New British museum boss could pave way for Elgin Marbles return with ‘lending library’ model

The new director of the British Museum has suggested the institute could pursue a “lending library” approach under his tenure – potentially paving the way for a return of the Elgin Marbles.

Nicholas Cullinan OBE, former head of the National Portrait Gallery (NPG), declared his ambition “do something positive” with the museum legacy amid an ongoing debate over the return of historically significant colonial artefacts.

When questioned about returning such items, including the Marbles and the Benin Bronzes, Cullinan said he was open to collaborating with other museums around the world and that returning items on a loan basis was a model he favoured. “The challenge for us again is not to deny that or suppress that, but to be open – but then to think how can we do something positive with this legacy,” he told the BBC in his first interview since taking up his new post.

While acknowledging the Parthenon Sculptures would not be within his gift to return owing to a 1963 Act of Parliament which bars by law the returning of certain works, his willingness to cooperate with other museums around the world does represent a new footing for the museum, which holds some 8 million artefacts in its collection.

“We can’t give them back because of the Act of Parliament 1963 - we’re not allowed to deaccession.”

However, addressing the Marbles, he emphasised that it was an exciting time for the museum as some of the “great things achieved were because of collaboration”.

Cullinan said: “I would hope that some form of partnership is possible and I think definitely something we’ll want to take forward,” before adding that it was too soon to delve into the particulars of how a collaboration may be achieved and that the Marbles would “be a matter for parliament”.

The Parthenon Sculptures or the Elgin Marbles are a collection of artefacts taken from over 30 ancient sculptures from Greece (the Parthenon) and have been held in the British Museum since the early 1800s.

In the early 19th century, Athens was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire for 350 years. Lord Elgin, the British Ambassdor to the Ottomans, was responsible for the petitioning for authorities to remove the figures.

Some two centuries later, the Parthenon Sculptures are still hotly contested with the Greek government making a formal request for their return in 1983.

The comments from Cullinan come months after former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak disastrously embroiled himself in a row by cancelling a meeting at the last minute with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis when word emerged that the artefacts’ return was going to be discussed.

The British Museum has faced its share of disruption after proceedings were brought against a former member of staff for stealing and damaging 1,800 items - allegations they deny.

Cullinan praised the one-thousand employees at the museum for enduring “quite a forensic and painstaking process” but managing to recover “around half of the artefacts” - which people expected to take a minimum of five years.

Equally, the row over the resignation of trustees was brought into conversation because of the museum’s ties to oil and gas company British Petroleum (BP).

During his time at the NPG, Cullinan broke ties with BP but claimed that the relationship with The British Museum was an entirely different scenario because the museum was reliant on privatised funds to compensate the UK taxpayer.

The Independent has contacted the British Museum for comment.