Smuggled bronze idols of Siva, Parvati recovered in US

The David Owsley Museum of Art at Ball State University transferred the bronze sculpture of Siva and Parvati to the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The idol, a bronze sculpture, from the Chola period, was sourced illegally from Tamil Nadu under Kapoor’s direction and smuggled into the US. Around 2004, the stolen idol was delivered to Kapoor’s former New York City gallery ‘Art of the Past’. Kapoor had displayed the Siva and Parvati sculpture for sale and misrepresented the idol’s true origin, the HSI said in a statement.

The sculpture will be shipped to New York where it will serve as potential evidence in ‘Operation Hidden Idols’. Ultimately it is anticipated the item will be forfeited and repatriated to India along with at least six other sacred Chola bronzes recovered by HSI. “The theft, trafficking and/or destruction of cultural artefacts is one of the oldest and most sinister forms of transnational crime. To profit from the sale of someone else’s ancient religious relic which is priceless to the people who worship it, is egregious and disrespectful to all faiths,” said Glenn Sorge, acting special agent in charge for HSI New York.

Previously several other major collecting institutions cooperated fully with the US and Indian governments in the investigation of works sold by Kapoor. Kapoor is currently in custody in India awaiting trial for allegedly looting tens of millions of dollars’ worth of rare antiquities from several nations.

The trail of the looted artefacts have lead to many places all around the world. Within the past eight months, two domestic museums, the Honolulu Museum, the Peabody Essex, and one major collector have partnered with HSI to surrender illicit cultural property, acquired from Kapoor.

Over the last three years, HSI special agents have executed a series of search warrants targeting Kapoor’s Manhattan gallery, along with warehouses and storage facilities linked to the dealer.

Additionally, three individuals have been arrested in the US for their role in the scheme.