BANGKOK — A Thai artifact restitution group is calling on the Fine Arts Department to revise museum labels for recently returned bronze sculptures, sparking a debate over national identity and art history classification.
The dispute emerged Wednesday as the National Museum Bangkok opened a public exhibition of four bronze sculptures recently returned from the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. The artifacts, part of the “Prakon Chai” group, are currently displayed at the Isara Winitchai Throne Hall.
Chotiwat Runjaroen, a co-founder of the “Samnuek 300 Ong” group, expressed concern over labels identifying the pieces as “Lopburi Art” or “Khmer Art in Thailand.” Chotiwat argued these terms are inaccurate, stating the Bodhisattva and Buddha figures represent a distinct “Dvaravati-Isan” or “Prakon Chai” style not found in ancient Khmer art.
The terminology “Lopburi Art” dates back to 1923, according to Rungroj Phirom-anukul, an associate history professor at Ramkhamhaeng University. Rungroj noted the term was originally coined by Prince Damrong Rajanubhab to avoid territorial claims by French-occupied Cambodia.
“In 2026, the world has changed significantly,” Rungroj said. He noted that since these bronzes were found in the upper Mun River basin—far from the city of Lopburi—the current label is misleading to the public.
Rungroj also criticized the label “Khmer Art in Thailand” as a modern attempt to navigate nationalist tensions, noting that modern borders did not exist when the artifacts were created. He argued against using ethnicity to categorize art, as the specific identity of the ancient creators remains unknown.
“Purity of race does not exist in this world,” Rungroj added.
While the artifacts were discovered at Khao Plai Bat in Buriram province, Rungroj suggested they were likely not original to that site, as the local temple was too small to house the more than 100 figures found there. He proposed the sculptures be reclassified as “Mun River Basin Art,” linking them to the ancient Sri Canasa culture centered in present-day Nakhon Ratchasima.