Ancient Angkorian crown jewels returned to Cambodia by smuggler's family

Dozens of stolen Angkorian crown jewellery pieces were secretly returned to Cambodia on Monday. The centuries-old pieces were in the possession of British antiquities smuggler Douglas Latchford. The trove had resurfaced in London last summer.

Latchford, who was awaiting trial in the US for art trafficking, passed away in 2020. His family had then promised to return the stolen cultural treasures.

The vast trove of Khmer antiquities reportedly contained 77 pieces of gold and jewel-rimmed ornaments, including crowns, belts, necklaces, bracelets, amulets, and earrings from the pre-Angkorian and Angkorian periods, according to the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts.

The Khmer Empire was established in Cambodia around 800 A.D. It peaked between the 11th and 13th centuries, at which time it was the largest pre-industrial urban centre in the world.

Brad Gordon, the head of Cambodia's investigative team who visited London last year, told the BBC that he was driven to an undisclosed location by a member of the Latchford family. He revealed how the crown jewels were kept in a vehicle with four boxes inside.

"I felt like crying. I just thought - wow - the crown jewels of ancient Cambodian civilization packed into four boxes in the back of a car."

The experts claim that one of the crowns appears to be from the pre-Angkorian period. The cache contained several wonderful items, including a small sculpted flower and a gold bowl. However, these are yet to be authenticated.

According to local media reports, several of these pieces can be matched to stone carvings found in Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia. Angkor Wat is a huge temple constructed by King Suryavarman II at the height of the Khmer Empire's power.

It is one of the world's most famous monuments and a national symbol of Cambodia. Built in the 12th century, Angkor Wat was in the centre of the city of Angkor, which was the capital of the Khmer Empire.

Last year, the US also returned 30 antiquities, including bronze and stone statues of Buddhist and Hindu deities that were stolen from Cambodia. Cambodia's culture minister, Phoeurng Sackona, has appealed to individuals and museums to return stolen artefacts and antiquities to the country.

Thousands of valuable artefacts were looted from Cambodia when the country was in the middle of a civil war in the 1970s. These were sold to dealers in Thailand and Hong Kong, writes The Guardian.