What should we do with looted objects?

During the 1800s, British colonial military forces looted cultural property to fund their conquests. Museums collected many of these objects – buying them at auction or accepting donations from the government or soldiers’ families. The objects here were all looted in campaigns during Field Marshal Garnet Wolseley’s long career.

Today museums must deal with this difficult inheritance. The 1983 Heritage Act prohibits UK institutions like the V&A from returning objects to the countries they came from. Nevertheless, the V&A is building partnerships with institutions in these countries to loan objects for display. 

Written by Jacques Schuhmacher, Senior Provenance Research Curator
Published: May 2025

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