KATHMANDU, April 2: The Consulate General of Nepal in New York received three Nepali lost antiquities from the New York County District Attorney's Office in New York.
On behalf of the Government of Nepal, Acting Consul General Bishnu Prasad Gautam and District Attorney of New York County Cyrus Vance Jr. signed an agreement establishing the recovery, hand over and repatriation of the antiquities to Nepal, according to a press statement issued by Consulate General of Nepal in New York.
Joan Illuzzi-Orbon, Executive District Attorney of New York County handed over the antiquities to the Acting Consul General at a ceremony organized by New York County District Attorney's Office at its premises on Thursday.
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The antiquities received are Seated Ganesha, circa 15-16th Century AD., size 3.13 x 2.12 x 5.5 inch, seated Buddha in Bhumisparsa Mudra, circa 14-15th Century AD,size 7.13 x 4.5 x 9 inch and Wooden Beam depicting a coloured Apsara, circa 13th Century AD,size 8 x 9 x 50 inch.
These antiquities will be sent to Nepal by the Consulate soon, reads the press statement.
Speaking on the ceremony, Acting Consul General Gautam expressed deep gratitude to the United States Department of Homeland Security and its officials for their hard work. He also appreciated their dedication and collaboration in recovery and returning these Nepali artifacts to Nepal.
Likewise, Illuzzi-Orbon Executive District Attorney on her part expressed satisfaction to have been able to recover and hand over the lost Nepali antiquities back to Nepal.
These antiquities were recovered by the Department of Homeland Security from a network of international smugglers of antiquities and their associates.
