Oxford University has made the decision to return a historic 500-year-old sculpture of a revered Hindu saint back to India.
The bronze statue, standing at nearly 60cm tall and portraying Tirumankai Alvar, has been showcased at the prestigious Ashmolean Museum.
Following a claim by the Indian high commission, it is suspected that this 16th-century sculpture of the Tamil poet and saint, originating from southern India, may have been unlawfully taken from an Indian temple.
A statement released by the Ashmolean Museum stated, “The council of the University of Oxford has endorsed the Indian high commission’s request for the return of the 16th-century bronze sculpture of saint Tirumankai Alvar. This decision is now pending approval from the Charity Commission.”
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In a notable event last May, Queen Consort Camilla adorned Queen Mary’s crown during King Charles’s coronation, omitting the controversial Koh-i-noor diamond.
The Koh-i-noor, a significant gemstone, was confiscated by the East India Company in Punjab, northern India, following the Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1849.
Presently housed in the crown jewels and exhibited at the Tower of London, the Koh-i-noor has been a subject of contention with India asserting its rightful ownership.
India, along with Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, has persistently demanded the return of the diamond since gaining independence from British rule in 1947.
In a similar vein, Oxford and Cambridge universities have expressed willingness to return collections of the Benin bronzes following a request from Nigeria.
These artefacts, looted by British colonial forces in 1897 amid a trade dispute, have sparked debates on repatriation and restitution.
The ongoing discourse surrounding cultural heritage has also extended to the Parthenon marbles, with Greece advocating for their return from the British Museum.
Amidst diplomatic tensions, the call for repatriation of these artefacts underscores the complexities of colonial legacies and cultural ownership.
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