Norton Simon Nataraja

Norton Simon Nataraja

The 1973 dispute over a stolen Nataraja discovered at the Norton Simon Foundation marked one of the earliest restitution agreements reached directly between a source country and an American museum.

The Nataraja was discovered in 1951, when it was one of six 10th-century bronzes unearthed near Sivapuram, Tamil Nadu. The sculptures were all given to the local temple for safe keeping. In 1956, the Nataraja was removed from the temple for restoration and a copy was made. The replica was returned, while the original was acquired by Boman Behram, a Bombay collector, who sold it to New York dealer Ben Heller with false export documents, court records show.

In 1973, the Norton Simon Foundation in Pasadena, California purchased the Nataraja from Heller for a reported USD $900,000. The Indian government learned of the acquisition when The Metropolitan Museum of Art publicized an upcoming exhibition of the Norton Simon's Indian art collection that included the Shiva. India sued the Foundation in California court, seeking the return of the sculpture. India also pressured authorities in the United Kingdom, where the statue was on loan to the British Museum for conservation, leading Scotland Yard to impound the statue during the ownership dispute.

The Norton Simon Foundation and its affiliated museum refused to return the Nataraja, asserting India had no title to it. After pressure from India reached a climax in 1976, the case was settled out-of-court, with the Norton Simon Museum agreeing to India's title to the sculpture and India agreeing to a 10-year loan of other antiquities to the foundation. The Nataraja was impounded by Scotland Yard and returned to India after the settlement was concluded. It now resides in the safe of the Kapaleeswarar Temple in Chennai, Tami Nadu.

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Sculpture – statues, carvings, bronzes, reliefs, figurines

Chola

Norton Simon Museum

India

Jason Felch

Damien Huffer