Return of historical artifacts to Afghanistan
A private collector from Hong Kong donated the artifact, dating from the 3rd-4th centuries, to the Ministry of Information and Culture of Afghanistan.
In the past, this artifact – an ancient statue of Buddha without a head – was smuggled out of the country, and now, returned home. According to the “Voice of Afghanistan” News Agency, it will soon be exhibited in the National Museum of the IRA.
The Hong Kong collector named Gabriel Shine returned it as goodwill gesture and an expression of support for the Afghan people.
The artwork was handed over in Hong Kong to a representative of the Afghan Ministry of Information and Culture.
Thousands of historical treasures have been stolen from Afghanistan during years of war, but in recent years some of them have been returned “home”.
Thus, a while ago, the British Museum returned nine sculptures of the Buddha’s head and a roost, carved from slate. According to experts, they were made in Buddhist monasteries in Afghanistan between 4 and 6 years of the Common Era, and were brought to London in 2002 from Pakistan.
