The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art is set to return three illegally removed bronze sculptures to the Indian government, marking the latest instance of museums addressing the contentious issue of looted cultural heritage. The decision follows extensive provenance research that confirmed the illicit removal of the artifacts from their original sites in Tamil Nadu.

The sculptures slated for repatriation include:

• Somaskanda: A 12th-century bronze depicting Shiva with his wife.
• Saint Sundarar With Paravai: A 16th-century bronze.
• Shiva Nataraja: A bronze depicting the dancing Shiva, dating back to around A.D. 990.

The "Shiva Nataraja" sculptures, in particular, have a history of being targeted for looting and theft. Art historian Ananda Coomaraswamy's early 20th-century writings popularized these figures as emblems of India's exceptionalism, leading to their widespread reproduction as souvenirs and their subsequent disappearance from temples. As Padma Kaimal, an art professor at Colgate University, noted, the demand for Shiva Nataraja statues surged, with Western museums seeking to acquire them, often without thoroughly investigating their origins.

The National Museum of Asian Art conducted a systematic review of its South Asian collections, scrutinizing the transaction history of each sculpture. In 2023, in collaboration with the Photo Archives of the French Institute of Pondicherry, researchers verified that the bronzes had been photographed in temples in Tamil Nadu between 1956 and 1959. The Archaeological Survey of India reviewed these findings and affirmed that the sculptures had been removed in violation of Indian laws.

According to museum director Chase F Robinson, the National Museum of Asian Art is dedicated to managing cultural heritage responsibly and promoting transparency in its collection.

The Indian government has agreed to a long-term loan of the 'Shiva Nataraja'. This will allow the museum to share publicly the complete narrative of the object's origins, removal, and return in the exhibition 'The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas'. The Shiva Nataraja originally belonged to the Sri Bhava Aushadesvara Temple in the Thanjavur district, where it was photographed in 1957. The National Museum of Asian Art later acquired the bronze from the Doris Wiener Gallery in New York.

The Smithsonian's decision to return the bronzes aligns with a growing trend among museums worldwide to address the ethical concerns surrounding artifacts acquired during colonial times. The Smithsonian has also taken steps to return Benin Bronzes in its collection. These actions reflect a commitment to fostering trust and collaboration with communities and a recognition of the importance of cultural restitution.