US to return 7 antiquities stolen from India

[Hindustani78]

US to return 7 antiquities stolen from India | Zee News
Last Updated: Thursday, April 2, 2015 - 14:16

New York: A Honolulu museum has returned to American authorities seven rare antiquities believed to have been stolen from India and smuggled into the US by notorious art dealer Subhash Kapoor.

The Honolulu Museum of Art handed over the seven antiquities to personnel from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) yesterday following a probe during which it emerged that the objects had been stolen from temples and ancient Buddhist sites in India and brought to the US illegally.

ICE agents will bring back the items here to be eventually returned to the Indian government.

Authorities said the museum was not aware that the stone objects had been stolen when they were added to its collection between 1991 and 2003.

Homeland Security officials in Honolulu contacted the museum last year after special agents in New York determined that a 2,000-year-old terracotta rattle sourced from Kapoor's NYC gallery might have found its way into the museum's collection.

Subsequently, the museum, working in close collaboration with HSI, identified six other Indian artifacts, including figurines, architectural fragments and tiles in the institution's possession with potential ties to Kapoor, who was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice and was arrested in late 2011 in Germany.

He was extradited to India, where he is awaiting trial.

The statues were seized as part of an HSI Cultural Property, Art and Antiquities Programme investigation titled 'Operation Hidden Idol'.

"Looting is a serious problem in the art market and all buyers of art, including museums, need to be mindful that some antiquities have been illegally obtained," Honolulu Museum of Art director Stephan Jost said.

PTI

 

[Hindustani78]

India likely to get 'Parrot Lady' back from Canada - The Times of India
Apr 2, 2015, 04.46 AM IST

NEW DELHI: The culture ministry has asked ministry of external affairs to initiate the process of getting back 'Parrot Lady' sculpture from Ottawa (Canada) after an Indian team established that it is originally from India.

It is likely that a formal announcement of return of 'Parrot Lady' will be made when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Canada later this month. After its return, 'Parrot Lady' will be kept in the government's collection in Delhi before sending it to some other museum in India.

Clueless about the loss of the sculpture, the Indian government was alerted last year about the artifact with possible Indian connection. The Indian high commission in Canada brought this to the culture ministry's notice and a massive search operation was undertaken to find out if there is any record of missing 'Parrot Lady'. "We could not find a single FIR or police complaint about the missing sculpture any where in India," one source said on condition of anonymity.

Getting the sculpture back became easy since Parrot Lady was in possession of the Canadian government. "Had it been with a private person or gallery, the Indian government would have had to pay a huge amount to get it back," the source said.

Sources in Archeological Survey of India (ASI) said this particular sculpture could not be traced to one temple because of preponderance of 'Parrot Lady' or similar sculptures in medieval temples of central and south India. At one point, many experts felt that the one found in Ottawa could have been from Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh. But it was not proved conclusively. Typically, the sculpture shows a lady, nayika in literature, with a parrot, considered a friend, in her hand or on her head in some kind of a communion.

 

[Hindustani78]

An international investigation into antiquities looted from India and smuggled into the United States has taken authorities to the Honolulu Museum of Art, which handed over the rare artifacts that it acquired without museum officials realizing they were ill-gotten items. Agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are taking the items back to New York and from there, eventually returning them to the government of India. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones)

Marc Thomas, chief preparator at the Honolulu Museum of Art, holds one of seven stolen artifacts that were on display in the museum’s collection, Tuesday, March 31, 2015 in Honolulu. An international investigation into antiquities looted from India and smuggled into the United States has taken authorities to the Honolulu Museum of Art, which handed over the rare artifacts that it acquired without museum officials realizing they were ill-gotten items. Agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are taking the items back to New York and from there, eventually returning them to the government of India. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones)

 

[Hindustani78]

Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Brenton Easter inspects artifacts in the basement of the Honolulu Museum of Art, Wednesday, April 1, 2015 in Honolulu. The museum on Wednesday handed over seven rare artifacts that it acquired without museum officials realizing they were ill-gotten items, after an international investigation into antiquities looted from India and smuggled into the United States lead authorities to the museum. (AP Photo/Jennifer Sinco Kelleher)

Honolulu Museum of Art workers and agents from Homeland Security Investigations load a crate into a truck outside the museum on Wednesday, April 1, 2015, in Honolulu. The museum on Wednesday handed over seven rare artifacts that it acquired without museum officials realizing they were ill-gotten items, after an international investigation into antiquities looted from India and smuggled into the United States lead authorities to the museum. (AP Photo/Jennifer Sinco Kelleher)

Homeland Security Investigations agents and workers from the Honolulu Museum of Art bring a crate up a freight elevator at the museum Wednesday, April 1, 2015, in Honolulu. The museum on Wednesday handed over seven rare artifacts that it acquired without museum officials realizing they were ill-gotten items, after an international investigation into antiquities looted from India and smuggled into the United States lead authorities to the museum. (AP Photo/Jennifer Sinco Kelleher)

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Agents are hailing the Honolulu museum for being the first U.S. institution to publicly and easily cooperate with the investigation, dubbed "Operation Hidden Idol," involving four arrests and the recovery of thousands of pieces worth a total of $150 million.

