The renowned Metropolitan Museum of Art in United States will return 15 sculptures to India after it was learnt that the antiquities were illegally removed from the country and sold by disgraced dealer Subhash Kapoor.
In a statement on Thursday, the Met said it will transfer the 15 sculptures for return to the government of India. The works range in date from the 1st century BCE to the 11th century CE, and include terracotta, copper and stone.
All of the works were sold at one point by Subhash Kapoor, who is currently serving a prison sentence in India.
"The Museum is committed to the responsible acquisition of archaeological art and applies rigorous provenance standards both to new acquisitions and to works long in its collection. The Museum is actively reviewing the history of antiquities from suspect dealers. The Museum values highly its long-standing relationships with the government of India and is pleased to resolve this matter," the Met said in the statement.
The museum contacted Homeland Security about its works from Subhash Kapoor in 2015 and is "pleased to be acting on this matter today as a result of the criminal investigation into Subhash Kapoor" by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, it said.
Through this cooperative partnership, the museum received new information from the Manhattan DA's office about 15 works of art that made it clear that the works should be transferred, resulting in a constructive resolution, the statement said.
In addition, in cooperation with the DA office's criminal investigation into Turkish sites Bubon and Perge, the museum recently removed from display from its Greek and Roman galleries three pieces from Turkey - two of which were loans and a third is part of the Met's collection, it said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
The Women Safety Emergency
Over 60 Ancient Artefacts Of Buddhist Art From India Displayed At The Met Chinese-American Couple's Record $125 Million Donation To New York Museum Jailed Art Dealer Subhash Kapoor Charged In US With Looting Artifacts 2 French Rafale Jets Collide Mid-Air, Instructor, Pilot Missing Rahul Gandhi's Seat At Red Fort Triggers Fresh Congress Attack On BJP "Pivotal Moment": Key Doctor Body Resumes Strike 2 Days After Calling It Off US State Arizona's Ballot Can Describe Fetuses As "Unborn" Humans: Court Rahul Gandhi's Seat At Red Fort Triggers Fresh Congress Attack On BJP Monkeypox Virus Killed 548 People In This Nation Since Start Of 2024 Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.