US returns smuggled ancient Indian statues during Modi visit

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

The US has handed over almost 300 antiquities spanning thousands of years, which were either stolen or trafficked from India, to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit.

The artefacts, which span 2000BCE to 1900CE, were showcased in a symbolic handover ceremony attended by both Mr Modi and US president Joe Biden.

These 297 artefacts will soon be repatriated to India, the Indian government said.

This return is part of a broader effort by India to recover its stolen cultural heritage. Several countries, including the UK and Australia, have returned artefacts to India in recent years.

The US has returned artefacts to India multiple times in recent years, including 157 in 2021 and 105 in 2023.

With this latest batch, the total number of such items now stands at 578, the highest number returned by any single country.

During the ceremony, Mr Modi expressed gratitude to Mr Biden, emphasising the cultural and civilisational importance of the artefacts.

“These objects are not just part of India’s historical material culture, but formed the inner core of its civilization and consciousness,” he said.

Among the returned items are pieces such as a 10th-11th century sandstone Apsara from central India, a 3rd-4th century terracotta vase from eastern India, and an anthropomorphic copper figure from northern India dating back to 2000-1800 BCE.

Most of the artefacts are terracotta works from eastern India, though the collection also includes pieces made from stone, metal, wood, and ivory.

The restitution of these cultural properties is framed within the Cultural Property Agreement signed between India and the US, which mandates cooperation to intercept and return smuggled artefacts.

Many of the artefacts included in this collection were traced to India following an investigation led by The Indian Express in collaboration with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).

This investigation identified stolen pieces held by New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, many of which were linked to infamous antique dealer Subhash Kapoor, who is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for smuggling antiquities. The museum later announced that it would return 15 sculptures after it learnt that the items were trafficked.

Trafficking of cultural property has been a significant global issue, affecting many countries and cultures throughout history.

India, in particular, has been severely impacted, with thousands of artefacts stolen over the years, many of which have found their way into international museums and private collections.