Restitution of colonial-era cultural property

A large share of Western museums' non-European collections was acquired during the colonial period, through military expeditions, seizures or purchases under duress. Since the late 2010s, several African states have requested their return, and European countries have begun to respond, often through specific acts, since public collections are in principle inalienable. These restitutions do not stem from a general legal obligation, but from a political decision based on the history of acquisition. For the market, the movement has two effects: it makes provenance review of non-European objects more demanding, some of which become hard to sell, and it creates reputational and sometimes claim risk for private collectors. For the insurer, it is a title and value risk, affecting agreed value more than the physical integrity of the objects.