Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Collector's Daughter Returning Artifacts to Cambodia

Sun Narin

   PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA - After three years of negotiations with the late
   controversial art collector Douglas Latchford and his family, more than
   100 Cambodian artifacts will be returned to Cambodia, according to the
   government.

   How Latchford, a British art collector and co-author of three books on
   Cambodian art and antiques, built his collection was a topic of art
   world speculation. He faced accusations of trafficking the artifacts to
   his homes in Bangkok and London. In November 2019, federal prosecutors
   in New York City charged Latchford with falsifying the provenance,
   invoices and shipping documents to transport valuable Khmer-era relics
   to private collections, museums and auction houses across the world.

   At the time, [1]U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:'¯"As alleged,
   Latchford built a career out of the smuggling and illicit sale of
   priceless Cambodian antiquities, often straight from archeological
   sites, in the international art market."

   Accusations notwithstanding, the Cambodian government embraced
   Latchford, who occasionally returned antiques from his collection to
   the National Museum in Phnom Penh.

   Latchford died in August 2020 and [2]bequeathed his entire collection
   to Nawapan Kriangsak, his daughter. The prosecution ended with his
   death. Latchford denied trafficking throughout his life, [3]according
   to The Art Newspaper.

   The Cambodian government released a statement last week saying
   Kriangsak had decided to return all the artifacts to Cambodia, where
   they will be displayed in a new installation near the National Museum.

   Phoeurng Sackona, Cambodia's minister for culture and fine arts, said
   it was a "complex task" to get back the artifacts, many of which date
   back to the Khmer Empire, which flourished from 802 CE to 1431 CE, and
   may be best known for the [4]Angkor temple complex. The artifacts
   constitute the "greatest [collection] of Khmer cultural heritage
   outside of Cambodia," the ministry said in a statement issued Jan. 29.

   "The return to Cambodia of these pieces underlines Cambodia's
   commitment to the repatriation of its cultural property. Their return
   is an incredible event for the Cambodian people and the world," the
   minister said in the statement.

References

   1. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/antiquities-dealer-charged-trafficking-looted-cambodian-artifacts
   2. https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/douglas-latchford-reactions
   3. https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/douglas-latchford-death-of-an-adventurer-explorer
   4. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668/

.