Glasgow museum receives a request to return a mummified priest to Egypt after pulling mummies over a lack of 'consent'

Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow has received a request to repatriate the remains of Nekht, an ancient Egyptian priest whose mummified body was on display in a painted coffin, arriving just days after the museum removed all human remains from public view. Glasgow Life, the museum's operator, confirmed the approach but was unable to identify the party behind it. The decision forms part of a broader ethical review prompted by the International Council of Museums' revised code of ethics, which came out in June 2026.

Also taken off display are a mummified head, right foot and right hand, all retrieved from the Valley of the Kings in Luxor.

Glasgow Life pointed to the lack of 'informed consent' from the deceased as its rationale for withdrawing all human remains from the Egyptian galleries.

A dedicated restricted-access storage facility at Glasgow Museums Resource Centre has been constructed to hold the withdrawn remains on a permanent basis.