Glasgow Museums

On the 7th of April 2022 Glasgow City Council's City Administration Committee approved 51 objects which were held in the city’s museums collections to be returned to Nigeria, India and the Cheyenne River and Oglala Sioux Tribes in the US.  Duncan Dornan, Head of Museums and Collections at Glasgow Life, said: “Glasgow has a positive history regarding repatriation. The return of these objects from Glasgow Life Museums’ collection to their rightful owners represents the largest-ever repatriation of cultural artefacts from a Scottish museums service and is a significant moment for our city.

In January 2023 the museum became the first in the UK to repatriate items to India, including a 14th century Indo-Persian tulwar (sword).  A transfer of ownership ceremony took place in August 2022 attended by dignitaries from the High Commission of India based in London.