US Museum Set To Return Three Stolen Indian Antiquities After Probe

Three invaluable antiquities are set to return to India from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art following extensive provenance research confirming that they were illegally removed from the country.

The objects include a 9th-century Shiva Nataraja bronze, a 12th-century Somaskanda sculpture of Shiva and Uma, and a 16th-century depiction of Saint Sundarar with Paravi. An agreement formalising the return was signed by the Deputy Chief of the Indian Mission in US, Ambassador Namgya Khampa, and NMAA Director Dr Chase Robinson. 

According to the Embassy of India



in the United States, the Shiva Nataraja bronze will remain on long-term loan to the Smithsonian, allowing the public to view it and appreciate India’s rich artistic and spiritual heritage.

The museum’s investigation involved detailed scrutiny of the objects’ transaction histories, with photographic evidence from the Photo Archives of the French Institute of Pondicherry showing the sculptures in temples between 1956 and 1959.

The findings were corroborated by the Archaeological Survey of India, which confirmed that the bronzes had been taken in violation of Indian laws.