The 12th century sculpture had been on display at the museum since 1997.
A 12th century Nepali sculpture that had regularly been on display at the Art Institute of Chicago is being returned to its native country — after new research found that the object had originally been stolen, the museum said Monday.
The sacred sculpture, “Buddha Sheltered by the Serpent King Muchalinda,” measures about 17.5 inches by 13 inches and was carved from schist, a dark metamorphic rock.
As part of “ongoing research into the provenance of its collection,” researchers discovered that the sculpture had been stolen from Guita Bahi in the Kathmandu Valley, an Art Institute statement said. The institute then shared its findings with Embassy of Nepal in Washington.
