Extant bust portion depicting a two-armed male deity wearing an ornamented headgear
The United States has officially returned 297 antiquities to India during the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These precious artifacts were illegally taken out of the country and have now been recovered. The issue of trafficking cultural property has plagued various cultures and nations over time, with India being significantly impacted.
“By enhancing cultural ties and combating the illicit trafficking of cultural properties, we are reinforcing our bond. I express my sincere gratitude to President Biden and the US Government for facilitating the repatriation of these 297 invaluable antiquities to India,” stated PM Modi.
He also thanked President Joe Biden for his assistance in the return of these artifacts, emphasizing their importance in India’s historical and cultural heritage.
According to officials, India has now retrieved a total of 640 ancient artifacts since 2014, with 578 of them being returned by the US. This marks the highest number of cultural relics repatriated to India by any single country.
Key details of the antiquities returned by the US:
Image of Jain Tirthankara meditating over a high pedestal supported by pair of lion and elephant. A male and female attendant deity are also seen on either sides.
Image depicting four armed Krishna in the form of Venugopal standing along with a cow.
Broken plaque depicting bust portion of an ornate winged female figure holding full blown flower stalk in her hands.
Image depicting a female dancing before a male playing musical instrument.
Among the notable antiquities returned by the US are an ‘apsara’ sculpture in sandstone from central India dating back to the 10th-11th century CE, a bronze Jain Tirthankar from the 15th-16th century CE, a terracotta vase from eastern India from the 3rd-4th century CE, and a stone sculpture from South India dating back to the 1st century BCE-1st century CE.
