New York museum to return ancient sculptures stolen from Cambodia and Thailand

Fourteen Khmer sculptures will be returned to Cambodia and two will be returned to Thailand, according to the Manhattan museum.

A seventh century sculpture titled Head of Buddha at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. PIcture: Metropolitan Museum of Art via A)

New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has said it will return more than a dozen ancient pieces of artwork to Cambodia and Thailand after they were tied to an art dealer accused of running a huge antiquities trafficking network out of Southeast Asia.

This most recent repatriation of artwork comes as many museums in the US and Europe reckon with collections that contain objects looted from Asia, Africa and other places during centuries of colonialism or in times of upheaval.