Seven Nepali artefacts located abroad

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, July 25: Several Nepali artefacts have been found in museums and private collections in different countries. 

According to Lost Arts of Nepal, a Facebook page that tracks the whereabouts of Nepal’s stolen artefacts, a Chaturmukhi Shivalinga, dated 729 Nepal Sambat (1609 CE) stolen from Mrigasthali Pashupati has been found in a private collection in France. 

Several artefacts from the collection have been offered for sale at the Sotheby’s Auction, Paris, on April 12, 2023 and  June 15, 2023. The artefact from Nepal was not included in the sale after the Lost Arts of Nepal post was released on  April 4, 2023. 

The stone artefact was earlier auctioned at De Baecque Auction, Paris on  November 26, 2011 and December 15, 2012. 

Photographs of the artefact were taken by art historian, Lain Singh Bangdel and were published in his book. It was also published by Art Scholar, Ulrich Von Schroeder in his book ‘Nepalese Stone Sculptures, Volume-1, Hindu. 

Likewise, four 17th-century wooden struts of Angry Buddhist deities stolen from a Buddhist Vihara Twakeba Baha, Ombahal Kathmandu, have been found in a private collection, in China. Carl Prusche published the photograph of the wooden struts in his book ‘Kathmandu Valley, Volume 2.  

Likewise, the 19th-century Ardhanareswora mask stone stolen in the 1980s from Navadurga temple, Rajrajeshwori Ghat of Pashupati temple complex has been located at Christie’s Auction, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Ronald M. and Dianne J. Bernier took the photograph of the mask in the 1970s. The mask was auctioned in Amsterdam in 2002 by Christie’s Auction House. 

Another 13th-century stone statue of standing Tara, stolen in the 1980s from the Northern Asoka Stupa, I-Bahi, Patan, has been found in the collection of Art Dealer Nancy Wiener, New York, USA. The photograph of the standing Tara was taken by art scholar, Ulrich Von Schroeder in 1976 and published in his book, “Nepalese Stone Sculptures, Volume 2, Buddhist. 

Similarly, a 17th-century statue of Kumar, stolen from the Torana of Bhairava Temple of Taumadhi, Bhaktapur, was found sold at De Baecque Auction, Paris, France, in 2020. The photograph of the statue was published by A.W. Macdonald and Anne Vergati Stahl in 1979 in their book, “Newar Art” and the photograph of the Torana was taken by Jurgen Schick in 1983 CE. 

Many torans were stolen from this temple, and two of them have already been located. One in Asian Art Resource, UK and the other in Koller Auctions, Zurich Switzerland. 

Moreover, the 17th century stone image of Laxmi-Narayana, stolen in the 1980s/90s from Sundhara Temple complex, Huga Tole, Patan, has been located being kept for sale at the Phillip Caldwell Auctioneers, Seaford, Victoria, Australia. 

Previously, the sculpture was seen in the collection of BC galleries, in Armadale, Victoria, Australia. The sculpture was also kept for sale at Leonard Joel Auction, Australia on October 20, 2020.

The photograph was taken by art scholar Jurgern Schick in 1984 and published by art scholar, Ulrich Von Schroeder in his book, Nepalese Stone Sculptures, Volume-1, Hindu. 

The Golden Spout of Patan also known as Sundhara was made during the Licchavi dynasty. Above the spout are several temples, which were damaged during the 1934 earthquake. 

The statue was standing on its original stone pedestal which was leaning on a broken Shivalinga. After the theft, only the pedestal remains on the site.