"Owning stolen stuff is not part of our mission," Jost said. "I'm not sure we've done anything heroic. We just want to do the right thing."

Jost watched as agents inspected the items — the rattle, figurines, architectural fragments and tiles — and them hauled them in packed crates into a truck.

Martinez stressed there's no culpability on the museum's part, as it wasn't aware of the items' provenance when it acquired them between 1991 and 2003.

 

[bongbang]

There must be equal claim on these antiques by Bangladesh and Pakistan.

 

[Hindustani78]

There must be equal claim on these antiques by Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) yesterday following a probe during which it emerged that the objects had been stolen from temples and ancient Buddhist sites in India and brought to the US illegally.

2013 December brought to light more actions of questionable legality in the figure of antiquities dealer Subhash Kapoor and a Belgian collector working with Sotheby’s auction house. Chasing Aphrodite has examined the unraveling of Kapoor’s decades-long webs of trickery in the sale of stolen ancient artifacts. According to those who have worked closely with Kapoor, he has been instrumental in laundering looted goods, formulating false ownership histories, hiding stolen art.

Kapoor’s petition for interpreter dismissed - The Hindu
Subhash Chandra Kapoor, who has been arrested on charge of smuggling idols, being brought to the Judicial Magistrate Court in Jayamkondam on Friday. Photo: M. Moorthy

 

[Assange]

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) yesterday following a probe during which it emerged that the objects had been stolen from temples and ancient Buddhist sites in India and brought to the US illegally.

Just ignore these Bangladeshi posters man...they are self obsessed with India...after that cricket match

 

[bongbang]

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) yesterday following a probe during which it emerged that the objects had been stolen from temples and ancient Buddhist sites in India and brought to the US illegally.

If stolen before 1947 then equal claim. All Indian items belong to 3 Indian countries. One is known by name India. Others are BD and Pak

 

[Hindustani78]

If stolen before 1947 then equal claim. All Indian items belong to 3 Indian countries. One is known by name India. Others are BD and Pak

The great Indian idol robbery | Frontline

Federal agencies in the United States have chosen to profile Kapoor, a 64-year-old Indian-born American citizen, as “one of the most prolific antiquities smugglers in the world since 1974”. How he became one is the story of a carefully calculated charm offensive that involved, among other things, the donation of rare artefacts to museums around the world, including those in Iran and Pakistan.

On Friday, Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott will return two looted idols seized from Australian museums during a meeting with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

Abbott will personally deliver the National Gallery of Australia‘s $5 million Dancing Shiva and the Art Gallery of New South Wales‘ $300,000 Ardhanarishvara to Modi as a “gesture of good will” at a state reception at the Indian presidential palace, the Australian’s Michaela Boland reported in Friday’s paper

 

[A$HU]

If stolen before 1947 then equal claim. All Indian items belong to 3 Indian countries. One is known by name India. Others are BD and Pak

No .It depends on the area from where the artifacts are excavated.We dont have any claims to any artifact excavated in your area and likewise you dont have any claim to artifact excavated from present day indian area.

 

[Hindustani78]

No .It depends on the area from where the artifacts are excavated.We dont have any claims to any artifact excavated in your area and likewise you dont have any claim to artifact excavated from present day indian area.

These all are Indian artifacts by seeing them we can understand it.

The museum on Wednesday handed over seven rare artifacts that it acquired without museum officials realizing they were ill-gotten items. Agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will take the items back to New York and, from there, eventually return them to the government of India.
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A New York criminal court has sentenced Salina Mohamed, one of several individuals implicated in the Subhash Kapoor idol trafficking case.

 

[bongbang]

These seems very much Bangladeshi to me

 

[Levina]

Parrot lady is a life sized sculpture from Khajuraho, I'm glad Canada has finally agreed to return it back to india.
But what is unfortunate is that the person responsible for the smuggling was an Indian.

These seems very much Bangladeshi to me

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And how??

 

[PlanetWarrior]

These seems very much Bangladeshi to me

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I don't see any statues of pole vaulters there so I highly doubt it

 

[bongbang]

I don't see any statues of pole vaulters there so I highly doubt it

Dont cheat. Our pole vaulters will bring our antiques back.