New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is returning two works of art to Nepal after “receiving new information from colleagues” in the country.
The two works are a 13th-century wooden temple strut and a stone image of ‘Vishnu flanked by Lakshmi and Garuda’ from the 11th century. The former was purchased in 1988 and the latter was gifted to the museum in 1995.
The repatriation agreement was signed by Bishnu Prasad Gautam, acting consul general of Nepal, and Max Hollein, director and CEO of the Met museum. The museum will now arrange for the objects to be transported to Nepal.
Repatriation agreement with Nepal
“We value the long-standing relationship we have fostered with scholarly institutions and colleagues in Nepal, and we are committed to continuing the ongoing and open dialogue between us,” said Hollein.
Nepal’s acting consul general thanked the Met for “their initiative, facilitation, and active cooperation in returning these lost artifacts to Nepal”.
“We appreciate the museum’s ongoing dedication and commitment to working for the preservation and promotion of world cultural heritage,” Gautam added.
“The warm cooperation we have received from the museum has deeply contributed to Nepal’s national efforts to recover and reinstate its lost artifacts.
“The consulate looks forward to working closely with the museum to preserve and promote art and culture in the future, as these collaborative efforts truly contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage and further strengthen the long-standing ties between the peoples of Nepal and the United States of America.”
The Met has already partnered with Nepal on repatriations. It returned two stone sculptures in 2018, a 10th-century stone sculpture in 2021, and a 13th-century wooden strut in 2022.
Last month, the Met museum became the latest institution to announce an agreement with Yemen to care for and display two of the country’s artefacts.
Images courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
