The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MMA) has repatriated part of an 18th-century Buddhist painting that might have been stolen after the Korean War.
Titled ‘The Tenth King of Hell‘, the painting was made in 1798 during the Joseon dynasty of Korea. The painting at the Met is only one part of the 10-part panel known as the Siwangdo. It used to be situated at the Sinhuengsa Temple, the main temple of the Buddhist Jogye order, in Sokcho. Each of the ten panels depicted a king after death.
Reports suggest that the painting was documented to be at the temple in 1942 by a Japanese survey. In photos taken by the US military between 1953-54, the painting was still present. However, it is alleged that the US forces took the painting in 1954. The Korean War ended in 1953, but the United States, which was an ally of South Korea, still maintained a ground presence in 1954. Provenance reports at the Met suggest that the museum bought the painting from collector Robert Moore in 2007 for an undisclosed sum. It is unclear how Moore acquired the painting. After buying the work, the Met displayed The Tenth King of Hell as part of its Korean art collection between 2008 and 2012.
Now, the museum returned the work to South Korea discreetly without any ceremony. However, it did release a statement saying: “The Met has a long history of working with colleagues and institutions in Korea, and we look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts to enhance the world’s understanding and appreciation of the arts of Korea.”
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Speaking upon receiving the work, Lee Sang-rae, chairman of the Sokcho Committee for the Return of Cultural Heritage, said: “We are delighted that the Tenth King of Hell has returned to its original home. Our cultural heritage holds its greatest meaning when it is in its rightful place. We will continue our efforts to ensure that the remaining three Ten Kings of the Underworld paintings still abroad can also return home.” Six of the ten panels were already returned to South Korea over the years. Three panels still remain in foreign nations.
