Recent Posts
In a handover ceremony at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford this week, a cherished cultural object – a sunhat taken violently by British colonisers during punitive expeditions to Sarawak - was returned to the Kenyah Badeng community
Latest Restitution News
Recent articles added to our comprehensive resource list of restitution news from around the world
NOV 2024
United States
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has returned 1,440 antiquities, including some items sold by art traffickers Subhash Kapoor and Nancy Weiner, to Indian authorities
NOV 2024
Norway
For the third time, Oslo's Kon-Tiki Museum is returning artefacts and human remains collected by Thor Heyerdahl in the late 1940s to Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
NOV 2024
Finland
Following an official request from the Republic of Benin, the National Museum of Finland is preparing to return a katakle, a ceremonial royal stool acquired in 1939
NOV 2024
Netherlands
Fifteen skulls from the Moluccas, discovered in the collection of Museum Vrolik, the anatomical museum of Amsterdam,, have been returned to the Tanimbar archipelago
Watch Our Video Podcast
Restitution: Returning Colonial Loot
A series of video podcasts hosted by Returning Heritage Editor, Lewis McNaught, where he discusses topical restitution news and current initiatives with leading experts
From the Editor
The latest analysis and reports on cultural restitution news
In a handover ceremony at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford this week, a cherished cultural object – a sunhat taken violently by British colonisers during punitive expeditions to Sarawak - was returned to the Kenyah Badeng community
Discussions held at the end of last month between a delegation of Maasai community leaders from Kenya and Tanzania and the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford prove that repatriation is not the only solution for the care of culturally sensitive objects
Britain’s new culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, wants government to adopt a more consistent approach to repatriation. This could lead to amending legislation that allows national museums to start repatriating contested objects
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.
EXPLORE
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.
View our Interactive Map ➔
A Museum Perspective
"These objects are of the utmost significance for the Warumungu people, and were lost to them in circumstances where they were compelled to sell or give them away. We are pleased to be able to return them to the care of their original community."
Michael Salter-Church, Chair of Trustees at the Horniman Museum and Gardens, 1 August 2024
