Australia’s National Gallery to Repatriate Stolen Cambodian Treasures

The National Gallery of Australia plans to return ancient statues to Cambodia after determining that they were likely stolen and illegally sold. This repatriation is part of a broader effort to return art and cultural artifacts to their countries of origin. Cambodia recently received numerous pieces that were held in museums and collections across the United States. The statues in question were originally purchased from Douglas Latchford, a notorious British antiquities dealer who was indicted in the United States for his involvement in the illicit trade of stolen objects. Prosecutors allege that Latchford falsified records to disguise the origins of the relics, which were looted from temples and sites in Cambodia. The National Gallery of Australia purchased the statues, which date back to the 9th or 10th century, for $1.5 million in 2011.

Speaking at a ceremony for the statues, the Cambodian ambassador to Australia described the return as an important step towards rectifying past injustices. The director of the National Gallery of Australia expressed his pleasure in returning these culturally significant sculptures to their rightful home. The gallery began investigating the provenance of the statues after Latchford became implicated in the illegal trade of antiquities. Latchford’s alleged thefts occurred over several decades, from the 1970s to the 2000s. This case is part of a larger global effort to repatriate looted treasures, with authorities working to identify and return stolen cultural artifacts to their countries of origin.