Kelvingrove removes Egyptian mummies from display over lack of consent
Glasgow Life says human remains should only be shown where there is documented consent, and plans similar changes at the St Mungo Museum.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. File photo. · Photograph: Suicasmo (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum has taken Egyptian mummies off display because there is no record of the dead individuals consenting.
The items removed include the coffin and remains of the priest Nekht, a mummified hand from the Valley of the Kings, and a mummified head and foot. Mummies had been on show at Kelvingrove since it opened in 1901.
Visitors now see a sign saying the remains were removed as a mark of respect.
Glasgow Life, which runs the city's museums, said the move reflects current museum practice. It pointed to the International Council of Museums' revised code of ethics and said its draft human remains policy would only allow remains to be displayed with documented, informed consent from the person or their descendants.
More human remains are set to be removed from Kelvingrove's History Discovery Centre and Scotland's Early People gallery, and a coffin and remains will also be taken off display at the St Mungo Museum near Glasgow Cathedral.