The Royal Artillery faces criticism for refusing to allow public access to an Asante golden ram's head, looted from Kumasi in Ghana in 1874 and held in the regiment's private collection
FEB 2026
France
Musee du Quai Branly has returned the wood sculpted "talking drum" or Djidji Ayokwe, looted by French colonial officers in 1916, to the Ivory Coast
FEB 2026
Portugal
Portugal has made its first-ever restitution of pre-Columbian artefacts to Mexico as both countries commit to combat illegal trafficking of cultural property
From the Editor
The latest analysis and reports on cultural restitution news
This week’s announcement that Cambridge University has transferred legal ownership of its collection of 116 Benin artefacts to Nigeria could be hugely significant
Britain’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport has confirmed it will review the exclusion it imposed on national collections that prevents them from returning cultural objects on moral grounds
Six Native American skulls, acquired to advance the pseudoscience of phrenology, have been returned by the University of Edinburgh to the Muscogee Nation, a self-governed Native American Tribal Nation
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
"The Ashmolean is pleased to see this important object returned to India and we are grateful to the Indian authorities and scholars who have helped establish its provenance."
Dr Xa Sturgis speaking of the return of a statue of Saint Tirumankai Alvar to Indian authorities (March 2026)