statue of a warrior. X century. Koh Ker, Cambodia
Sandstone. The height of 158,4
Source: artdaily.com

Auction house Sotheby's asked a federal judge to stop legal proceedings instituted against him by the Government of Cambodia . At issue was being in the hands of Sotheby's Khmer statue of a soldier of the tenth century, which, according to Cambodia, was taken out of the country illegally. The auction house says that no evidence of the theft there. The sculpture was put up for auction of antiquities at Sotheby's in March, with an estimate of $ 3 million, but because of claims Cambodian item was removed with trading .

initially tried to settle the dispute by peaceful means: Sotheby's had hoped to find a patron who would be willing to buy the statue from the owner (the Belgian collector Ruspoli di Poggio Suazo), and then repatriate her. But the deal did not materialize, and in April against the auction house on behalf of the Cambodian case was filed in U.S. Federal District Court in New York.

Cambodia in its lawsuit refers to the French colonial laws of the early twentieth century, which recognized Cambodian antiquities state property. Prosecutors also argue in favor of why, in their opinion, the statue has left the country during the civil war in the early 1970s.

Sotheby's, however, insists that the former Cambodian law ownership of each individual artifact was specifically stipulated. And this has never happened with the controversial statue.

In addition, Sotheby's says that the temple complex of Koh Ker, where once stood the statue was in ruins during the visit of French archaeologist Henri Parmentier (Henri Parmentier) in 1939. The scientist did not mention the statue in its inventory.

But archaeologist Tess Davis (Tess Davis), investigating the circumstances of the disappearance of artifacts on the instructions of the Cambodian government, said such claims "misleading and inconclusive." Many temples in Cambodia during their detection were in ruins, but it does not mean that they were looted. In addition, Parmentier was just not able to describe every item in the vast temple complex, which for centuries thoroughly concealed rough jungle vegetation.

Cambodian officials and federal prosecutors have not yet commented on the statements by the auction house .

Remember, this is not the only spores from artifacts, which is now Cambodia. government of this country is going to sue and the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, from the second is the same statue of a warrior . A few days ago Cambodian authorities have raised claims to the Metropolitan Museum that holds two controversial statue of the kneeling guards .

Prepared by Mary Onuchina, AI

Sources : artinvestment.ru