The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) in Washington, DC, has voluntarily returned three sculptures to the Cambodian government after an internal provenance investigation determined the objects were likely removed from Cambodia during the country’s civil war (1967-75). The returned artifacts include a tenth-century sandstone head of Harihara, a tenth-century sandstone sculpture of the goddess Uma, and a bronze statue of Prajnaparamita from around 1200. The museum’s director, Chase F. Robinson, stated that strong evidence linked the pieces to problematic dealers and a context of war and violence, and that no documentation supported their lawful export. The objects were donated to the NMAA by Arthur M. Sackler and Gilbert and Ann Kinney without proper provenance papers.
This return marks the first under the Smithsonian’s Shared Stewardship and Ethical Returns policy, adopted in April 2022, which goes beyond legal restitution to address ethical concerns about objects acquired under harmful circumstances. The case highlights a growing trend among museums to proactively research and return cultural heritage items even without formal claims from source countries. It also underscores the evolving standards for museum acquisitions and gift acceptance, as institutions increasingly prioritize provenance research and collaboration with communities of origin over simply observing international conventions like the 1970 Unesco treaty.