WASHINGTON, DC.- The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art announced today the return of three Cambodian sculptures to the Kingdom of Cambodia. The ethical return, which was initiated by the museum, follows an extensive internal assessment conducted since August 2022. The assessment consisted of several years of dedicated research carried out by the museum’s provenance researchers and curators and efforts undertaken in close collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of the Kingdom of Cambodia, which determined that the objects were removed from Cambodia during a period of widespread looting amid civil conflict (1967–1975) before entering the U.S. art market. This repatriation is the museum’s first under the Smithsonian’s Shared Stewardship and Ethical Returns policy, adopted in April 2022.

The three sculptures—“Head of Harihara” (mid-10th century), “The Goddess Uma” (10th century) and “Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom)” (c. 1200)—were donated to the museum and entered the collection without documentation of export from Cambodia. Each object is associated with art dealers suspected of trafficking looted antiquities from Southeast Asia. Based on their close association with specific extant temples and the date of appearance of these objects on the international art market, the museum identified ethical concerns significant enough to warrant a voluntary return.

The Smithsonian’s Shared Stewardship and Ethical Returns policy—created to guide voluntary, good-faith returns based on ethical considerations—enabled the museum to undertake this repatriation through a framework that is unique among U.S. museums. Under this policy, the museum was able to proceed with a voluntary return without requiring a formal restitution claim from Cambodia. The museum has completed the deaccession process for the sculptures and will continue to collaborate with Cambodian partners through ongoing joint provenance research to deepen understanding of their histories.

Details About the Objects and Their Histories

• “Head of Harihara” represents a composite deity combining Shiva and Vishnu. Only half of Shiva’s third eye is visible, confirming the dual identity, while the elaborate three-tiered headdress—carved with floral designs matching those found at the temple of Pre Rup—resembles Cambodian temple towers that evoke Mount Meru, the mythic center of the universe. The sculpture was likely acquired by William H. Wolff Inc. before 1968, passed to Dr. Arthur M. Sackler and gifted to the museum in 1987. It was on long-term view in “Sculpture of South Asia and the Himalayas” from 1988 to 2017.

• “The Goddess Uma” stands in an elegant, front-facing pose with a columnar base formed by her pleated skirt and delicately modeled torso emphasizing femininity and fertility. Intricate floral patterns on her headdress and belt reflect carvings at the hilltop temple Phnom Bakheng, and visual parallels with reliefs at Phnom Bakheng further associate the sculpture with this temple. Also thought to have been acquired from William H. Wolff Inc. in 1972, the sculpture entered Sackler’s collection and was donated to the museum in 1987. It was previously exhibited in “Sculpture of South Asia and the Himalayas” (1988–2017) and later in “Power in Southeast Asia” (2017–2020).

• “Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom)” presents the goddess of transcendental wisdom in her esoteric Cambodian form. This complex bronze figure, dating to the Bayon period under Jayavarman VII, reflects the rise of state-sponsored esoteric Buddhism and the ritual need for portable devotional icons. Originally part of Christian Humann’s Pan-Asian Collection, it passed through Robert H. Ellsworth and was sold at Sotheby’s in 1990 and donated to the museum in 2015. It was shown in “Art of the Gift” (2015), “Encountering the Buddha” (2017–2022) and is currently on view in “The Art of Knowing” (since 2023).

“This return marks an important step in the museum’s commitment to ethical stewardship, reflecting both the strength of our provenance research program and the values that shape our work today,” said Chase F. Robinson, director of the National Museum of Asian Art. “As the museum’s first return under the Smithsonian’s Shared Stewardship and Ethical Returns policy, this is more than an institutional action. Rather, it’s the product of a collaborative and sustained process with our Cambodian partners, combining research from both Cambodian authorities and our own team toward building a trusted and complete picture of each object’s history.”

Planning of an official repatriation ceremony is underway to mark this ethical return. During the event, representatives from the National Museum of Asian Art will officially return all three sculptures to the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The ministry has also agreed in principle on a path toward the long-term loan of the objects, allowing the museum to continue to share Cambodia’s great artistic achievements and provenance histories with visitors while demonstrating the mutual benefits of collaboration in the protection of cultural heritage.