Kathmandu: The United States Museum has returned to the 10th century Shiva Statue Nepal, which originated from the Kankeswari Temple in Kathmandu and was stolen in 1995.
Consulate General of Nepal in New York and Metropolitan Art Museum, on Thursday, announced the return of stone statues, Shiva In Himalaya lived with ascetic, to Nepal, according to a statement issued by the Nepalese Consulate General in the US.
The agreement was signed by Bishnu Prasad Gautam, Acting Consul General, and Daniel H Weiss, President and CEO of the museum, he said.
The statue described the Hindu Lord Shiva with two ascetic students at the mountain residence in Mount Kailash in Himalaya.
The 13-inch stone statue was sent to the Metropolitan Art Museum in 1995 and remained in its collection to date.
A study conducted by the museum based on the famous Nepalese scholar book with Singh Bangdel’s book, “Inventory of Stone Stone Statue Kathmandu”, stipulates that the object belongs to the Kankeswari Temple in Kathmandu, and that it must be returned to Nepal, the statement said.
The museum contacted the Nepal government earlier this year to offer the return of the statue, and set the object to be transported to Nepal.
On that occasion, the Acting General Consul said, “We thank the Metropolitan Art Museum, President and CEO, the Supervisory Board and Museum officials for their initiative and cooperation in returning this lost artifact back to Nepal.” The Metropolitan Museum of the President and CEO of the art of Metropolitan said that the museum was committed to the acquisition of responsible archaeological arts, and implemented strict origin standards for new acquisitions and long-working studies in their collection in sustainable efforts to learn as much as possible about the history of ownership.