The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco is set to return four ancient bronze sculptures to Thailand after determining the artefacts were illegally removed from the country over half a century ago, Thai officials announced this week.
Phnombootra Chadrajoti, Director-General of Thailand’s Fine Arts Department, said the decision follows a formal request supported by new evidence submitted by US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The sculptures—three Bodhisattvas and one standing Buddha—are part of a group of Khmer-style bronzes known as the Prakhon Chai artefacts. They were excavated in the 1960s from the Khao Plai Bat II site in Buriram province and were allegedly trafficked by Douglas Latchford, a now-deceased British art dealer linked to the illicit trade in Southeast Asian antiquities.
The museum began the deaccessioning process in late 2024 after reviewing documentation provided by HSI investigator David Keller. A six-month review followed, culminating in a final vote by the museum’s board on 22 April 2025 to remove the items from its collection.
“The return of these artefacts is a meaningful act that restores a part of our national heritage,” Phnombootra said in a statement.
The sculptures include:
- A 94-centimetre bronze statue of Avalokiteshvara
- A second Avalokiteshvara figure, 69.9 centimetres tall
- A 22.9-centimetre bronze Bodhisattva
- A 21.6-centimetre standing Buddha
All four are believed to date from the 13th to 14th Buddhist centuries (7th–9th centuries AD).
“The museum takes requests for the return of objects believed to have been stolen very seriously,” Rob Mintz, chief curatorial director of the Asian Art Museum, told the San Francisco Chronicle. “The return of these sculptures to Thailand has taken many months of research and careful consideration. We are happy to have played a role in seeing these works returned to their rightful owners.”
Thai authorities are now working with US officials and the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Los Angeles to coordinate the repatriation process.
San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum to return four ancient Thai sculptures looted in the 1960s
The case forms part of Thailand’s wider efforts to recover cultural heritage items from museums and private collections abroad. In recent years, Thailand has successfully repatriated several important artefacts, including the “Golden Boy” and the “Kneeling Female” sculptures from New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2023, and a 900-year-old sandstone wall pilaster from the Art Institute of Chicago in 2024.
The returns reflect a growing international consensus among museums and governments to rectify historical injustices, address provenance issues, and promote ethical stewardship of cultural property.
