Wide view shot of the horse head sculpture from the Parthenon marbles

Contested objects from the collection

The British Museum's collection has grown since 1753 and the acquisition of the founding collection of Sir Hans Sloane.

Objects have been acquired in a variety of ways. Some objects are subject to questions about, or requests for, return to other countries.

Statements on the most frequent requests and information on the current status of the discussions can be found below. 

  • Ceremonial cap made of hide, adorned with gold details, including golden horns, golden badges of faces, and raised flaps with fur at each end

    Asante Gold Regalia

    Learn about Asante regalia, a culturally and artistically important group of objects from the Kingdom of Asante.
  • Relief plaque made of brass cast showing two figures

    Benin Bronzes

    Learn about these elaborately decorated sculptures from the West African Kingdom of Benin.
  • The image shows a photograph of the Book of the Dead of Hunefer. The information has been written on papyrus. It shows Hunefer kneeling before deities and the jackal-headed Anubis leading Hunefer towards the balance of judgment, where Anubis is depicted again, kneeling to adjust a weighing scale of the heart.

    Human remains

    Find out about the Museum's commitment to curating human remains from around the world with care, respect and dignity.
  • Two panels of diptych contained with religious imagery

    Maqdala collection

    Learn about the Maqdala collection, which represents many of the great artistic traditions of Ethiopia.

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