New York authorities announced Friday that they have returned 27 artifacts to Cambodia, and three to Indonesia.
All 30 of the artifacts were either looted, sold, or illegally transferred by networks of American dealers and traffickers, and are valued at an estimated total of $3 million. Some of these artifacts include a bronze sculpture of the Hindu deity Shiva (“Shiva Triad”) and a stone relief depicting two royal figures from the Majapahit Empire (1293 – 1527).
“For years, these pieces were in the hands of people who saw nothing beyond the profit and status of their illicit possession,” said Ivan J. Arvelo, the special agent in charge of HSI New York in a statement. “HSI New York’s Cultural Property, Art, and Antiquities Group has worked tirelessly with international partners to take these small steps in seeking justice against some of the world’s most prolific traffickers.”
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. said that the pieces “were recovered pursuant to multiple ongoing investigations into trafficking networks targeting Southeast Asian antiquities,” in a statement from the Manhattan DA’s office, released on Friday. Bragg further mentioned, “We are continuing to investigate the wide-ranging trafficking networks that continue to target Southeast Asian antiquities. While we have made significant progress and have dismantled several prominent networks, there is clearly still much more work to do.”.
Authorities have accused art dealers Subash Kapoor and Nancy Wiener of illegally trafficking the artifacts. Kapoor has been accused of running a network trafficking items from Southeast Asia to sell in his Manhattan gallery, and has been the target of U.S. justice investigation “Hidden Idol” for over a decade. Kapoor was arrested in Germany in 2011, and sent back to India, where he was tried and sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2022 for his role in trafficking.
The stone relief from the Majapahit Empire was found in a storage unit owned by Kapoor. Kapoor has denied U.S. charges for conspiracy to traffic stolen works of art.
Wiener previously pleaded guilty in 2021 for her role in trafficking looted artifacts and selling them to public and private collections via her art gallery. Wiener intended to sell the bronze Shiva statue, but donated it to the Denver Museum of Art in 2007. Major institutions that have acquired work through Wiener, and her late mother, Doris Wiener, include the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.
The 30 pieces were returned in two repatriation ceremonies. The first ceremony saw the 27 relics returned to Phnom Penh, while the second saw the three returned to Jakarta.
H.E. Ambassador Keo Chhea of the Royal Embassy of Cambodia to the United States was present at the first ceremony.
“Today’s ceremony isn’t just about returning lost treasures; it’s a renewal of commitment between nations to safeguard the soul of our shared heritage. This commitment, built on robust cooperation, is what makes today significant,” Chhea said on Friday. “Cambodia and the United States are setting a global standard for protecting and repatriating cultural heritage. Through this united effort, we ensure the preservation of our collective past for future generations.”
Another attendee, Consul General Winanto Adi of Indonesian Consultant General of New York, also expressed gratitude over the relic’s return.
“My sincerest appreciation towards the New York District Attorney’s office and all related parties for their tireless effort to recover the antiquities,” said Adi in Friday’s press release. “Not only it reflects the closeness of Indonesia and the United States, the repatriation of the antiquities also serves as a precious gift for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and the US.”
New York still remains a major trafficking hub for relics. Several works have been seized by authorities in recent years from collectors and institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. During Bragg’s term, the Antiques Trafficking Unit has acquired nearly 1,200 stolen items from 25 different countries, and valued more than $250 million.
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