"Dating back multiple centuries, the sculptures had been stolen from Tamil temples and smuggled out of India in the mid-20th century, leaving murky provenance records before the Smithsonian's acquisition. The museum said that one of the three bronzes, "Shiva Nataraja" (Chola dynasty, c. 990 CE), will remain at the NMAA for an ongoing exhibition on a long-term loan agreement, sparking questions about the Indian government's capacity to make decisions on what is technically the religious property of the temple of origin."
"The Smithsonian acquired this particular cast, also known as "Dancing Shiva" or "Lord of the Dance," in 2002 from the infamous Doris Wiener Gallery, whose namesake and her daughter Nancy Wiener were regarded as premier dealers in Asian antiquities in New York City from the 1980s onward. The Wieners appeared to be clients of disgraced and convicted antiquities dealer Subhash Kapoor, who smuggled thousands of artifacts out of India and other South and Southeast Asian countries."
The National Museum of Asian Art will repatriate three cast-bronze sculptures of Hindu gods and followers to the government of India. The works date from multiple centuries and were stolen from Tamil temples and smuggled out of India in the mid-20th century, resulting in unclear provenance before museum acquisition. One bronze, "Shiva Nataraja" (Chola, c. 990 CE), will remain on long-term loan to the NMAA for exhibition, raising questions about control of temple religious property. The cast was acquired in 2002 from the Doris Wiener Gallery, which had links to dealer Subhash Kapoor. Nancy Wiener later pleaded guilty to trafficking and falsifying documents, and India Pride Project examined the provenance records.
Read at Hyperallergic
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