Smithsonian museum to return three bronze sculptures to India

Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art will return three bronze sculptures to India, acknowledging their illegal removal from temples.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, United States, announced on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) that it would return three sculptures — of Nataraja, Somaskanda, and Saint Sundarar with Paravai — to the Government of India. The decision follows rigorous provenance research that established that they had been illegally removed from temple settings. The Indian government has agreed to place one of the sculptures on a long-term loan at the museum.

The Chola-period sculptures of the Nataraja from the 10th Century and the Somaskanda from the 12th Century and Saint Sundarar with Paravai from the Vijayanagara period (16th Century) exemplify the rich artistry of South Indian bronze casting. These sculptures were originally sacred objects, traditionally carried in temple processions. The Shiva Nataraja, which is to be given on a long-term loan, will be displayed as part of the exhibition, ‘The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas.’

The Somaskanda sculpture from the 12th Century.  | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Under a systematic review of its South Asian collections, the museum conducted a detailed investigation into the provenance of the three sculptures, scrutinising their transaction history. In 2023, in collaboration with the photo archives of the French Institute of Pondicherry (Institut Français de Pondichéry), museum researchers confirmed that the bronze sculptures had been photographed in temples in Tamil Nadu between 1956 and 1959. The Archaeological Survey of India reviewed these findings and affirmed that they had been removed in violation of Indian laws.

“The National Museum of Asian Art is committed to stewarding cultural heritage responsibly and advancing transparency in our collection,” museum director Chase F. Robinson said in a statement released by the Smithsonian.

The museum and the Embassy of India are finalising arrangements to formally mark the agreement. The return was made possible by the National Museum of Asian Art’s dedicated provenance team and curators of South and Southeast Asian Art, with the support of the photo archives of the French Institute of Pondicherry and numerous organisations, and individuals worldwide.