The unveiling and presentation ceremony of the statue of Goddess Durga will be presented to the public on August 28 at the National History Museum.
The Vietnamese antiquities received and repatriated in recent times are the result of cooperation and information exchange over many years, and the efforts of Vietnam as well as related countries, especially the United States, in the spirit of complying with international treaties including the 1970 UNESCO Convention . on measures to prohibit the illegal trade, import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property . In which, Notably, the reception and repatriation of the bronze statue of Goddess Durga.
The unveiling and presentation ceremony of the ancient statue of Goddess Durga will be introduced to the public on August 28 at the National History Museum.
In August 2023, the Vietnamese Embassy in the United Kingdom informed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MOCST) about the US Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security in coordination with the London Metropolitan Police, UK, confiscating 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 MOCST directed functional units to research, compare documents and 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 competent 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 storage and preservation 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, United Kingdom.
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 was being kept after being confiscated and brought to Constantine Company from July 17, 2023.
In January 2024, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism sent a working group to the UK to assess the current situation, prepare handover procedures and supervise packaging, and agree on a plan to transport the bronze statue of Goddess Durga from the UK to Vietnam. During their time in London, the working group 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, determine the preliminary authenticity of the artifact, 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 artifact, 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.
The statue of goddess Durga dates back to the 7th century and is still in relatively intact condition.
After completing the procedures for applying for an export license and customs procedures, on February 21, 2024, the Statue was transported from the UK to Noi Bai Airport (Hanoi, Vietnam).
Under the close direction of the leaders of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, after many efforts of the National History Museum, sponsors, and the active coordination of relevant ministries, branches, agencies and units under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Department of Cultural Heritage, Department of International Cooperation, Department of Science and Technology, etc.), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Vietnamese Embassy in the UK, Vietnamese Embassy in the US, etc.), the Ministry of Finance (Department of Management and Supervision of Tax, Fee and Charge Policies; General Department of Customs, etc.), On June 18, 2024, the bronze statue of Goddess Durga was safely transported to the storage warehouse of the National Museum of History, No. 01 Pham Ngu Lao, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
After bringing the Goddess Durga statue to the National Museum of History, completing the handover procedures and arranging the statue in a safe warehouse, on June 24, 2024, the National Museum of History 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: This is a 4-armed Goddess Durga statue, 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 current 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.
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.
This is the largest bronze statue, a typical and unique representative of Champa cultural art discovered to date, a rare antique, of great value to Vietnamese culture and fine arts through historical periods. With its special and 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 conditions, standards and preservation environment.
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./.
Source: https://toquoc.vn/ngay-mai-cong-bo-co-vat-quy-hiem-pho-tuong-dong-lon-nhat-cua-van-hoa-champa-nu-than-durga-2024082711062517.htm
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