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US returns 657 antiquities to India in $14M repatriation including Buddha statue and dancing Ganesha
The United States handed back 657 antiquities to India, valued at nearly $14 million, including a Buddha statue and notable bronzes. The artefacts trace to theft and trafficking networks involving Subhash Kapoor and Nancy Wiener, with officials saying further recovery efforts are ongoing.
Why It Matters
The repatriation underscores international cooperation to restore stolen cultural heritage and highlights ongoing global efforts to curb artefact trafficking.
Timeline
7 Events
April 30, 2026: US returns 657 antiquities to India; Bragg announces repatriation
April 30, 2026
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the repatriation of 657 antiquities from the United States to India, worth nearly $14 million. The artefacts were handed over at an event attended by Rajlakshmi Kadam from the Consulate General of India in New York. Bragg said more remains to be done to bring back looted cultural property. Consul General Binaya Pradhan also acknowledged sustained cooperation among authorities.
April 30, 2026: Buddha statue seized; ATU recovers Kapoor-smuggled piece
April 30, 2026
A red sandstone Buddha statue, standing with the right hand raised in the abhaya mudra and damaged with feet broken below the knees and halo fragments remaining, was smuggled into New York by Subhash Kapoor and later seized by the Antiquities Trafficking Unit from one of his New York storage units.
2014: Avalokiteshvara ends up in a private New York collection
2014
The Avalokiteshvara bronze statue ended up in a private collection in New York by 2014.
2012: Wiener fabricates provenance and sells Ganesha through Christie's
2012
In 2012, Nancy Wiener fabricated the Ganesha statue's provenance and sold it through Christie's New York after consigning it for auction. The piece was later purchased by a private collector who surrendered it to authorities earlier in 2026.
2000: Sandstone dancing Ganesha looted from a temple
2000
A sandstone statue of a dancing Ganesha was looted from a temple in Madhya Pradesh in 2000. In 2012, Wiener fabricated its provenance and sold it through Christie's New York after consigning it for auction.
1982: Avalokiteshvara statue stolen from Raipur museum and smuggled to the US
1982
The Avalokiteshvara bronze statue was stolen from the Mahant Ghasidas Memorial Museum in Raipur and smuggled into the United States by 1982, later ending up in a private collection in New York by 2014.
1939: Bronze Avalokiteshvara hoard discovered near Lakshmana Temple
1939
A bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara, valued at $2 million, was part of a large hoard of bronzes discovered near the Lakshmana Temple in 1939. It was later housed at the Mahant Ghasidas Memorial Museum in Raipur.