Thailand welcomes home trafficked 1,000-year-old statues returned by New York's Metropolitan Museum

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand's National Museum hosted a welcome-home ceremony Tuesday for two ancient statues that were illegally trafficked from Thailand by a British collector of antiquities and were returned from the collection of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The objects — a tall bronze figure called the Standing Shiva or Golden Boy and a smaller sculpture called Kneeling Female — are thought to be around 1,000 years old.

This most recent repatriation of artwork comes as many museums in the U.S. and Europe reckon with collections that contain objects looted from Asia, Africa and other places during centuries of colonialism or in times of upheaval.

The Metropolitan Museum had announced last December that it would return more than a dozen artifacts to Thailand and Cambodia after they were linked to the late Douglas Latchford, an art dealer and collector accused of running a huge antiquities trafficking network out of Southeast Asia.

He was indicted in the United States in 2019 for allegedly orchestrating a long-running scheme to sell looted Cambodian antiquities on the international art market. Latchford, who died the following year, had denied any involvement in smuggling.

Speaking at Tuesday's ceremony, the Metropolitan’s curator of Asian and Southeast Asian art, John Guy, called the returned works “unrivalled masterpieces“ of their period and said the handover was “a very meaningful moment to recognize the importance of the art of Thailand in world culture.”

“The Met initiated the return of these two objects after reviewing information and established that the works rightly belonged to the Kingdom of Thailand,” he said.

“This return followed the launch of the Metropolitan’s Cultural Property Initiative last year, an initiative driven by the Met’s commitment to the responsible collecting of antiquities and to the shared stewardship of the world’s cultural heritage,” Guy told his audience in Bangkok.

Thai Culture Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol expressed her country’s gratitude for the return of the items.

"These artifacts that Thailand has received from the Met are the national assets of all Thais,” she said.

Last month, the Metropolitan Museum signed a memorandum of understanding in New York with Thailand “formalizing a shared commitment to collaborate on exchanges of art, expertise, and the display and study of Thai art.”

The statement also explained that the museum had recently tackled the controversial issue of cultural property and how it was obtained.

It said its measures include “a focused review of works in the collection; hiring provenance researchers to join the many researchers and curators already doing this work at the Museum; further engaging staff and trustees; and using The Met’s platform to support and contribute to public discourse on this topic.”

The ancient bronze kneeling woman sculpture is displayed during a repatriation ceremony at National Museum in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Thailand's National Museum hosted a welcome-home ceremony for two ancient statues that were illegally trafficked from Thailand by a British collector of antiquities and were returned from the collection of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The objects, a tall bronze figure called the “Standing Shiva” or the “Golden Boy” and a smaller sculpture called “Kneeling Female," are thought to be around 1,000 years old. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Standing Shiva sculpture from the 11th century is displayed during a repatriation ceremony at National Museum in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Thailand held a ceremony to mark the return of two stolen 1,000-year-old bronze sculptures. The ancient bronze sculptures were returned to Thailand by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Thailand Culture Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol talks to media during a repatriation ceremony at National Museum in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Thailand's National Museum hosted a welcome-home ceremony Tuesday for two ancient statues that were illegally trafficked from Thailand by a British collector of antiquities and were returned from the collection of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Thai photographer takes a picture of the ancient bronze kneeling woman sculpture during a repatriation ceremony at National Museum in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Thailand's National Museum hosted a welcome-home ceremony Tuesday for two ancient statues that were illegally trafficked from Thailand by a British collector of antiquities and were returned from the collection of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Thai person looks at a standing Shiva sculpture from the 11th century during repatriation ceremony at National Museum in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Thailand's National Museum hosted a welcome-home ceremony Tuesday for two ancient statues that were illegally trafficked from Thailand by a British collector of antiquities and were returned from the collection of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

NEW YORK (AP) — Kodai Senga's injury-delayed season debut for the New York Mets was cut short after 5 1/3 innings and 73 pitches when he strained his left calf while pitching against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.

After inducing Austin Riley to pop up leading off the sixth, Senga pointed toward Pete Alonso and began sprinting off the mound to clear room for the first baseman. The 31-year-old right-hander grabbed his left calf and bounced for a couple steps before falling.

Senga held his calf as he was surrounded by catcher Francisco Alvarez, manager Carlos Mendoza, his interpreter and an athletic trainer. Senga and the trainer rubbed Senga’s calf before Senga got up, exchanged hugs and handshakes with teammates on the infield and limped off.

Senga, who missed the first 102 games with a right shoulder capsule strain, allowed just two hits — including Adam Duvall’s two-run homer in the second inning — while striking out nine. He retired his final 10 batters.

Runner-up to Arizona's Corbin Carroll for NL Rookie of the Year last season, Senga was 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts after signing a $75 million, five-year contract.

Senga began a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment on July 3 and went 0-0 with a 4.15 ERA in four starts, three for Triple-A Syracuse and one for Class A Brooklyn.

Right-handed reliever Eric Orze was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse and emerging reliever Dedniel Núñez was put on the 15-day injured list with a right pronator strain. Right-handers Adrian Houser and Shintaro Fujinami were designated for assignment.

Núñez, 2-0 with a 2.43 ERA and one save in 24 games, had an MRI that didn't reveal any elbow ligament damage, manager Carlos Mendoza said. The 28-year-old right-hander began feeling tightness following back-to-back appearances at Miami last Saturday and experienced discomfort again Wednesday,

Houser, acquired from Milwaukee with outfielder Tyrone Taylor on Dec. 20, was 1-5 with a 7.84 ERA and one save in seven starts and 16 relief appearances. He opened 0-3 with an 8.16 ERA in his first six starts before working himself into a late-inning bullpen role by going 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA in 12 appearances from May 10 through June 30.

Hauser was scored upon in all five of his outings this month with a 9.00 ERA.

“Even when we put him in the bullpen, he was always willing to take the baseball and do whatever the team needed,” Mendoza said. “He was such a professional. It was just hard for him to find that consistency.”

Fujinami signed to a $3.35 million, one-year deal and opened the season with Syracuse. He was recalled and placed on the 15-day injured list on May 13 with a strained right shoulder, then walked eight in 8 2/3 innings over nine rehab appearances since June 25.

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New York Mets' Kodai Senga, right, high-fives Luis Severino while walking into the dugout during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Friday, July 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Mets' Kodai Senga gestures while walking into the dugout during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Friday, July 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Mets' Kodai Senga (34) reacts as he leaves the field due to an injury during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Friday, July 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Mets' Kodai Senga grabs his leg as he reacts to an injury during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Friday, July 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)