PM Modi US visit: the US returns precious 157 artefacts & antiquities to India
157 artefacts & antiquities were handed over by the United States during Prime Minister Modi’s visit. PM conveyed his deep appreciation for the repatriation of antiquities to India by the United States. PM Modi & President Biden committed to strengthening their efforts to combat the theft, illicit trade and trafficking of cultural objects.
The list of 157 artefacts includes a diverse set of items ranging from the one and a half meter bas relief panel of Revanta in sandstone of the 10th CE to the 8.5cm tall, exquisite bronze Nataraja from the 12th CE. The items largely belong to the period of 11th CE to 14th CE as well as historic antiquities such as the copper anthropomorphic object of 2000 BC or the terracotta vase from the 2nd CE. Some 45 antiquities belong to Before Common Era.
While half of the artifacts (71) are cultural, the other half consists of figurines that relate to Hinduism (60), Buddhism (16) and Jainism (9).
Their make spreads across metal, stone, and terracotta. The bronze collection primarily contains ornate figurines of the well-known postures of Lakshmi Narayana, Buddha, Vishnu, Shiva Parvathi, and the 24 Jain Tirthankaras and the less common Kankalamurti, Brahmi, and Nandikesa besides other unnamed deities and divine figures.
The motifs include religious sculptures from Hinduism (Three-headed Brahma, Chariot Driving Surya, Vishnu, and his Consorts, Siva as Dakshinamurti, Dancing Ganesha, etc), Buddhism (Standing Buddha, Boddhisattva Majushri, Tara), and Jainism (Jain Tirthankara, Padmasana Tirthankara, Jaina Choubisi) as well as secular motifs (Amorphous couple in Samabhanga, Chowri Bearer, Female playing drum, etc).
There are 56 terracotta pieces (Vase 2nd CE, Pair of Deer 12th CE, Bust of Female 14th CE) and an 18th CE sword with a sheath with an inscription mentioning Guru Hargovind Singh in Persian).
This continues the efforts by the Modi Government to bring back our antiquities & artefacts from across the world.
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Too Good Sir ji. PM should visit Orbanso Italy also to bring back such rare artifacts and antiquities smuggled out of India for over four decades ago
Happy to have them back……great achievement…..
So nice to hear the stolen idols coming back. Congrats to Modi and Indian Team