On 3 March, the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) announced the initiation of a voluntary repatriation to Nepal. The 12th-century artefact in question, a “significant sculpture” dubbed Buddha ...

permitting him to remain in deep meditation," as described by the Art Institute of Chicago. The narrative is central to Buddhist teachings and holds cultural and spiritual importance in Nepal.

The Art Institute of Chicago announced Monday that it is returning a 12th-century sculpture to Nepal. The museum said it learned that the sculpture, "Buddha Sheltered by the Serpent King ...

The museum’s researchers collaborated with the government of Nepal to determine the sculpture had been stolen from the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal.