D.A. Bragg Announces Return Of Three Stone Sculptures To Cambodia

Pictured: "Lintel with Anthropomorphic Dragon in Foliage"

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the return of three stone sculptures to the people of Cambodia. The objects were recovered pursuant to multiple criminal investigations into trafficking networks targeting Southeast Asian antiquities, including NANCY WIENER, who was previously convicted by the Office of antiquities trafficking. The pieces were returned at a ceremony with H.E. Kuong Koy, Ambassador of Cambodia to the United States of America and H.E. Chhea Keo, Permanent Representative and Ambassador in New York.

"These sculptures have been in New York City illegally for decades, and thanks to the work of our prosecutors, analysts and investigators, they are finally being returned to Cambodia," said District Attorney Bragg.

"On behalf of the Royal Government of Cambodia, I wish to express my deep appreciation to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office for their good will and kind cooperation on the repatriation of artifacts. The return of these priceless works means the return of the soul and spirit of Cambodia back home," said Ambassador Kuong Koy.

The pieces being returned today are:

• The Lintel with Anthropomorphic Dragon in Foliage dates to the 7th century C.E. and depicts Kāla or Kīrtimukha (face of glory), thought to represent an aspect of Shiva as time, who devours himself and destroys all things. This Lintel is carved in the distinct 'Thala Borivat style,' which centers on Stung Treng Province with associated sites along the Mekong River in Northern Cambodia. The Lintel was smuggled out of Cambodia and into New York by Doris Wiener in 1981. Wiener sold the Lintel to a private collector who donated it to the Met in 1985. The Lintel remained in the Met's collection until earlier this year when it was seized by this Office.
• The Guardian Deity (Rakshasa or Hiranyakasipu) is a sandstone sculpture dating to ca 921-945 C.E. and once flanked the entrance of the Prasat Chen temple at the UNESCO World Heritage site Koh Ker, where its feet and pedestal remain. The site was heavily looted in the 1970s and at least a dozen Koh Ker statues were smuggled out of Cambodia and sold by Douglas Latchford, who was indicted by federal prosecutors for alleged antiquities trafficking before he passed away in 2020. Latchford sold the Deity to the New York-based gallery owner Doris Wiener in 1972. Upon its arrival in New York, Wiener immediately sent the statue to the Met for inspection as potential future gift. The Met eventually accepted the statue as a donation in 1987, and the Deity was on display at the museum until earlier this year when it was seized by this Office.
• The Sandstone Head of Harihara dates to the 7th century C.E. Harihara is a composite Hindu deity representing the fusion of Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara). The Head was smuggled out of Cambodia into Thailand by 1970, where it was purchased by an American collector, who ultimately surrendered it to the ATU in 2025.

Pictured: "Guardian Deity (Rakshasa)"

This Office's Antiquities Trafficking Unit has now convicted 18 individuals of cultural-property-related crimes; recovered more than 6,350 cultural treasures, including rare books, works of art, and antiquities, valued at more than $490 million; and returned almost 6,000 of those so far to 38 countries. The extradition of another 7 alleged traffickers is pending.

The investigations were conducted by Chief of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit and Senior Trial Counsel Matthew Bogdanos along with Assistant District Attorney Jacqueline Studley; Investigative Analysts Michaael Chapin and Hilary Chassé; District Attorney Investigator John Paul Labbat; and former Investigative Analyst Charlotte Looram. Investigative support was provided by Dr. Eric Bourdonneau, Dr. Tran Ky-Phuong, Dr. Martin Polkinghorne, Dr. Piphal Heng, Huot Samnang, Director of the Department of Antiquities, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Cambodia; and Tess Davis, Executive Director, The Antiquities Coalition. The District Attorney's Office would also like to thank Paul Hyde Schott for his assistance and cooperation with our investigation.

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