Metropolitan Museum of Art returning 16 sculptures to Cambodia, Thailand that were tied to indicted art dealer

Years after a high-profile art dealer was indicted for selling antiquities illegally, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced it would return 14 sculptures to Cambodia and two to Thailand.

The pieces, which were part of the museum’s Khmer collection, were all associated with Douglas Latchford, who was indicted in 2019. According to the Met, it worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and to Cambodian officials in the years since the indictment to gather information about the sculptures. The information later made it clear the works should be transferred to the southeast Asian country.

The Met is currently making arrangements for the passage of the pieces to their respective countries of origin.

“The Met is pleased to enter into this agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and greatly values our open dialogue with Cambodia and Thailand,” said Max Hollein, the museum’s director and chief executive officer. “We are committed to pursuing partnerships and collaborations with our colleagues there that will advance the world’s understanding and appreciation of Khmer art, and we look forward to embarking on this new chapter together.”

According to the museum, the pieces being returned were made between the ninth and 14th centuries in the Angkorian period, and reflect the Hindu and Buddhist religious systems prevailing at that time.