Two precious artifacts, the ‘Golden Boy’ statue depicting the Hindu deity Shiva and a kneeling female figure with raised arms, are set to return from the United States to Thailand in a repatriation ceremony scheduled for May this year.
According to Culture Minister Sermsak Pongpanit, the Fine Arts Department has been tasked with coordinating the repatriation process, collaborating closely with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum will bear the expenses associated with the repatriation, which will be facilitated through the Royal Thai Consulate-General in New York.
Both the US and Thailand will host repatriation ceremonies, with Bangkok National Museum serving as the venue for the Thai side’s event in May. Following the ceremony, the statues will be put on display for the public.
Sermsak noted that the Metropolitan Museum of Art is actively finalizing the repatriation logistics for these artifacts, emphasizing Thailand’s commitment to repatriating cultural items, including artifacts from the ancient town of Si Thep in Phetchabun province, in collaboration with US authorities.
Last year, Reuters reported the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s decision to return over a dozen pieces of ancient artwork to Cambodia and Thailand due to their connections with art dealer Douglas Latchford. Latchford had faced allegations of involvement in an antiquities trafficking network in Southeast Asia and was indicted in 2019. He consistently denied any wrongdoing and passed away the following year.
As part of this ongoing repatriation effort, the museum will return 14 Khmer sculptures to Cambodia and two to Thailand. (NNT)
