The Foundation for the Reading Public Museum announced the voluntary return of a 10th- or 11th-century Cambodian Khmer stone sculpture to the Kingdom of Cambodia. This repatriation was conducted in close cooperation with the Cambodian government and the nation’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, facilitated by Bradley J. Gordon, an attorney and advisor based in Phnom Penh.
The sculpture was originally received by the Foundation as part of a recent bequest. Upon its arrival, Museum staff immediately identified the sculpture as a potential high-risk antiquity and took the proactive step of setting it aside for further study. Museum staff soon recognized the likelihood that the work had been looted from its original site and purposefully chose not to accession the object into its permanent collection.
“Ensuring the proper ownership of antiquities from around the globe is a responsibility that the Reading Public Museum takes very seriously,” noted Geoffrey K. Fleming, Director and CEO of the Foundation for the Reading Public Museum. “The decision not to accession the work and to return this sculpture without delay reflects our commitment to ethical stewardship and international heritage laws. We are honored to see this meaningful object return to its rightful home.”
The repatriation process was made possible through the dedicated efforts of legal and cultural experts who specialize in the recovery of Cambodia’s stolen history. By working directly with Cambodian officials, including the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, the Foundation ensures that this important remnant of the Khmer Empire will once again be part of the Kingdom’s national cultural narrative. Many works of art were stripped from temples and other sites during the political unrest in the 1960s and 1970s.
Bradley J. Gordon remarked “It is tremendously gratifying to see the Foundation for the Reading Public Museum step forward and reach out to us. On behalf of the Kingdom of Cambodia, we are deeply touched by the ethical responsibility shown by the Museum staff in assessing the sculpture’s origins and initiating its return. We hope the repatriation of this Angkorian-period statue heralds a new chapter of research and insight into Cambodia’s rich cultural past. We applaud the Foundation’s leadership and hope their transparency serves as a powerful example. We encourage other museums and private collectors holding Khmer antiquities to follow Reading’s lead by examining their own collections. By coming forward voluntarily, you join a world-wide effort to heal the wounds of the past and ensure that Cambodia’s stolen history is restored to its rightful home for future generations.”
The Reading Public Museum remains dedicated to transparency in its acquisition and provenance research processes, standing as a partner in the global effort to protect and restore cultural property.
The Reading Public Museum is a dynamic center of lifelong learning that collects, preserves, and interprets objects of art, science, and civilization to engage, educate, and enlighten current and future generations from our diverse communities.
The Reading Public Museum is supported in part by grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and is located at 500 Museum Road, Reading, PA. Admission per day is: $14 adults (18-64), $8 children/seniors/college students (w/ID) and free to Members and children three years old and under. Currently enrolled Reading School District students and up to five accompanying guests receive free regular Museum admission and free admission to public Neag Planetarium shows with proof of enrollment. The Museum is open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit Online: www.readingpublicmuseum.org.
