The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has agreed to return 14 looted cultural treasures to Cambodia after years of negotiations, according to the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts. The repatriation includes significant pieces like a 10th-century female goddess sculpture from Koh Ker, a 10th-century bronze head of Avalokiteshvara, and a 10th-11th century Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara sculpture. Cambodian Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona emphasized the immense importance of the artifacts’ return for Cambodia and humanity. Sackona urged other museums and collectors to return looted Cambodian antiquities, highlighting the contribution of such returns to reconciliation and healing for the Cambodian people who endured decades of civil war.
Source – CGTN
Photo Credit – NBC NEWS