On 22 August, Cambodia rejoiced in the spirit of devotion when their 14 sculptures of Khmer cultural significance were repatriated from the US. These sculptures have now been displayed among the 70 returned antiquities from the US over the past years at the Peace Palace, PM’s office in Phnom Penh. Belonging to the ninth to the fourteenth century, commonly known as the Angkor period, these 14 sculptures are significant to Hindus and Buddhists.
To mark this celebration, Prime Minister Manet described it as a reconnection of Cambodians with their “ancestral souls.” He further explains,
“It’s not just the everyday people who seek peace; divine families, as well, wish to reunite with the spirits of their ancestors. Without maintaining peace, we cannot fully reclaim the rich history and heritage that belongs to Cambodia.”
Among these 14 sculptures, some of the most significant ones are a stone sculpture of the Hindu deity, Uma (Parvati); a 10th-century bronze head of the Buddhist deity Avalokiteshvara; and other stone sculptures of Shiva, Ardhanarishvara, and warriors featured in Mahabharata. The Cambodian government states that this loot happened in the 1970s under the Khmer Rouge, a civil war with instabilities. Further, an investigation on an art dealer in 2019, Douglas Latchford led to the series of events when the MET agreed to return the 14 pieces to Cambodia.
The 70 other artifacts were sourced from The MET, New York, and other private collectors over the years. According to Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts,
“A total of 70 Khmer cultural objects have been returned through a range of different processes, including voluntary returns, negotiations, seizures and legal proceedings, from different collections such as from the Lindemann family, Jim Clark, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and other private collectors in the United States.”
The return of these sculptures was possible due to several negotiations between various US Federal agencies and Cambodian officials. The cultural minister of Cambodia, Phoeurng Sackona remarks these objects were significant “for recalling the heritage of their ancestors through good times and bad”. He further added,
“These returns contribute to the reconciliation and healing of the Cambodian people, who endured decades of civil war and suffered tremendously from the tragedy of the Khmer Rouge regime.”
Cambodia hopes to receive 50 more pieces from the US as it becomes the latest of the countries to benefit from the repatriation of art trend.
Resource.
Featured Image: Sculptures returned to Cambodia; @USEmbPhnomPenh, X.
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