Cambodia: Angkorian crown jewellery handed over in London

A immense trove of Cambodia's Angkorian crown jewellery, immoderate dating backmost to the 7th Century, resurfaced successful London past summer, it has been revealed.

The stolen items belonged to known antiquities smuggler Douglas Latchford.

Experts accidental they person ne'er seen astir of the jewellery earlier and are stunned by its existence.

The postulation has been secretly returned to Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, and is owed to spell connected show determination successful the country's nationalist museum.

Latchford died successful 2020 portion awaiting proceedings successful the US. His household promised to instrumentality his stolen postulation to Cambodia aft helium died, but the authorities did not cognize what precisely would beryllium handed implicit oregon however it would happen.

Brad Gordon, the caput of Cambodia's investigative team. became the archetypal typical of the federation to spot the jewellery erstwhile helium visited London past summer. He told the BBC: "I was driven by a typical of the Latchford household to an undisclosed location. In the parking batch was a conveyance with 4 boxes inside,

"I felt similar crying. I conscionable thought - wow - the crown jewels of past Cambodian civilization packed into 4 boxes successful the backmost of a car."

When it was each unwrapped, the resurfaced postulation was recovered to incorporate 77 pieces of golden and jewel-encrusted jewellery, including crowns, belts and earrings. A ample vessel is thought to day to the 11th Century and though it has yet to beryllium tested, appears to beryllium made of coagulated gold. Experts judge it could person been utilized arsenic a atom vessel for Angkorian royalty.

One of the crowns appears to beryllium from the pre-Angkorian period, experts believe, and could person been made by artisans successful the 7th Century. Other items, including a tiny sculpted flower, airs a mystery. Experts simply don't cognize wherefore it was made oregon however it was used.

It's inactive unclear precisely however and erstwhile the jewellery was stolen and however it made its mode to London. Many of the items tin beryllium matched to chromatic carvings successful the walls of Angkor Wat, a Unesco World Heritage Site. The largest spiritual monument successful the world, its operation began successful 1122 arsenic a dedication to the Hindu God Vishnu, though it transitioned into a Buddhist temple decades later.

Angkor Wat was heavy looted during the French assemblage period. However, galore of Cambodia's different temples were looted during the Khmer Rouge epoch successful the 1970s, and the turmoil that continued for decades.

Archaeologist Sonetra Seng studied Angkorian jewellery for years by examining temple carvings. Finally, she tin clasp the existent thing.

"The jewellery proves what was connected the carvings and what was rumoured is truly true. Cambodia was really, truly affluent successful the past," she says. "Still, I can't judge it, particularly that it's from 1 azygous postulation recovered abroad."

Some of the jewellery had surfaced before; Douglas Latchford included 5 items from the postulation successful a publication titled Khmer Gold that helium co-wrote with his collaborator, Emma Bunker, successful 2008. Khmer antiquities adept Ashley Thompson describes this publication and 2 others arsenic elaborate income brochures, giving backstage collectors a sensation of what was being sold illegally down the scenes.

"Publishing these materials, inviting different scholars to lend and comparing the items to depository pieces was a mode of validating them and associating them with known materials already successful museums and efficaciously enhancing their value," she explained.

Ms Thompson, a prof successful South East Asian creation astatine SOAS University of London, says it volition instrumentality a agelong clip for experts to portion unneurotic wherever the recently discovered jewellery truly came from due to the fact that the publication contains truthful galore half-truths.

"You surely can't instrumentality for granted thing that is said astir the provenance oregon the existent ownership," she explained, arsenic she flipped done the publication and pointing to the mode successful which Latchford and Bunker described the ownership of the antithetic pieces of jewellery. "Private Thai collection, backstage London collection, backstage New York collection, backstage Japanese postulation etc. You person to beryllium precise wary."

The Cambodian authorities judge that much Angkorian jewellery is yet to beryllium found. The Cambodians person grounds from Latchford's email correspondence that helium was attempting to secretly merchantability the postulation from a northbound London warehouse arsenic precocious arsenic 2019.

We asked London's Metropolitan Police if Latchford's UK associates are besides being investigated. They declined to remark - noting they bash not place anyone nether probe anterior to being charged with a transgression offence.

Last year, the BBC travelled to Cambodia to conscionable looters turned authorities witnesses who identified items they accidental they stole from temples and sold to Latchford. Some of those items person been matched by investigators to depository pieces that are present successful respected UK institutions similar the British Museum and the V&A.

One of the women the BBC interviewed past - nicknamed Iron Princess - volition besides enactment to assistance place immoderate of the jewellery.

For now, the collection's instrumentality volition beryllium welcomed by the country's autocratic leader, Hun Sen. An predetermination is coming up successful July, and since his ruling enactment has efficaciously dismantled the opposition, this improvement volition beryllium painted arsenic thing Hun Sen has done to payment his people.

Politics aside, mean Cambodians privation each the looted items back. After decades hidden wrong dusty boxes, it volition soon spell connected nationalist show successful Phnom Penh, allowing this jewellery to radiance erstwhile again.