San Francisco's Asian Art Museum returns four bronze sculptures to Thailand.

The San Francisco Museum of Asian Art officially returned four ancient bronze sculptures to the Thai government, concluding a long process of research, review and collaboration between U.S. and Thai authorities. The ceremony, held at the museum on Dec. 8, 2025, was attended by Thailand’s Ambassador to the United States, Suriya Chindawongse, Thailand’s Consul General in Los Angeles, Tor Saralamba, and Executive Director of the Office of National Museums of Thailand, Department of Fine Arts, Nitaya Kanokmongkol. Also present were representatives of the Thai American community and museum leadership. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie attended the ceremony, a testament to the city’s commitment to responsible stewardship of museum collections.

The sculptures, part of the museum’s collection and recently displayed in the Moving Objects: Learning from Local and Global Communities exhibition, had been illegally removed from Thailand in the 1960s and later acquired on the art market by the museum’s founding collector, Avery Brundage. A joint investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in collaboration with Thai scholars and the museum’s curatorial team, confirmed the works’ connection to Douglas Latchford, a notorious Southeast Asian dealer in artifacts who was later indicted for illicit trafficking in antiquities. After the confirmation, museum staff and the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office recommended cooperation with Thai authorities. The Asian Art Commission, the museum’s governing body, unanimously approved the return through a two-stage voting process, first in September 2024 and then on April 22, 2025, at the end of the mandatory six-month review period.

“This return is the result of careful research, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to doing what is right,” said Soyoung Lee, Director of the Barbara Bass Bakar and CEO of the Asian Art Museum. “These sculptures have been part of our history for nearly half a century, but their rightful place is in Thailand. It is an honor to participate in their homecoming. We deeply appreciate the cooperation of the Thai government, the local Thai American community, and our colleagues at Homeland Security. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Thailand to share knowledge and celebrate the richness of Thai art and culture with audiences here and around the world.”

The Thai Department of Fine Arts will now coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Royal Consulate General of Thailand in Los Angeles on the final procedures for transporting the works. The return marks an example of international cooperation in cultural heritage management, strengthening ties between museums and governments in protecting historic collections.

San Francisco's Asian Art Museum returns four bronze sculptures to Thailand.

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