The return of 14 looted sculptures from Cambodia that were recently repatriated from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has been celebrated as a significant event in Cambodia’s cultural history. The artifacts, dating back to the 9th and 14th centuries, were displayed at the National Museum in Phnom Penh and seen as symbolic of welcoming back the souls of ancestors. The repatriation was the result of several years of negotiations between Cambodia’s art restitution team, U.S. federal prosecutors, investigators from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Met.
Cambodia’s Culture Minister emphasized the importance of the return of the artifacts for the Cambodian people, recalling their heritage through good and bad times. The return is seen as a blessing for peace and stability in the country. Cambodia also hopes to receive 50 additional artifacts from the U.S. in the near future. The repatriated artworks were believed to carry the souls of ancestors and bring back history, admiration, and knowledge.
The return of the stolen sculptures contributes to the reconciliation and healing of the Cambodian people, who suffered greatly during the Khmer Rouge regime and civil war. The repatriation ceremony included Buddhist monks chanting blessings and throwing flowers as a sign of respect. The return of these artworks is part of a wider global reckoning over looted art and archaeological treasures taken from their homelands, including pieces lost during times of turmoil around the world. The repatriated sculptures are now being restored and will be reunited with other parts already in Cambodia’s possession, including a 10th-century stone sculpture of the goddess Uma and a bronze head of the deity Avalokiteshvara.
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