Kathmandu – The United States on Monday returned two historic Nepali cultural artifacts, a 13th-century gilt bronze Padmapani and a 16th-century polychromed wooden Nrityadevi, marking another step in bilateral efforts to recover Nepal’s cultural heritage and combat the illicit trafficking of antiquities.
The artifacts were formally handed over during a repatriation ceremony hosted by Nepal’s Department of Archaeology on Monday.
According to the US Embassy in Nepal, the return reflects years of cooperation between the two countries to trace and repatriate Nepali cultural property. The embassy said the newly enacted US-Nepal Cultural Property Agreement will further strengthen collaboration on investigations, trafficking prevention and the protection of Nepal’s cultural heritage.
With the latest handover, 127 Nepali antiquities have now been returned from the United States, the embassy said.
“To date, 127 Nepali antiquities have been returned from the United States to their rightful homes in Nepal,” Public Affairs Chief Mike Harker said.
“With the return of these two sacred statues, that record of cooperation grows stronger and demonstrates how criminal investigations, diplomatic coordination, and community advocacy can work together to disrupt antiquities trafficking networks. The new US-Nepal Cultural Property Agreement gives our two countries an even stronger foundation to build on this work, support future investigations, and help prevent Nepal’s sacred heritage from entering the illicit market,” he added.
The US Embassy said it remains committed to working with Nepal to protect cultural heritage, uphold the rule of law and preserve the country’s history for future generations.
