The Metropolitan Museum of Art is repatriating looted artefacts again. This time, the New York institution is returning 16 Khmer sculptures to Cambodia and Thailand.
Two of the sculptures are being returned to Thailand and 14 will head home to Cambodia. These works came from art dealer and collector Douglas Latchford, who was indicted for selling antiquities illegally in 2019.
After his indictment, the Met contacted the US attorney’s office in Manhattan and Cambodian officials to review the Khmer works in its collection.
“The Met has been diligently working with Cambodia and the US attorney’s office for years to resolve questions regarding these works of art, and new information that arose from this process made it clear that we should initiate the return of this group of sculptures,” said Max Hollein, the museum’s director and CEO.
“We are committed to pursuing partnerships and collaborations with our colleagues [in Cambodia and Thailand] that will advance the world’s understanding and appreciation of Khmer art, and we look forward to embarking on this new chapter together.”
Per a statement from the Met, the artworks being returned were made between the 9th and 14th centuries in the Angkorian period.
The Met will temporarily display a selection of the works while arrangements are made for their return to their countries of origin.
Met to temporarily display sculptures
The museum has been busy returning looted artworks to their countries of origin in recent years. Most recently, it returned two works of art to Nepal. Before that, the Met returned 15 sculptures to India after discovering that the objects were illegally removed from the country.
In September, the institution announced an agreement with Yemen to care for and display two of the country’s artefacts until they can be returned.
According to a recent report, the Met holds more than 1,000 objects that are linked to people who have been “either indicted or convicted of antiquities crimes”.
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