College of Humanities & School of Arts

Restitution of looted Cambodian antiquities

Restitution is one of the pressing issues of our times, impacting museums, collectors, dealers, diplomacy and communities worldwide.

Having been the victim of massive looting over some six decades of war, genocide and their long aftermath into the 21st century, Cambodia is today one of the most effective players in the complex international restitution arena. This project expands Professor Ashley Thompson’s ongoing contribution to restitution work and aims to ensure its positive long-term impact in and beyond Cambodia.

Group of people viewing a statue in a sanctuary at Sambor Prei Kuk — Viewing replica statue installed in a sanctuary at Sambor Prei Kuk

By strengthening an existing relationship with the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts Restitution Team, building new relationships with international and Cambodian public and private sector actors supporting the work, and bringing three SOAS alumni emerging scholars on board, Professor Thompson aims to maximise the impact of this research. The project involves the beginning and end of the restitution chain: identifying/provenancing looted objects, and promoting care and interactive interpretation of restituted objects in museums, temples and villages.

The project is supported by SOAS Impact and Knowledge Exchange with funding from Research England for promoting the economic development and welfare of developing countries on the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee list.

Key SOAS researchers

Hiram W. Woodward Chair in Southeast Asian Art

Professor Ashley Thompson

Southeast Asian arts, aesthetics, literatures and cultural histories, with a focus on Cambodia, from the Angkorian to the post-Angkorian to the contemporary; Theravadin Buddhist arts, literatures and ritual; cultural heritage; sexual difference; deconstruction; memory and textuality.

In this section

School of Arts

The School of Arts is a world-leading centre for study and research involving visual and sound arts, material and intangible cultures, media industries and digital cultures of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

School of Arts & College of Humanities

Participatory biocultural documentation for sustainable resource stewardship and climate adaptation

Development of a user manual on participatory biocultural documentation to facilitate local engagement in place-based climate efforts for application across the IUCN global network (1400 organisations across 160 countries).