Ashmolean Museum Returns 16th-Century Bronze Statue to India

The 16th-century bronze statue of Saint Tirumankai Alvar has been returned to the Government of India by the Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford. This transfer took place during a celebration at the High Commission of India in London, where Ashmolean Director Dr. Xa Sturgis, CBE, and Professor Mallica Kumbera Landrus, who leads the Museum's Department of Eastern Art, were present. The return was the result of provenance research and collaboration with Indian officials. Dr. Sturgis expressed the museum's satisfaction in returning the statue and appreciation for the support received from Indian scholars and authorities. The High Commission of India expressed gratitude to the Ashmolean for its partnership.