Leaders of the New York Museum became convinced that the two ministers Khmer statues were removed from Cambodia illegally, and decided to return to their homeland

Statue minister. Around 921-945
Khmer Empire (Koh Ker temple complex)
Source: nytimes.com

Metropolitan Museum of Art is about to return to Cambodia two valuable artifacts - stone statue of the tenth century temple complex of Koh Ker. In June last year, the Cambodian authorities began to demand the return of the sculptures , claiming that they were taken about the country illegally in the 1970s, when Cambodia was engulfed by civil war.

statue known as "the kneeling servants," for a long time were located at the entrance to the museum wing dedicated to the Southeast Asia. The exhibits were at the Metropolitan in parts: in 1987 and 1989, the museum presented only heads of statues, and in 1992, it added, and the torso. All four pieces were donated by philanthropist Douglas Letchfordom.

When the government of Cambodia for the first time at the Metropolitan sent a request for the return of the statues, museum workers were not sure of the validity of his claims. But now, according to representatives of the Metropolitan, they have enough information to believe Cambodians. Which facts become available New York museum, were not disclosed, but it is known that the data was provided by UNESCO, investigating the circumstances of the looting of cultural heritage sites in Cambodia.

central figure in this story is supposedly Douglas Letchford - British collector, who lives in Bangkok. It seems that he was aware of the illegal origin of the statues, and yet contributed to their export to the United States. Letchford denies any wrongdoing.

addition to the two statues of ministers from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Cambodia in the past two years trying to return the statues of soldiers from the same temple complex of Koh Ker. One of the soldiers was put up for auction Sotheby's, but because of the claims of Cambodia withdrawn from the auction. Cambodians have filed for a court auction house . The lawsuit is still ongoing. second statue-like sculpture of a warrior is now in the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and Cambodia is trying to get her back a court . The two statues of soldiers also passed through the hands of Douglas Letchforda.

Prepared by Mary Onuchina, AI

Sources : latimes.com , artinvestment.ru