Another 14 culturally valuable artworks will be returned to India, including bronze and stone sculptures, a painted scroll, and pictures, some of which were presumably stolen, unlawfully excavated, or acquired unethically from the country.
The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) stated on Thursday that it will return these works of art to the Indian government from its Asian art collection.
Thirteen artefacts linked to Indian art dealer Subhash Kapoor through Art of the Past and one obtained from art dealer William Wolff are among the works of art being repatriated.
According to News, this is the fourth time the NGA has given antiquities purchased from Kapoor to the Indian government. Six bronze or stone sculptures, a brass processional standard, a painted scroll, and six pictures are among the pieces.
Kapoor is facing charges in India for allegedly leading a global artefact smuggling conspiracy. Three more sculptures from the Art of the Past collection have been taken from the collection.
Before they are repatriated, more investigation will be done to determine where they came from.
The National Gallery will no longer hold any works bought through Kapoor in its collection as a result of this move, as well as the repatriation of works in 2014, 2016, and 2019, according to a statement from the NGA.
“Years of research, careful diligence, and a growing framework for decision-making that encompasses both legal principles and ethical concerns led to the decision to return the works,” it added.
The National Gallery has created a new provenance evaluation framework that takes into account all relevant facts about a work of art’s legal and ethical past.
“The National Gallery will take action to deaccession and repatriate an item if it is thought likely that it was stolen, unlawfully excavated, transferred in violation of a foreign country’s legislation, or acquired unethically,” it stated.
Director of the National Gallery of Australia, Nick Mitzevich, said the National Gallery’s actions underlined the institution’s commitment to being a leader in ethical collection management.
“As a result of these advances, provenance decisions at the National Gallery will be made using an evidence-based methodology based on the balance of probabilities, anchored in rigorous legal and ethical decision-making standards and considerations,” he added.
“The Gallery will return 14 artefacts from the Indian art collection to their country of origin as the first result of this adjustment,” he stated.
“This is the correct thing to do, it’s culturally responsible, and it’s the outcome of Australia and India working together. We appreciate the Indian government’s assistance and are happy to be able to repatriate these culturally valuable objects.”
Mitzevich stated that the Gallery would continue its provenance research, including for the Asian art collection, and that any works of concern would be resolved.
Manpreet Vohra, the Indian High Commissioner to Australia, praised the Australian government’s and the National Gallery’s decision to return the artwork.
“The Government of India is grateful to Australia for this outstanding show of kindness and friendship,” added Vohra.
In a statement, he stated, “These are exceptional artefacts; their return would be immensely well-received by the Government and people of India.”
This current action comes after years of extensive inquiry into the provenance of paintings in the Asian art collection, including two independent assessments by retired High Court Justice Susan Crennan.
This is the gallery’s largest collection yet to be repatriated.
Six of the artworks, according to NGA director Nick Mitzevich, were likely stolen or unlawfully transported from India.
While the gallery was unable to determine the provenance of two further objects — and had no evidence that the six photographs were stolen – Mitzevich told the ABC that they will be returned to India as well since the NGA had lost faith in Kapoor’s ethics.
“We’ve beefed up our systems and now have zero tolerance for any anomalies in a work of art’s provenance,” he said.
“This is another step toward us developing an ethical approach to collection management.”
Over several years, the NGA spent $10 million on 22 works from Kapoor’s “Art of the Past” gallery, including Shiva Nataraja, a beautiful 11th century Chola bronze sculpture that the NGA purchased for more than $5 million in 2008.
The Dancing Shiva was named as one of the stolen objects when Indian police arrested Kapoor in 2012, and it was quickly revealed that the sculpture had been stolen from a temple in southern India.
During a visit to New Delhi in 2014, then-Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott presented the Dancing Shiva to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
