The Return of Khmer Artifacts from Chicago to Phanom Rung, Northeast Thailand
RSVP not required, but appreciated.
Nicolas Revire, the Art Institute of Chicago
The recent decision by The Art Institute of Chicago to deaccession and return to Thailand a 12th-century Khmer pilaster depicting the Hindu god Krishna represents a significant advancement in the labyrinthine field of provenance research. Initially misattributed to Cambodia, comprehensive archival research, detailed stylistic analysis, and on-site investigations verified that the pilaster originally adorned Prasat Phanom Rung in Buriram province, northeast Thailand. This mirrors the earlier return to Thailand of the reclining Vishnu lintel in 1988, which also originated from the same doorframe at Phanom Rung and has since been reinstalled during the temple’s modern restoration.
Both artifacts embarked on their long journey from Bangkok to Chicago in the mid-1960s. This circuitous pathway highlighted the intricate challenges associated with the accurate provenience of Khmer disputed artifacts from this region. The decision to reunite the Krishna pilaster and the Vishnu lintel with their original doorframe at Phanom Rung not only corrects historical inaccuracies but also underscores the importance of reconnecting cultural artifacts with their original contexts.
Nicolas Revire holds a doctoral degree from the Université Paris 3–Sorbonne nouvelle in France. He specializes in the Hindu‒Buddhist art and archeology of early Southeast Asia, with a research focus on Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia. He is general editor of Before Siam: Essays in Art and Archaeology (2014) and Decoding Southeast Asian Art: Studies in Honor of Piriya Krairiksh (2022). After nearly two decades of teaching and research at Thammasat University in Bangkok, he is presently the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Senior Research Fellow at the Art Institute of Chicago, serving both the Departments of Arts of Asia and Curatorial Documentation and Research. He is also the managing editor of the Journal of the Siam Society.
Please contact Jorge Espada at jorge_espada@harvard.edu with any questions.