Footsteps of the Buddha

Footsteps of the Buddha

Japanese antiquities dealer Tatsuzo Kaku was arrested at the Mark Hotel in New York on March 14, 2016 and charged with the unlawful possession of this 2nd century Buddhapada sculpture, which was allegedly looted from Pakistan's Swat Valley and valued at more than USD $1,000,000.

The Buddhapada sculpture is an extremely important example of early Buddhist imagery, which avoided anthropomorphic images of the Buddha. Instead, worshippers used aniconic images, or symbols representing the Buddha, like these footprints, to indicate the Buddha's presence. This Buddhapada is adorned with the symbol of dharma chakra (Wheel of Law); the Padma Qotus flower); and the triratna (three-pronged symbol of the three of jewels of Buddhism: the Buddha; Dharma (the path to enlightenment); and the Sangha (monastic community).

According to court records, Kaku purchased the Buddhapada in 1982 from smugglers in the Swat Valley. He claimed that he was not allowed to take photographs at the time of the purchase, and the exact find spot was not disclosed. The Buddhapada was subject to Pakistan's Antiquities Act of 1975, which prohibits the export of such items without state permission.

At the time, Kaku owned the antiquities dealership Taiyo Ltd, whose website stated "[s]ince establishment in 1974 Taiyo Ltd., has dealt in Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek and Roman art as well as in art from the regions along the Silk Road including Iran, Bactria, Gandhara ... from cradles of ancient Orient civilizations in the Indus Valley, Mesopotamia and Egypt ... as far as to China." An informant told US authorities that Kaku had been selling stolen cultural property illegally smuggled out of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other areas since at least the early 1980s, court records show.

Kaku allegedly smuggled the Buddhapada sculpture to Japan, where he sold it to a private collector. Following the collector's death in 2001, Kaku sold the Buddhapada to London-based collector and dealer Alexander Gotz, who offered it for sale at the International Asian Art Fair. It was repurchased by Kaku in 2003, who sold it again to another Japanese collector. By 2012, the item was given back to Kaku by the family of this collector.

In December 2015, Kaku transported the Buddhapada to New York City, hoping to sell it during Asia Week sales events. The sculpture was seized on March 14, 2016 by federal agents working at the direction of the Manhattan District Attorney's office, which returned the object to Pakistan.

Kaku was charged with a felony count of criminal possession of stolen property. Days after his arrest, he pleaded guilty to criminal possession of stolen property in exchange for a $5,000 fine and a sentence of time-served. Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos told the court that Kaku was given the favorable deal because he had cooperated with an ongoing investigation.

1

Sculpture

Unnamed Japanese collector 1

Unnamed Japanese collector 2

Pakistan

Jason Felch

VG