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
OCT 2025
United States
In the first ever return by a museum of a work of art taken under conditions of slavery, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston has resolved the ownership of two works by the 19th cent enslaved artist David Drake
OCT 2025
Tanzania
A former Tanzanian MP and environmental activist is demanding the repatriation of the Tendeguru fossils removed by German colonial explorers in the 19th century
OCT 2025
United States
Manhattan District Attorney announces the return of 29 antiquities to Greece following investigations into multiple looting and trafficking networks
OCT 2025
United Kingdom
The Hunterian Museum, Glasgow has repatriated to South Africa the ancestral remains of six individuals unethically exhumed in the late 19th/early 20th centuries
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
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.
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
"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)
