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The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City said on Friday that it would return 14 sculptures to Cambodia and two to Thailand that were associated with an art dealer who was charged with trafficking looted antiquities in 2019.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) is poised to undertake the significant step of repatriating a collection of sculptures associated with Douglas Latchford, a dealer who stands accused of orchestrating the smuggling of looted artifacts from Southeast Asia. The U.S. Attorney's office in the Southern District of New York had previously indicted Latchford on charges of supplying major auction houses, art dealers, and museums with antiquities obtained through illicit means, accompanied by the falsification of documentation to conceal the true origins of these artifacts. The renowned art dealer passed away at his residence in Bangkok in 2020, as reported by the New York Times.
The Met's decision to return these artworks is a result of its collaboration with Cambodia and the U.S. Attorney's Office, a collaborative effort that has spanned several years. Max Hollein, the Met's director and chief executive officer, emphasized the museum's commitment to diligently resolving questions surrounding the contested works of art. According to a statement issued by the Met, new information gleaned from this ongoing process underscored the necessity of initiating the repatriation of this particular group of sculptures.
The sculptures in question, originating from the Angkorian period between the 9th and 14th centuries, are representative of the artistic and religious influences of Hinduism and Buddhism. The significance of these artifacts is heightened by their connection to important Cambodian archaeological sites from the ancient Khmer empire. These sites, unfortunately, fell prey to looters during Cambodia's prolonged period of civil unrest, spanning from the mid-1960s to the early 1990s. The organized looting network and smuggling processes employed by Latchford played a pivotal role in channeling these artifacts into the international art market, as outlined in the U.S. Attorney's indictment.
The Met's decision to repatriate these artworks aligns with the institution's broader commitment to reevaluating its collection with a keen focus on issues related to cultural property and addressing historical concerns about its collecting practices. This move underscores a proactive approach to rectifying the consequences of the illicit art trade and acknowledging the cultural heritage of nations affected by looting.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that U.S. authorities have been engaged in a prolonged effort spanning more than a decade to locate and repatriate artifacts looted from Cambodia. The return of these sculptures by the Met reflects a collaborative international endeavor to rectify historical injustices and uphold the principles of ethical art stewardship.
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