PREVIEW

The sacred 16th-century Bhairava masks are carried in a procession as they depart the National Museum of Nepal in Chhauni, Kathmandu, on June 18, 2026, en route to their original shrine in Dolakha after more than three decades abroad. The revered masks were stolen in March 1994 and later trafficked internationally before entering museum circulation in the United States. Following provenance research and legal coordination between Nepali authorities and the Manhattan District Attorneys Office, the masks were formally returned and repatriated to Nepal in December 2023. Their return marks a significant milestone in ongoing efforts to restore stolen cultural heritage to its place of origin and to the communities that continue to regard them as sacred objects.