Bangkok: Three Khmer art statues nearly a thousand years old have been returned to Cambodia after a long legal process in the US, media reported Wednesday.
The two art pieces represent the warriors Duryodhana and Bhima, and another one is of a spectator, Balarama.
The statues were taken in the 1970s from the temple of Koh Ker, located in the middle of the forest about 80 km northwest of Angkor Wat, the precious symbol of Khmer art and considered as one of the architectural marvels in the world.
"After a long travel of 40 years, surviving civil wars, looting and smuggling, these three statues have recovered their freedom after returning home," Cambodian Vice President Sok An said during the auspicious welcome ceremony Tuesday, The Cambodia Daily said.
According to the authorities, the figurine of Duryodhana was stolen in 1972 and was auctioned in London three years later.
In 2011, the Cambodian authorities, along with Unesco, stopped this 1m-by-58cm tall sculpture from again being auctioned in Sotheby`s auction house in New York.
After a long legal process, in early May this year, it was agreed that the art piece would be returned to Cambodia.
The statue of Bhima was bought in 1976 by a museum in California, which last month agreed to return the statue to its original place.
The return of Balarama is part of an agreement between the Cambodian government and Christie`s auction house.
The repatriation of these three figures follows last year`s return of two other Kneeling Wizards statues, which were also stolen from the temple of Koh Ker.
Thousands of art pieces were taken from Cambodia, most of them through the Thai border, between the 1970s and 1990s due to wars and political conflicts that then ran rife in the country.
Cambodian authorities said they would continue their search for three other sculptures from the Koh Ker temple which are still missing.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.