The east Asian country claims the V&A and British Museum both hold stolen antiquities.
Twin Duryohana and Bhima statues returned to Cambodia from the US, after it was proven they had been looted
The Cambodians - who believe ancient statues hold the souls of their ancestors - have pinpointed that many of the stolen works passed through the hands of a rogue British art dealer, Douglas Latchford, who died in 2020. He adds: "We would say, for the majority of pieces, there is no export licence, there is no permit. So these museums and these individuals are in receipt of stolen property and the stolen property needs to come back."The two London museums have now each received a list of the items that the Cambodian authorities believe they have in their collections. The British Museum is believed to have approximately 100 Cambodian pieces, though all appear to be in storage.
It continued: "Information about our Cambodian objects, including their provenance, has been accessible on our online database since its launch in 2009. Research into our collections is continuous and new information is added to the database."Archaeologist Sopheap Meas This wasn't a colonial crime. In contrast to the Elgin Marbles taken from Greece or the Benin Bronzes removed from what is now Nigeria, much of the looting of Cambodian items took place in living memory - in the 1980s, 90s and early 2000s.They've all been given code names by the Cambodian investigative team to protect their identities from others who might not be happy they're being so open about their past activity.
"We dug down and lifted it out, two people on each side," he says. "Then we used a stretcher [to carry it]." American prosecutors have been actively targeting US museums and collectors, asking them to justify their Cambodian acquisitions. It's a strategy that is picking up momentum. US President Joe Biden is preparing to hold a ceremony at the White House this week to return another Cambodian masterpiece, the statue of Skanda with a Peacock, that has been in the hands of a private American collector.