On February 27, Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts held a reception ceremony at the National Museum in Phnom Penh for 74 Khmer antiquities returned by the family of the late collector Douglas Latchford. Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many and Culture and Fine Arts Minister Phoeurng Sackona attended, with monks conducting a blessing ceremony.
The returned objects span the pre-Angkorian period to the height of the Angkorian Empire and include notable sandstone and metal sculptures. Highlights include ninth-century “divine couple” sculptures from the reign of Jayavarman II, and a Brahma head and yaksha statue from the Koh Ker temple complex, with significant historical and artistic value.
The ministry said that, following returns in 2021 and 2023, the latest repatriation marked a further achievement in Cambodia’s continuing recovery of displaced cultural heritage. The report says the objects have entered the National Museum’s collection for conservation and research.
Compiled by this broadcaster
