via US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 16 May 2021 and others: This story has been developing over the last week, the return of lintels stolen from Khmer temples in Thailand have now made their way back home. They will be on display at the National Museum and I hope to have some images soon. More related news stories below.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) returned two hand-carved sandstone lintels – structural components from 9th and 10th century religious sanctuaries in Northeastern Thailand – at an official commemoration ceremony held Tuesday at Crozier Fine Arts. The sacred lintels had been stolen and illegally exported from Thailand more than 50 years ago.
The return of the lintels to Thailand marks the culmination of a three-year probe by HSI Bangkok, HSI San Francisco, and subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Calif., that resulted in the City of San Francisco’s forfeiture of the sacred artifacts that had been on exhibit at the city’s Asian Art Museum.
Source: HSI returns stolen sacred artifacts to Thailand in commemoration ceremony | ICE
See also:
- US hands over two stolen ancient lintels to Thailand after retrieving them from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco | The Art Newspaper, 28 May 2021
- Stolen Religious Artifacts Discovered At Asian Art Museum Returned To Thai Government | CBS, 28 May 2021
- 1,000-year-old ‘stolen’ artefacts to return to Thailand from US | AFP, 28 May 2021
- US returns ancient stone carvings to Thailand | BBC News, 29 May 2021
