US Returns Two 8th-Century Bronze Avalokiteshvara Statues to Indonesia
The United States Attorney’s Office has officially announced the return of two historic bronze statues stolen from Indonesia. The repatriation process for the antiquities was conducted through a formal ceremony at the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in New York on Friday (10/7).
US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, stated that the return was the result of close cooperation with US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). This step is part of an ongoing commitment to eradicate the illicit trade in looted artworks and antiquities.
‘We will continue to work with HSI to stop irresponsible parties who seek to profit from historic works of art,’ Clayton said in a press release from the US Embassy in Jakarta.
The repatriated antiquities are two bronze statues of the Buddha Avalokiteshvara in a standing position. Dating from the 8th century, the two statues measure approximately 16 inches (40.64 cm) and 20 inches (50.8 cm) in height, respectively.
According to civil forfeiture complaint documents in New York, the two objects were identified as ‘Sculpture-12’ and ‘Sculpture-27’ in the case United States v. A Late 12th Century Bayon-Style Sandstone Sculpture Depicting Eight-Armed Avalokiteshvara, et al.
The investigation revealed that the statues were illegally taken from an archaeological site in Indonesia by looters several decades ago. The artefacts were subsequently sold to Douglas Latchford, an antiquities dealer based in Bangkok, Thailand.
Between 2003 and 2007, Latchford sold the objects to a collector in the United States, concealing the fact that they were stolen goods. In late 2021, the collector voluntarily surrendered a total of 34 Southeast Asian antiquities purchased from Latchford, including the two statues from Indonesia.
Douglas Latchford was indicted in 2019 for a years-long scheme to sell looted antiquities on the international market. However, the legal proceedings against him were terminated following his death.
The US Attorney’s Office commended the cooperative attitude of the collector who voluntarily returned the objects so they could be sent back to their homeland. Since 2012, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, together with HSI, has successfully repatriated dozens of stolen antiquities to their countries of origin.