Antique

A sandstone statue of Rishabhanata, from Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh, India, in the 10th century A.D., flanked by a pair of attendants. It is valued at approximately $150,000.

Two valuable Indian sandstone sculptures dating back to the eighth century were seized by federal agents just days before they were scheduled to be sold at Christie's, a New York auction house.

NPR's Hansi Lo Wang reports that together, the statues are valued at almost a half-million dollars.

"One dates back to eighth-century India and is a rare depiction of a Hindu god and his entourage on horseback.
"The other — believed to be made in the tenth century — shows a Hindu teacher flanked by two attendants.
"Together, they're valued at almost a half-million dollars."

A sandstone panel depicting a very rare representation of the equestrian deity, Revanta, and his entourage, from India, in the 8th Century A.D. It is valued at approximately $300,000.

Agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations say the statues were recovered as part of an ongoing initiative called Operation Hidden Idol, which focuses on "activities surrounding the illicit cultural property trade in New York." Both stolen items came from a smuggler of looted antiquities. According to court documents, investigators found an unlabeled computer disc in a Manhattan storage facility in 2012, with a folder labeled "Shantoo" that contained images of stolen antiquities and names of dealers.

A person was charged in connection with the disc, and after pleading guilty to criminal possession of stolen property and related charges, that person became an informant for the investigation. An affidavit by a federal agent says the informant said "Shantoo" was a nickname for Ranjeet Kanwat, a "known smuggler" from India, and one of the main suppliers of stolen artifacts for Subhash Kapoor, who is currently awaiting extradition to New York in connection with more than $100 million in stolen antiquities.
Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das, consul general of India, praised the recovery of the ancient statues.
"My congratulations to all of the special agents of HSI New York, who have painstakingly and diligently undertaken these complex and time consuming investigations," he said.

more...