Oxford University to Return 500-Year-Old Stolen Bronze Idol to India

Oxford University has agreed to return a 500-year-old bronze idol of Saint Tirumankai Alvar to India. The decision follows a claim by the Indian High Commission and the identification of the idol's origins by an independent researcher. Several stolen Indian artefacts have been returned in recent years.

In a significant move, the UK's prestigious Oxford University has announced its decision to return a 500-year-old bronze idol of a saint, believed to have been stolen from a temple in Tamil Nadu, back to India.

On March 11, 2024, the University of Oxford's Council supported a claim from the Indian High Commission to repatriate the 16th-century bronze sculpture of Saint Tirumankai Alvar currently housed at the Ashmolean Museum. This decision is pending approval from the Charity Commission, according to a statement from the museum.

The 60cm-tall statue of Saint Tirumankai Alvar entered the Ashmolean Museum's collection in 1967, acquired from Sotheby’s auction house and originally from the collection of Dr J.R. Belmont (1886-1981). The museum was recently alerted to the statue's origins by an independent researcher and informed the Indian authorities.

A formal request was subsequently made by the Indian government for the return of the bronze idol. It's believed to have been stolen from a Tamil Nadu temple and later sold at auction, eventually finding its way to the UK museum.

Despite the museum having acquired the statue in good faith in 1967, it is committed to addressing the historical injustices related to artefact theft. This event follows a series of similar instances, including the repatriation of a limestone relief sculpture and a 17th-century bronze sculpture, both returned to India last year following investigations by US and UK authorities.