Smithsonian museum to return three bronze sculptures illegally removed from Indian temples
US museum returns stolen Indian temple sculptures after decades
- The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art is returning three medieval bronze sculptures to India after an internal investigation confirmed their illegal removal from temples.
- The sculptures, including a 10th-century Shiva Nataraja, a 12th-century Somaskanda, and a 16th-century Sundarar with Paravai, were found to have been taken without authorisation in the mid-20th century.
- Evidence for the illegal removal came from archival records and photographs from the French Institute of Pondicherry, which showed the statues in Tamil Nadu temples between 1956 and 1959.
- While two bronzes will be fully repatriated, the Shiva Nataraja will remain on display in Washington on a long-term loan from India, a decision questioned by the India Pride Project due to concerns over ownership.
- This repatriation reflects the museum's commitment to ethical collecting and aligns with increasing demands for British and other Western institutions to return artefacts removed from former colonies or through illicit trade.
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