(Image: Hunterian)
The remains of Egyptian mummies have been removed from two Glasgow museums amid concerns over "informed consent" from the deceased.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum bosses made the decision to pull their mummies from display amid new proposals by Glasgow Life, which manages Kelvingrove, to only exhibit human remains that have given the go-ahead prior to their death.
A sign posted where the mummies used to be displayed reads: "We have removed human remains from this display as a mark of respect."
A Glasgow Life spokesperson said: "The removal of human remains from display at Glasgow Life museums reflects contemporary museum practice.
"The International Council of Museums’ revised Code of Ethics, published in June 2026, states that museums 'should uphold the inherent dignity of human remains and promote respect for their significance'.
Stock image of an Egyptian mummy. (Image: Pixabay)
"The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Afrikan Reparations 2025 report, 'Laying Ancestors to Rest', also raises ethical concerns about the display of ancient Egyptian human remains due to the consistent disregard of the potential wishes of the ancestors and the intention of the communities that originally laid them to rest.
"Glasgow Life Museums’ draft Human Remains Policy proposes that human remains should only be displayed where there is documented and informed consent from the deceased individual or, in appropriate circumstances, their descendants.
"In the absence of such consent, we believe removing ancient Egyptian human remains from display is more respectful to the deceased individuals."
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Now, according to the BBC, the Hunterian Museum, located on the main Gilmorehill campus of the University of Glasgow, has also covered up Lady Shep-en-Hor, a 2,500-year-old ancient Egyptian mummy from Thebe, to protect it from public view.
A spokesperson for The Hunterian - Scotland's oldest public museum - said that Lady Shep-En-Hor "deserved privacy in death".
The decisions by both museums have been made after The International Council of Museums’ published an updated Code of Ethics in June this year which calls for the promotion of respect and dignity for the deceased.