US Museum to Return Illegally Taken Indian Temple Bronze Sculptures

A US museum will return three ancient bronze sculptures to India after confirming they were illegally taken from Indian temples in Tamil Nadu.

The decision was announced by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art following a detailed provenance investigation conducted by its curatorial and research teams.

The artefacts include a 10th-century Shiva Nataraja, a 12th-century Somaskanda, and a 16th-century sculpture depicting Saint Sundarar with Paravai.

These bronzes were originally created for worship and ritual use in South Indian temples and are examples of the region’s traditional metal casting techniques.

Museum researchers traced the sculptures’ origins using archival photographs maintained by the French Institute of Pondicherry.

• US museum to return illegally taken Indian temple bronzes
• Smithsonian confirms Tamil Nadu bronzes were removed unlawfully
• India secures repatriation of ancient bronze sculptures from US

The images showed the bronzes installed inside temples in Tamil Nadu during the 1950s. Further verification by the Archaeological Survey of India confirmed that the objects were removed without official permission, violating India’s antiquities protection laws.

Following consultations, the museum reached an agreement with the Government of India to return all three sculptures as part of a formal repatriation process. As part of the arrangement, India has agreed to place the Shiva Nataraja on a long-term loan with the museum. The sculpture will continue to be displayed in Washington with clear documentation outlining its history, removal, and return.

Museum officials said the action reflects stricter standards for cultural heritage management and a stronger focus on collection reviews. The institution noted that such efforts are essential to ensure legal compliance and public accountability.

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Indian authorities welcomed the decision, stating that temple bronzes are sacred objects linked to living traditions. The return adds to recent cases of cultural restitution involving Indian artefacts held overseas and highlights increasing cooperation between India and international museums.