Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Consulate General in New York has secured the return of three smuggled cultural artifacts from US authorities, including items from the Asmat, Dayak, and Batak ethnic groups, a Foreign Ministry official said Wednesday.
Renita Moniaga, a counselor at the Directorate of American Affairs I at the Foreign Ministry, said on Wednesday that the agreement was signed on Tuesday between the Consulate General and the New York County District Attorney's Office.
"Three cultural objects belonging to the Asmat, Dayak, and Batak ethnic groups were handed over from the New York Attorney General's Office to the Indonesian government via our consulate in New York," Renita said during a cultural diplomacy discussion held at the US Embassy cultural center @america in Jakarta.
The artifacts include a traditional Asmat war shield, a Klebit Bok shield from the Kayan Dayak community, and a Tunggal Panaluan ceremonial staff from the Batak people. All three were seized as part of a smuggling case involving attempts to sell them illegally in the US antiquities market.
The combined estimated value of the artifacts is $21,750, or approximately Rp354 million.
The handover ceremony took place at the New York County District Attorney's Office in Manhattan and was attended by representatives from the Antiquities Trafficking Unit and the Indonesian Consulate.
"These items were seized as part of a trafficking case that has been under investigation by the New York County District Attorney since 2011," Renita said. "They will be returned to Indonesia. But we are still waiting for the right time," she said.
This latest repatriation follows a similar ceremony held on December 13, 2024, when Foreign Minister Sugiono handed over six cultural objects previously returned from the United States to Culture Minister Fadli Zon. Those items, mostly statues, also included a rare 13th-century Majapahit-era stone relief estimated to be worth nearly $500,000 US dollars.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/lifestyle/us-returns-smuggled-asmat-dayak-batak-artifacts-to-indonesi