The return of 14 sculptures looted from Cambodia during a period of war and unrest has been likened to welcoming home the souls of ancestors by Cambodia’s culture minister. The artifacts were repatriated from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and displayed at the National Museum in Phnom Penh. These sculptures date back to the 9th and 14th centuries, reflecting the Hindu and Buddhist religious systems of the time.
The return of these artifacts, after years of negotiations, holds great significance for the Cambodian people, helping them recall the heritage of their ancestors through good and bad times. Cambodia hopes to receive an additional 50 artifacts from the U.S. in the future, as they continue to seek the return of illegally trafficked items still held in museums and private collections.
The repatriation of these artworks is seen as a step towards reconciliation and healing for the Cambodian people, who suffered greatly during years of civil war and the Khmer Rouge regime. The return of these sculptures is also part of a larger global reckoning in recent years over art and archaeological treasures taken from their homelands, including pieces from Syria, Iraq, and Nazi-occupied Europe.
Among the returned artifacts are two significant works that are expected to be restored by reuniting them with other parts already in Cambodia’s possession, including a stone sculpture of the female goddess Uma and a bronze head of the deity Avalokiteshvara. This repatriation represents a positive partnership between Cambodia and the United States, bringing back pieces of their cultural heritage that had been lost or stolen.
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