Norton Simon Museum to Return Praset Chen Bhima

The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, Calif., agreed on Tuesday to return to Cambodia the statue of Bhima (the opponent of Duryodhana in the original grouping, which consisted of nine characters from the Hindu epic the Mahabharata in the Prasat Chen temple looted in Cambodia).

It had been in the museum’s collection, identified as a “temple wrestler,” since 1976 when it had been purchased from the New York dealer William H. Wolff, the museum said.[...] In a statement on Tuesday the Norton Simon said it continues to have “a good-faith disagreement” with Cambodia over ownership of the Bhima, but after sending representatives to Phnom Penh in March to meet with government officials, it has “worked directly with Cambodia to come up with a mutually acceptable solution,” and agreed to give it back as a gift.  

Tom Mashberg and Ralph Blumenthal, 'Christie’s to Return Cambodian Statue', New York Times May 6, 2014