Ancient Buri Ram artwork found in San Francisco museum
White rock carving of Lord Yama, god of death, surrounded by flowers, likely smuggled from Thailand during Vietnam War.
White rock carving of Lord Yama, god of death, surrounded by flowers, likely smuggled from Thailand during Vietnam War.
ART & ANTIQUITIES SMUGGLING
Ancient Buri Ram artwork found in San Francisco museum
4/08/2016
Ploenpote Atthakor
A lintel carved from white sandstone featuring Lord Yama, or the god of death surrounded by flowers, has been on exhibition at the Chong Moon Lee Museum of Asian Art in San Francisco.
A lintel is a decorative object above a gate.
The ancient artwork is believed to have been smuggled out of Thailand decades ago during the Vietnam war.
CAMPAIGN TO RETURN THE ARTWORK TO THAILAND
A Buri Ram-based conservation group has kick-started a campaign for the return of the artwork to Thailand.
Tanongsak Harnwong, leader of Samnuek 300 Ong conservation group, is leading the campaign.
HOW THE ARTWORK WAS IDENTIFIED
The lintel was believed to have been stolen from Nong Hong temple in Buri Ram's Non Din Daeng district some 50 years ago.
First of all, Chong Moon Museum itself identifies the lintel as being from "Nong Hong temple, Buri Ram province".
The art conservation group obtained a photo of the lintel in the American museum and compared it with a photo taken by the late archaeologist Manit Vallibhotama.
"They look like the same item," said the businessman-turned- conservationist who was involved in the restoration of Nong Hong temple in 2002-2003.
The famous Phanom Rung temple in Buriram that had smuggled artwork returned to it in 1988 (Source: Wikipedia).
PREVIOUS SMUGGLED ARTWORK RETURNED TO THAILAND
Another lintel was stolen from famous Phanom Rung temple and eventually retrieved from the Chicago Art Institute and reinstalled at Phanom Rung Sanctuary in 1988.
That lintel depicted the god Vishnu reclining on the Serpent Ananta.
The late archaeologist Manit Vallibhotama also took a photo of the famous Vishnu reclining on the Serpent Ananta lintel at Phanom Rung sanctuary, and found the two were identical.
According to Mr Tanongsak, Manit took the two photos, among many others, during his exploratory trip of the Northeast and were included in the report he published in 1960.
It was Manit's photo of the Vishnu lintel that Thailand used as key evidence to prove the country's ownership of the invaluable lintel, eventually winning the case.
Manit's photo of the Nong Hong lintel showed the object was attached above the gate on a building on the southern side of the temple.
The lintel is said to be from the same period as the 12th century Prasart Muang Tam in Buri Ram
The art conservation group has been studying the previous Vishnu lintel case and would use it as a model to pursue the current case.
RETURNING NATIONAL HERITAGE TO THE COUNTRY
"It's the right move as the public wants the piece of national heritage returned to the country," Tanongsak said.
The lintel is described on the museum's website as a "museum purchase" with no further details on its origin.
The description of the artwork says it comes from "Cambodia or Northeastern Thailand, former kingdom of Angkor, date approximately 975-1025".
The artwork is currently on display at the museum's Gallery 9.
The artwork is said to be pre- Angokorean and in the Kleang-Baphuon style.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1052229/priceless-buri-ram-lintel-found-in-san-francisco
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