US returns 297 antiquities, including 4000-year-old copper figure, to India
US has returned 297 priceless antiquities, including those artefacts that are almost 4,000 years old and originate in northern part of India.
The Ministry of External Affair said, “US facilitated the return of 297 antiquities that had been stolen or trafficked from India”. These will shortly be repatriated to India.
The total number of cultural artefacts returned from US to India since 2016 now stands at 578.
In a symbolic handing over, a select few pieces were showcased to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden on the sidelines of their bilateral meeting in Wilmington, Delaware on Saturday.
Modi thanked President Biden for his support in the return of these artefacts.
“These objects were not just part of India’s historical material culture, but formed the inner core of its civilization and consciousness”, a MEA statement quoted Modi as having said.
The antiquities belong to a time period spanning almost 4000 years, from 2000 BCE – 1900 CE and have origins in different parts of India.
Majority of the antiquities are terracotta artefacts from Eastern India, while others are made in stone, metal, wood and ivory and belong to different parts of the country.
Some of the antiquities handed over are: Anthropomorphic figure in copper from North India belonging to 2000-1800 BCE; Apsara in sandstone from Central India belonging to 10-11th century CE; Jain Tirthankar in bronze from Central India belonging to 15-16th century CE; Terracotta vase from Eastern India belonging to 3-4th century CE; Stone Sculpture from South India belonging to 1st century BCE-1st century CE; Lord Ganesh in Bronze from South India belonging to 17-18th century CE; Standing Lord Buddha in sandstone from North India belonging 15-16th century CE; Lord Vishnu in Bronze from Eastern India belonging to 17-18th century CE; Lord Krishna in bronze from South India belonging to 17-18th century CE; Lord Karthikeya in granite from South India belonging to 13-14th century CE.
The US State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and the Archaeological Survey of India under Ministry of Culture, Government of India had signed a ‘cultural property agreement’ in July 2024 to fulfill the commitments made by President Biden and Prime Minister Modi to enhance cooperation to protect cultural heritage.
In recent times, restitution of cultural property has become an important aspect of India-US cultural understanding and exchange. Since 2016, the US Government has facilitated the return of a large number of trafficked or stolen antiquities.
Ten antiquities were returned during PM’s visit to US in June 2016; 157 antiquities during his visit in September 2021 and a further 105 antiquities during his visit in June last year.
