The Met has returned two sculptures from its collection to the Nepalese government. The museum says it is “committed to the responsible acquisition of archaeological art”.
Nepal received the 13th century wooden ‘Temple Strut with a Salabhinka’ and tenth century stone sculpture ‘Shiva in Himalayan Abode with Ascetics’ on 15 August.
The museum announced the transfer of the stone sculpture in September 2021. Both works are expected to be displayed at the National Museum of Nepal, Kathmandu.Â
The stone sculpture was given to the Metropolitan Museum Art in 1995, and the ‘Temple Strut with a Salabhinka’ was gifted to the museum in 1991.
The Met decided to return the objects and contacted the Nepalese government to arrange for them to be transported. In a statement, the museum says it is “committed to the responsible acquisition of archaeological art”.
It says it “applies rigorous provenance standards both to new acquisitions and the study to works long in its collection in an ongoing effort to learn as much as possible about ownership history”.
“In returning these sculptures to Nepal, the museum is honoring the long-standing relationship we have fostered with scholarly institutions and colleagues in Nepal, and signaling an ongoing dedication to continuing the ongoing and open dialogue between us,” the Met adds.
Objects gifted to the Met in 1990s
The Nepalese acting consul general, Bushnu Prasad Gautam, said officials are “deeply grateful” for the museum’s “initiative and active cooperation” in returning the sculptures.
“We appreciate the museum’s ongoing dedication and commitment to working for the preservation and promotion of world cultural heritage,” he said. The move “has deeply contributed to Nepal’s national efforts to recover and reinstate its lost artifacts”.
The Getty Museum in LA is also set to return a group of Orpheus sculptures that were illegally excavated to Italy. London’s Horniman Museum and Gardens has agreed to transfer the ownership of its Benin bronzes to Nigeria.
Images: The Met
