US Returns 11th Century Antiquity to Cambodia

via Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, 31 March 2023: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. has returned the Khmer lintel, an 11th century antiquity looted from Cambodia during the 1990s, during a repatriation ceremony with the Cambodian Ambassador to the United States and the Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge at Homeland Security Investigations. The piece, which was seized from a private collection in Manhattan, features carvings of dancing celestial deities and formed the support for a temple door in Cambodia.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the return of the Khmer Lintel, an antiquity dating to the 11th century that was looted from Cambodia during the 1990s. The piece was returned during a repatriation ceremony with the Cambodian Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Mr. Chhea KEO and Thomas Acocella, Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge at Homeland Security Investigations, New York.

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The Khmer Lintel formed the support for a temple door in Cambodia. The carvings on the piece feature a scene of dancing celestial deities, or apsaras. Looted during the 1990s, the Khmer Lintel was smuggled from Cambodia into Thailand in 1995. Once in Bangkok, the piece was sold by a local dealer to an American collector. It remained in a private collection in Manhattan until October 2022, when it was seized by the Office.

Source: D.A. Bragg Returns 11th Century Antiquity to Cambodia – Manhattan District Attorney’s Office