Stunning Gandharan art to be returned to Afghanistan

British Border Forces and London Police have worked together to intercept ancient artifacts from Afghanistan that was part of an illegal shipment entering Britain in 2002.

Among the items, are a number of exquisite sculptures from Gandhara that have been dated to the 4th century BC, mostly heads made of clay and painted. Also confiscated was a wonderful bodhisattva torso in Hellenistic style. These artifacts were discovered at Heathrow Airport where two crudely made wooden crates from Peshawar, Pakistan caught the attention of the authorities.

The 4^th century BC heads discovered at Heathrow airport in 2002 

[Credit: Trustees of the British Museum]

The nine heads and the torso were examined closely by the British Museum and are made ready to be returned home. Pending this operation, the museum is seeking permission from the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul to exhibit some of the heads in London. That would be a great opportunity for any art lover.

Previously, in 2011, a collection of 154 Mesopotamian clay tablets from the period between the 6^th and 4^th century BC was seized and entrusted to the British Museum. It has been established that these cuneiform tablets belonged to the administrative archives of Irisagrig, Iraq. This Sumerian site, whose location has not yet been determined, has been very badly looted and hundreds of tablets and thousands of clay bullae have made their illicit way to the U.S. as well.

The clay tablets that are now held by the British Museum will soon return to the Iraqi Museum in Baghdad.

It is lovely to see that at least some of the stolen goods are returning to their homeland.