Oxford University has agreed to return a 500-year-old bronze sculpture of a Hindu saint to India. The Ashmolean Museum says the Indian High Commission had made a claim four years ago for the bronze figure of Tirumankai Alvar that was allegedly looted from a temple. (Photo by Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford via AP)
Oxford University has agreed to return a 500-year-old bronze statue of a Hindu poet and saint to India, according to a statement from the Ashmolean Museum.
The Indian High Commission in the U.K. had made a request four years ago for the bronze figure of Tirumankai Alvar, which is believed to have been taken from a temple.
Vijay Kumar, co-founder of the India Pride Project, an organization dedicated to reclaiming stolen religious artifacts, expressed satisfaction at the development. "We faced delays due to COVID and complex procedures between British and Indian authorities, but our efforts on social media have helped move this forward," Kumar told the Times of India on Sunday.
This move aligns with a broader global trend where countries and indigenous groups are seeking the return of valuable artifacts taken or acquired during the colonial era. Countries like Nigeria, Egypt, and Greece, along with Indigenous groups from North America to Australia, have also been pushing for the return of such treasures.
Two years ago, Oxford University agreed to return nearly 100 Benin bronzes to Nigeria, which were looted in 1897 during a British military expedition in West Africa. However, the return has been delayed by the Charity Commission, which reviews whether such actions affect an organization's charitable status. The Indian bronze will also require the commission's approval before it can be returned.
The Ashmolean Museum had reached out to the Indian High Commission in 2019 after discovering in photo archives that the bronze was last seen in a Tamil Nadu temple in 1957. The university council supported the return of the statue in March.
The museum acquired the statue at a Sotheby’s auction in 1967, but it is unclear how Dr. J.R. Belmont, the previous collector, obtained it.
