Oxford University has decided to return a 500-year-old bronze sculpture of Hindu saint Tirumankai Alvar to India. The almost 60cm-tall statue had been showcased at the Ashmolean Museum. The Indian high commission claimed ownership of the Tamil poet’s sculpture, suspecting it was looted from an Indian temple. The University’s council supported the claim, and the decision is pending approval from the Charity Commission.
In another instance, Queen Consort Camilla wore Queen Mary’s crown without the Koh-i-noor diamond during King Charles’s coronation. The diamond, seized by the East India Company in 1849, remains part of the crown jewels, displayed in the Tower of London. India, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan have all demanded its return since India’s independence from the British empire in 1947.
Moreover, Oxford and Cambridge universities expressed willingness to return Benin bronzes to Nigeria after a request. These artefacts, over 200 in number, were looted by British colonial forces in 1897 amid a trade dispute. The British sold several thousand artefacts in London to cover the military mission’s expenses.
Furthermore, the dispute over the Parthenon marbles led to tensions between the UK and Greece. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pushed for their return, prompting a response from UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Athens has long campaigned for the marbles’ return, claiming they were unlawfully acquired during foreign occupation.
