Golden Boy and beyond: How The Met’s restitutions are reshaping global museum practice

2026-02-11 - 07:26

When Standing Shiva, known in Thailand as the Golden Boy, finally left New York in 2024, it was more than the return of a treasured bronze to its homeland. It was a milestone in a broader rethinking of cultural heritage, one that reaches from the halls of The Metropolitan Museum of Art to the temples of Angkor. That year the museum initiated the repatriation of 16 ancient Khmer sculptures — 14 to the Kingdom of Cambodia and two to the Kingdom of Thailand, effectively removing from its collection all works linked to that period and a specific art dealer under investigation. In an interview with Khaosod English, Max Hollein, director and CEO of The Met, called the move a reflection of research and the museum’s ethical responsibility to the countries of origin — not as an afterthought but as a guiding principle. His comments illuminate how one of the world’s most influential cultural institutions is navigating the long, often fraught history of collecting antiquities. “Kneeling Female Figure“, an ancient bronze statue, is displayed during a repatriation ceremony at National Museum in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) Rigorous provenance research For Hollein, the returns to Cambodia and Thailand were not exceptional gestures but the result of a sustained internal effort. He described The Met’s Cultural Property Initiative as central to the museum’s work, aimed at reviewing the histories of objects in its collection with increasing scrutiny. In recent years, The Met has expanded its dedicated provenance staff and formalised research across departments. The effort reflects a broader shift within the institution: provenance research is no longer treated as a background function, but as an ongoing responsibility that can lead to difficult decisions — including restitution. “Our provenance research team continues to actively review works in our collection ... and any future returns will be guided by rigorous research and close consultation with our partners,” Hollein said. Among the restituted artefacts sent to Cambodia were masterpieces such as the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara Seated in Royal Ease from the Angkorian period and a 7th-century Head of Buddha, which predates Angkor but reflects the early development of Khmer religious sculpture. At the same time, Standing Shiva and Kneeling Female Figure were designated for return to Thailand, a move later celebrated during a Memorandum of Understanding signed between The Met and the Kingdom of Thailand in April 2024. The MOU formalised plans for deeper collaboration on Thai art, expertise exchange and joint exhibition and research initiatives — signalling that repatriations are part of a larger partnership, not stand-alone acts. “Standing Shiva” or “Golden Boy” As seen on display in the National Museum in Bangkok, Thailand “Immense cultural power” Hollein spoke with evident admiration for Thai art and museum practice, drawing on his visits to Bangkok and regional institutions across the country. “Thailand’s heritage, both ancient and contemporary, holds immense cultural power,” he said. He praised the National Museum Bangkok, as well as the national museums of Nakhon Pathom, U-Thong and Ayutthaya, describing their installations and interpretive displays as both “rigorous and inviting.” The renovation programme currently underway across Thailand’s national museum sector, he added, is “truly remarkable.” Beyond the national museums, Hollein highlighted The Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles for its “thoughtful curation and elegant storytelling,” noting how it presents royal history and craftsmanship with clarity and care. He also pointed to Dib Bangkok, the newly opened contemporary art museum designed by Kulapat Yantrasast — the architect behind The Met’s Michael C. Rockefeller Wing — as a sign of Thailand’s evolving cultural landscape. The Thai MOU, he noted, reaffirms The Met’s commitment “to furthering the world’s understanding and appreciation of Thai art and culture.” Beyond objects: digital, dialogue and museum futures The interview expanded beyond repatriations to examine how museums engage with audiences today. When asked how the internet is reshaping the museum experience for the younger generation, Hollein said it has “transformed... extending our reach far beyond what we could have imagined even a decade ago,” describing it as an entry point for younger audiences rather than a replacement for in-person visits — one that deepens interest and widens access. Hollein noted that digital platforms bring global audiences into dialogue with art that was once reachable only by travel. In that same spirit, digital reporting also broadens access to these conversations. Stories of restitution are also stories of identity. By reporting on these returns, Khaosod English seeks to illuminate the historical journeys of these objects and their enduring significance to Thai and Cambodian cultural memory. But what emerged most strongly from our interview was a theme of responsibility. A private museum, proactive in practice Unlike many national institutions, Hollein emphasised that The Met’s private governance structure allows it to act proactively as new research emerges. In contrast to institutions bound by public law on deaccession and restitution, The Met can make decisions guided by scholarship and ethics, he said, which is why many of its recent returns were initiated by the museum itself rather than in response to external pressure. “Our goal is to ensure each object in our care is understood and presented with ethical responsibility,” Hollein said — a statement that reframed restitution not as loss, but as ethical accountability. A cultural moment For Cambodia, the return of 14 sculptures has been welcomed as a milestone in recovering national treasures, part of a broader reckoning with losses during decades of conflict and upheaval. For Thailand, the return of the Golden Boy and its companion piece has been an exciting success in longstanding efforts to reclaim its heritage. Taken together, these returns and partnerships reflect a museum world in transition — one in which collecting is no longer an end in itself, but part of an ongoing dialogue with countries, cultures and histories. Those wishing to witness the restituted works Kneeling Female Figure and the bronze Standing Shiva, known as “Golden Boy,” may do so at the National Museum in Bangkok. In Cambodia, the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara Seated in Royal Ease and a 7th-century Head of Buddha are now housed at the National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh — restored to the public histories from which they once departed. Readers can see more from Hollein in a post he made about Thailand on his Instragram page