Thailand urges return of ancient artefacts from US museums

The Thai ministry of culture’s ad hoc committee has called for the repatriation of 23 artefacts that originated in Thailand from leading US museums.

After a year-long investigation, the ministry aims to bring back five stone architectural artefacts, including two prominent 11th-century stone lintels from Buri Ram and Sa Kaew in northeastern Thailand.

Both artefacts are currently in the permanent collections of the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, Fine Art Department director Anan Chuchote said yesterday.

Eighteen Buddha statues and sculptures are also currently in permanent collections at leading museums, including New York’s Metropolitan Art Museum, the Asian Art Museum and the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California.

Among the masterpieces are an eighth-century bronze preaching Buddha statue called Avalokitesvara from Prasat Hin Khao Bat II in Buri Ram.

There are also 14 artefacts currently in the possession of the Honolulu Museum of Art in Hawaii, including a prehistoric bell made of bronze and Buddha statues from the Dvaravati and Ayutthaya eras.

The US Department of Homeland Security has called for cooperation with Thailand to verify 69 other artefacts, all from the prehistoric age and believed to originate from Thailand, which are currently being stored in US museums.

There are also 13 prehistoric artefacts owned by American collector Katherine Ayers-Mannix, who intends to return her collection to the Thai government.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministry is in the process of verifying 10 more artefacts in the possession of the Norton Simon Museum.

Thailand has successfully called for the repatriation of heritage from the United States in past decades.

In 2014, the US government returned over 500 artefacts looted from Ban Chiang, which were in possession of the Bowers Museum in Santa Anna, California.

It was the most significant return of ancient treasures since the Art Institute of Chicago returned the Narai stone lintel in 1988.