Attending the announcement ceremony were Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong; Mr. Marc Knapper, US Ambassador to Vietnam; Mr. Marcus Winsley, Deputy Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Vietnam; representatives of ministries, branches and units under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong and delegates unveil the statue of Goddess Durga
The repatriation of the bronze statue of Goddess Durga is the result of many years of cooperation and information exchange, 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 the Measures for Prohibiting the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.
Specifically, in August 2023, the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK informed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism that the US Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with the London Metropolitan Police, UK, had confiscated 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, compare documents and identify the bronze statue of Goddess Durga and propose a plan to receive and repatriate this statue.
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 and supervise, and agree on a plan to transport the bronze statue of Goddess Durga to Vietnam.
Immediately after receiving information from the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK and the Vietnamese Embassy in the United States about the return of the bronze statue of Goddess Durga to Vietnam, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism assigned relevant agencies and units to urgently study and have a plan to receive this valuable antique from the US Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security and the London Metropolitan Police, UK.
During the process of receiving and repatriating the bronze statue of Goddess Durga, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism received active and effective coordination from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam, the US Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security, the London Metropolitan Police, the British Arts Council and many other relevant agencies to bring the bronze statue of Goddess Durga back to the National Museum of History of Vietnam for safekeeping.
Many tourists admire the statue
On February 21, 2024, the statue was transported from the UK to Noi Bai airport. After a long journey home, the statue of Goddess Durga arrived at the National Museum of History, completed the handover procedures and arranged the statue in a safe warehouse. On June 24, 2024, the Museum 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. According to expert assessment and appraisal, the Council determined: "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 of the discovery of the Goddess Durga statue as stated in the dossier needs to be further studied."
Goddess Durga Statue
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 continue to be researched for display and introduction to the public at home and abroad in the near future.
Speaking at the announcement ceremony, Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong affirmed: "The reception and repatriation of the bronze statue of Goddess Durga is the result of active coordination from the United States in the return of antiquities to Vietnam and is one of the typical events marking the 10-year milestone of the establishment of the Vietnam - United States Comprehensive Partnership. In addition, the timely coordination and facilitation of relevant procedures by the UK authorities to bring the bronze statue back to Vietnam is considered one of the outstanding activities in Vietnam - UK cooperation on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (1973-2023)".
Deputy Minister and delegates cut the ribbon to open the Exhibition of Champa Treasures - Imprints of Time
The Vietnamese antiques 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 UNESCO Convention on Measures Prohibiting Illicit Trade, Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.
Some pictures of the treasures of Champa culture
The Deputy Minister also expressed his belief that in the coming time, countries will actively and make efforts to cooperate with the agencies and functional units of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in identifying, negotiating and bringing back Vietnamese antiquities that have been illegally taken abroad, while strengthening measures to limit and prevent illegal trafficking of cultural assets, contributing actively to protecting and promoting the value of Vietnamese cultural heritage in particular and the cultural heritage of humanity in general.
After the unveiling ceremony of the Goddess Durga statue, the National History Museum held the opening ceremony of the exhibition "Champa Treasures - Marks of Time". The exhibition consists of 2 parts: Part 1 is statues and religious mascots; Part 2 is jewelry and objects bearing religious symbols and royal authority.
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, 2024 to October 2024.
Source: https://toquoc.vn/tuong-dong-nu-than-durga-co-vat-tieu-bieu-quy-hiem-cua-van-hoa-champa-hoi-huong-20240828141348384.htm
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