Thai envoy probing ‘smuggled statue’ in London

By The Nation

 

Thai envoy probes SOAS's gift - a 13th Century sculpture possibly smuggled from Thailand. Photo courtesy of Angela Chiu 13th Century sculpture belonging to SOAS which is possibly smuggled statue’ in London.

 

Thailand’s ambassador to the UK has been instructed to contact the director of University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) over claims the prestigious institution possesses a 13th-century sculpture likely smuggled from Thailand, the Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday.

 

“The Foreign Ministry is now in the process of examining the case,” said Busadee Santipitaks, Director General of the Department of Information and Foreign Ministry spokesperson. “The ministry has assigned Thai Ambassador to the UK Pisanu Suvanajata to contact SOAS director Baroness Valerie Amos.” 

 

The move came after Thai media this week revealed that SOAS scholar Angela Chiu had accused her school of accepting the one-metre-tall Buddha statue that stands at the entrance to its Brunei Gallery. It was gifted to the SOAS by American alumni Mary and Paul Slawson who reportedly bought it minus documents attesting to its provenance some 30 years ago. On its website, the SOAS describes the statue as “a delightful 13th-century Lopburi Buddha torso of Thai origin”. It has denied any wrongdoing in accepting the sculpture.

 

Busadee added that Thai embassy officials in London had also met with John Hollingworth, head of Galleries and Exhibitions at SOAS. “He informed them that his team had checked with the International Council of Museums and found that the artefact is not on the ICOMs Red Lists of lost or vulnerable artworks.”

 

The SOAS is preparing documents and information on the statue for presentation to the Thai Embassy in London.

 

“The Foreign Ministry will report again to the Culture Ministry’s Fine Art Department if and when we receive more information on this issue,” Busadee said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30347779

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-6-14

Do they really want to start conversations in Thailand about internationally smuggled rare objects of significant value ?

 

Saudi Arabia springs to mind.

Probably smuggled from Thailand. How would it be to have some proof, before accusing?
It can be stolen from the country long time ago, and finallt found it´s way to todays destination.

2 hours ago, Get Real said:

Probably smuggled from Thailand. How would it be to have some proof, before accusing?
It can be stolen from the country long time ago, and finallt found it´s way to todays destination.

wonder how much the Thai smuggler made out of it then??

10 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“The Foreign Ministry is now in the process of examining the case,”

Airplane tickets are being booked as we speak

6 minutes ago, grumbleweed said:

Airplane tickets are being booked as we speak

Are the Thailand Globetrotters off again  ? 

I heard they've booked an economy seat for the artefact. Legroom not needed.

Wont have a leg to stand on, once Big joke gets on the case. 

56 minutes ago, grumbleweed said:

Airplane tickets are being booked as we speak

Private chartered plane tickets u mean

Not on the Red List, meaning the Thai authorities probably did not know it was missing, and my guess is they didn't even know it existed. Now they will come over all holier than thou about something they knew nothing about until some student brought it up.

2 hours ago, grumbleweed said:

Airplane tickets are being booked as we speak

Yep, and Interpol are getting involved...

An inflammatory post has been removed as well as the replies. 

 

An off topic post has been removed as well as the replies. 

5 hours ago, Darcula said:

I heard they've booked an economy seat for the artefact. Legroom not needed.

...no headrest either!

so it is of Khmer origin then

6 hours ago, grumbleweed said:

Airplane tickets are being booked as we speak

And only taking 15 others to arrest and bring back the lump of stone, hope they have better luck than the w anchors who went looking for an ex monk. 

2 hours ago, Artisi said:

And only taking 15 others to arrest and bring back the lump of stone, hope they have better luck than the w anchors who went looking for an ex monk. 

Hey, follow the money!? Could've been the "Mickey-Monk" , it ain't just Catholics being de-frocked!?

Probing a statue in London. The fines for that obscure perversion must be high.

Think they should have a good look at it

Make sure it's not a Somchai, circum 1980's