Can Curation Heal Colonial Theft?

Words by Nishad Sanzagiri

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This oil painting was done by Edwin Lord Weeks in the 1880s. He undertook his first voyage to India in 1882, where he proved to be a dedicated observer of Indian culture and architecture. "Nautch Girls Emerging from the Taj Mahal" is one of his well-known works. The painting showcases a group of nautch girls, who were traditional Indian dancers and entertainers, emerging from the iconic Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, and is considered one of the most beautiful and recognizable landmarks in the world. (Available as print)

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Can Curation Heal Colonial Theft?

At the British Museum's new Indian exhibit, the gods are still silent behind glass.

Ganesha, c. 1100-1200 CE, in Odisha, India. Collected in India by Major-General Charles Stuart before 1828; purchased at auction by John Bridge in 1830; donated to the British Museum in 1872 by Mrs John Bridge, Ms Fanny Bridge and Mrs Edgar Baker.

I’ve never been able to walk through the British Museum without a flicker of discomfort. The beauty is undeniable, but so is the history that brought much of it here. So when I finally visited Ancient India: Living Traditions — a new exhibition tracing two millennia of Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist sacred art — I expected the usual unease. What I didn’t expect was to also feel moved. The exhibition had been curated with a level of care that surprised me: provenance was not just acknowledged but traced, names and dates included, colonial routes outlined, and community voices consulted. Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist groups were invited to help shape how the stories were told. It didn’t excuse the past, but it didn’t obscure it either, and that, in its own way, made the discomfort sharper.