The British Museum Formally Repatriates a Rare 13th-Century 'Ifugao' Bulul Sculpture to the Philippines

In a historic ceremony held in London, the British Museum has formally repatriated a rare 13th-century 'Bulul' rice deity sculpture to the National Museum of the Philippines. Carved from dense narra wood, the figure was a vital spiritual protector for the Ifugao people of the Cordillera mountains, believed to ensure a bountiful harvest and protect the community from spiritual harm.

The return marks a significant shift in the museum's approach to Southeast Asian colonial-era acquisitions and follows years of diplomatic dialogue. Filipino heritage officials stated that the Bulul will be returned to its ancestral province of Ifugao, where it will be housed in a community-led museum dedicated to preserving the indigenous Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras.