Officials in New York City have announced the repatriation of 30 antiquities to Cambodia and Indonesia, marking a significant milestone in the restitution of looted cultural heritage. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg disclosed the return of these artifacts, valued at a collective $3 million, as part of ongoing efforts to combat illicit trafficking in antiquities.
In recent repatriation ceremonies, 27 pieces were returned to Phnom Penh and three to Jakarta. Among the notable items repatriated were a bronze statue depicting the Hindu deity Shiva, looted from Cambodia, and a stone bas-relief sculpture featuring royal figures from the Majapahit empire, which ruled between the 13th and 16th centuries, stolen from Indonesia.
The prosecution implicated American antiquities dealers Subhash Kapoor and Nancy Wiener in the illegal trafficking of these artifacts. Kapoor, an American-Indian dealer, allegedly operated a network involved in trafficking stolen items from Southeast Asia, which were subsequently sold in his Manhattan gallery. Kapoor’s activities had been under scrutiny in the US “Hidden Idol” investigation for over a decade, culminating in his arrest in Germany in 2011 and subsequent extradition to India, where he received a 13-year prison sentence in 2022.
Wiener, convicted in 2021 for trafficking in stolen works of art, attempted to sell the bronze Shiva statue before eventually donating it to the Denver Museum of Art in 2007. However, the artifact was seized by New York courts in 2023.
New York’s role as a major trafficking hub for stolen antiquities underscores the significance of these repatriations. Despite recent seizures from museums and private collectors, prosecutors stress the ongoing need to investigate and dismantle trafficking networks targeting Southeast Asian antiquities.
The return of these artifacts has been welcomed by diplomatic representatives from Cambodia and Indonesia. Cambodia’s ambassador to the US, Keo Chhea, emphasized the importance of safeguarding shared heritage, while Indonesia’s Consul General in New York, Winanto Adi, expressed gratitude for the restitution efforts, particularly as the two countries commemorate the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.
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