The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) will repatriate three looted bronze sculptures to Cambodia, following a decade-long investigation. Cambodian ambassador Dr. Chanborey Cheunboran declared: “this is an historic occasion and an important step towards rectifying past injustices, reinforcing the value of cultural properties, and acknowledging the importance of preserving and protecting cultural heritage.”
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A priceless Baroque artwork that was stolen during World War II has finally been repatriated to Poland. The painting is among 600 Nazi-looted pieces that have successfully returned to the country.
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The Greek Culture Minister, Lisa Mendoni, has announced that 351 objects are to be restituted to Greece after a drawn-out legal battle that has plagued the Greek Ministry of Culture. The artefacts, which include statues, figurines, sculptures, vases, jewellery, utensils and accessories, date from the Neolithic period to the Byzantine era, and include important objects such as a second century bronze statue of Alexander the Great.
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An ancient Roman bust which was purchased at a Goodwill store in Austin, Texas, five years ago for $35 is heading back to Pompejanum, a Pompeii-style villa in Aschaffenburg, Germany. The bust vanished from Pompejanum during the Second World War.
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A repatriation ceremony held in Bethlehem last month marked the first time the US has repatriated an item to Palestinian authorities. The object in question was one of the 180 stolen artifacts uncovered in the collection of American billionaire Michael Steinhardt last year. Steinhardt has since received a lifetime ban from collecting antiquities.
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Under a new law, museums in England and Wales will soon gain unprecedented powers to deaccession objects in their collections on moral grounds. The important change to charity law was passed in February 2022 and is due to come into force this autumn.
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London’s Horniman Museum and Gardens will transfer the ownership of 72 objects to the Nigerian government, including its collection of Benin bronzes. The Horniman, which won museum of the year in July, is the first government-funded institution to return artefacts looted by British forces from Benin City.
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Director of London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, Tristram Hunt, has criticised certain UK laws that prevent museums from restituting or deaccessioning works. Hunt was appointed museum director in 2017, serving as a member of the British Parliament prior to this.
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Last week in a ceremony at the Italian Embassy in Madrid, two objects were returned to their rightful country of ownership, Italy. The discovery and restitution of these items was made possible by collaboration between cultural heritage police units in both countries.
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A new NFT project was released earlier in May which seeks to find an alternative form of restitution of African looted art. The project, titled ‘Looty’, plans to (legally) make NFTs of artifacts known to have been looted from Africa and sell them, with 20% of the proceeds going to a fund to provide a young African artist with a grant.
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