An ancient Bodhisattva statue of Gandhara art was returned to Pakistan onMonday after an exhibition at the National Gallery in Canberra, Australia.
The artifact is thought to date back to the third and fourth centuries andwas purchased by the Australian gallery in 2006 for a whopping $275,000. Itis now thought to be worth $500,000, and was presented to Pakistan’s HighCommissioner in Australia, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry.
The National Gallery of Australia handed the relic over during a ceremonyat the High Commission for Pakistan in Canberra.
An international criminal organization led by disgraced Indian artcollector, Subhash Chandra Kapoor, had illegally acquired and removed thehistorical work of art from Pakistan.
Kapoor sold it to the National Gallery of Australia in 2006. However, thegallery deaccessioned it after discovering its ambiguous legal and ethicalstatus, as well as its affiliation with Art of the Past, as part of itsongoing Provenance Research Project.
Kapoor is currently facing criminal charges in New York and New Delhi forhis involvement in the unlawful art trade.
The High Commission for Pakistan in Canberra has been working closely withall the concerned Australian departments to identify and return anyhistorical works of art that may have been illegally taken from Pakistan.
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Speaking at the exhibition, High Commissioner Chaudhri described thehandover ceremony as a historic moment and emphasized the importance of thelegal and ethical aspects of the historical work of art.
He remarked it was a tangible manifestation of the cooperation between bothcountries and their institutions. It also emphasized the importance ofstrengthening international legal and ethical framework, and cooperation tocombat the trading of stolen, illegally excavated, illegally exported, andunethically acquired historical artworks.
The High Commissioner also highlighted Pakistan’s rich, millennia-oldcivilizational heritage, and invited the guests to visit Pakistan andexplore its diverse culture and robust heritage, beautiful landscape,delectable cuisine, and hospitality.
The ceremony was attended by senior Australian officials, Buddhist monks,diplomats, academics, and the media.link
