Journey to repatriate the bronze statue of Goddess Durga

On August 28, in Hanoi, the National Museum of History held a ceremony to announce the results of receiving and repatriating the bronze statue of Goddess Durga to Vietnam.

The bronze statue of Goddess Durga has been safely transported to the National History Museum's storage facility since June 18.

Hành trình hồi hương tượng đồng Nữ thần Durga

Delegates attending the unveiling ceremony of the Goddess Durga statue. (Photo: Minh Thu)

The National Museum of History has established an Appraisal Council, inviting leading experts in the fields of history, archaeology, culture, art and antiquities to review and evaluate the current status, determine the nature, age, origin and value of the Statue, and at the same time, take samples to analyze the alloy composition.

Regarding expert assessment and appraisal, the Council determined that this is a four-armed statue of Goddess Durga, possibly a large block (total height 191cm, of which the statue is 157cm high, weighs 101kg), dating back to the 7th century with a relatively intact condition.

The statue is of Vietnamese origin, belonging to the Champa cultural art style. However, information about the origin and specific location where the statue of Goddess Durga was discovered as stated in the dossier needs further research.

Speaking at the announcement ceremony, Dr. Nguyen Van Doan, Director of the National Museum of History, said that this is the largest bronze statue, a typical representative of Champa cultural art discovered to date; it is a rare antique, of great value to Vietnamese culture and fine arts through historical periods.

With its rare values, the bronze statue of Goddess Durga is being kept by the Museum in a warehouse that ensures security, safety as well as special preservation conditions, standards, and environment.

Attending the ceremony, US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Evans Knapper expressed pride that the US has contributed to bringing this historical cultural heritage to Vietnam, helping to repatriate the antiquities and bring those who stole the antiquities to justice.

The recent reception and repatriation of Vietnamese antiquities is the result of cooperation and information exchange over many years, and the efforts of Vietnam as well as related countries, especially the US, in the spirit of complying with international treaties, including the 1970 UNESCO Convention on Measures Prohibiting the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.

After the announcement, the bronze statue of Goddess Durga will have its legal documents completed, preserved and further researched for display and introduction to the public at home and abroad in the near future.

Bronze statue of Goddess Durga unveiled. (Photo: Minh Thu)

On this occasion, to celebrate the 79th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2, the National Museum of History in collaboration with the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Association and collector Dao Danh Duc organized a special exhibition "Champa Treasures - Marks of Time".

The exhibition consists of two parts: Religious statues and mascots , Jewelry and objects bearing religious symbols and royal authority.

Religious statues and mascots introduce some typical artifacts such as: Shiva statue, male and female gods, Ganesha statue, Buddha statue, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva statue, Linga - Yoni, kosalinga, Shiva head, Nandin bull statue... made of gold, silver and studded with precious stones.

Jewelry and objects bearing religious symbols and royal authority introduces artifacts belonging to the category of jewelry and objects bearing symbols of royal authority and religion, including: earrings, rings, necklaces, hairpins, combs, bracelets, gloves, belts, jewelry boxes, hats, crowns, hairnets... decorated with religious symbols and traditional beliefs of Champa art.

These are offerings to the gods or used in the Champa royal family. These artifacts are all very delicately displayed with high technical goldsmithing skills, and have special historical, cultural and artistic values.

Through the exhibition, the National History Museum hopes that the public at home and abroad will have the opportunity to admire antiques of unique historical, cultural and artistic value and gain a deeper understanding of a period of Champa's cultural history that seems to be little known; thereby, knowing how to appreciate, raise awareness of preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of the nation.

In addition, the exhibition also contributes to continuing to promote the role of the National History Museum, as well as public museums, in coordinating and supporting museums and private collections to promote heritage values to the public.

The exhibition runs from August 28 to October 2024.

Opening ceremony scene at the National Museum of History. (Photo: Le An)

In August 2023, the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK informed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) about the US Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security coordinating with the London Metropolitan Police to confiscate a bronze statue of Goddess Durga, of Vietnamese origin, from an investigation into illegal antiquities trafficking and proposed the possibility of returning this antiquity to Vietnam.

Immediately after receiving the information, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism directed functional units to research and compare documents to identify the bronze statue of Goddess Durga and propose a plan to receive and repatriate this statue.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Law on Cultural Heritage, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has permitted the reception and repatriation of the bronze statue of Goddess Durga from the authorities of the United States and the United Kingdom, and assigned the National Museum of History to be the unit to receive and transport the statue from the United Kingdom to Vietnam for preservation and conservation at the Museum; at the same time, an official dispatch was sent to the Vietnamese Embassy in the United Kingdom confirming that the bronze statue of Goddess Durga belongs to Vietnam and authorizing the Embassy to represent the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to receive the antique from representatives of the United States Department of Homeland Security and the London Metropolitan Police, UK.

On September 13, 2023, representatives of the US Department of Homeland Security and the London Metropolitan Police coordinated with relevant agencies to hand over the bronze statue of Goddess Durga to the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK. The handover ceremony took place at Constantine Company, London, UK, where the statue is being kept after being confiscated and brought to Constantine Company since July 17, 2023.

In January 2024, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism sent a working delegation to the UK to assess the current situation, prepare handover procedures, supervise packaging, and agree on a plan to transport the bronze statue of Goddess Durga from the UK to Vietnam.

During the working time in London, the delegation coordinated with the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK and the London Metropolitan Police to receive and assess the current status of the bronze statue of Goddess Durga, preliminarily determine the authenticity of the antique, collect documents, materials, legal records, and scientific records related to the statue to serve as a basis for research and promotion of the value of the antique, and at the same time discuss and agree with Constantine Company on a plan to transport the bronze statue of Goddess Durga from the UK to Vietnam to ensure security and safety.

After completing the procedures for applying for an export license and customs procedures, on February 21, the Statue was transported from England to Noi Bai airport.

Under the close direction of the leaders of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, after many efforts of the National Museum of History, Sponsors Dao Danh Duc, Nguyen Ngoc Thuy and the active coordination of relevant ministries, branches, agencies and units of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Vietnam Airlines Corporation, Noi Bai Cargo Services Joint Stock Company, Constantine Company, on June 18, the bronze statue of Goddess Durga was safely transported to the storage warehouse of the National Museum of History.

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