Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) worked with national, state and local agencies to return a 10th/11th century artifact to the government of Nepal. Allen Police Corporal C.D. Mayfield was among the agency members who helped facilitate the transfer.
The artifact – Stele of Lakshmi-Narayana – was on loan to the Museum from a private collection since 1990. When new information became available on the stele’s history of ownership, DMA worked with the Nepalese Embassy and the FBI to coordinate the transfer of the stele back to the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.
Stele of Lakshmi-Narayana depicts two Hindu deities, Vishnu and his consort, Lakshmi, in a composite form. The statue measures 33.5x19.25 inches approximately and dates to the medieval period of Nepal. The statue was reported stolen from Narayan temple of Lalitpur in 1984.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Crime Art Team, Allen Police Department, and the US Attorney’s Office – Northern District of Texas.
Pictured: Allen Police Corporal C.D. Mayfield (far right) with representatives from the FBI Art Crime Team and CR-13 SSA
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