The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City announced Friday that it would return several stolen sculptures to Cambodia and Thailand.
The Met said in a press release that it would return 14 sculptures to Cambodia and two sculptures to Thailand. The pieces are part of its Khmer collection and are associated with antiquities smuggler Douglas Latchford.
Latchford was indicted in 2019 for illegally trafficking goods from the Khmer people. After his indictment, the Met says they reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and to Cambodian officials to learn more about the artifacts in their collection connected to Latchford.
“… the Museum received new information about the sculptures that made it clear that the works should be transferred. The Met and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have since signed an agreement to return these works to Cambodia and Thailand,” the press release stated.
According to the Met, the sculptures are from the 9th and 14th centuries in the Angkorian period. They draw on Hindu and Buddhist religious values.
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Max Hollein, the Museum’s Director and Chief Executive Officer, says the Met “greatly values our open dialogue with Cambodia and Thailand.”
“We are committed to pursuing partnerships and collaborations with our colleagues there that will advance the world’s understanding and appreciation of Khmer art, and we look forward to embarking on this new chapter together,” Hollein said in a statement.
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