The United States has returned 297 ancient artifacts to India, many dating back centuries. The handover took place during a meeting between President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who posed for a photo in front of several of the artifacts, CNN reports.
The return of the relics, most of which are terracotta artifacts from Eastern India, comes after a July agreement between the US and India to protect cultural property by preventing illegal trades and streamlining the return of stolen antiquities. The artifacts are expected to be repatriated “shortly,” according to the Indian government.
The timing of the handover coincided with Modi’s visit to Biden’s hometown for a Quad summit held for the meeting of the leaders of the US, India, Japan, and Australia.
“Prime Minister (Modi) thanked President Biden for his support in the return of these artifacts,” the India’s Ministry of External Affairs said. Modi emphasized that the relics “were not just part of India’s historical material culture but formed the inner core of its civilization and consciousness.”
The artifacts span a period from 2000 BCE to 1900 CE and include sculptures, vases, and other objects made of stone, metal, wood, and ivory. Among the showcased items was a 10th-11th century CE sandstone sculpture of Apsara, a celestial performer in Hindu and Buddhist mythologies, and a fragment of a stone sculpture depicting a turbaned man alongside two women and an elephant rider.
India has long faced the challenge of protecting its valuable cultural treasures from looters. However, recent years have seen significant progress in this area. In 2022, the US returned 307 stolen treasures to India as part of a 15-year investigation into international trafficking networks. Over three-quarters of these items, valued at over $4 million, were linked to the disgraced New York art dealer Subhash Kapoor, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for smuggling offenses.
Since 2016, the US has returned a total of 578 pieces of cultural artifacts to India.
