Phnom Penh / New York – Epstein Files Reveal Leon Black's Khmer Art Inventory

Editorial team
2 hours ago
2 min read

Documents published by the U.S. Department of Justice under the Epstein Files Transparency Act reveal an inventory of Khmer artworks linked to financier Leon Black. These millions of pages of records do not, by themselves, prove that the pieces were looted or illegally exported.

Phnom Penh / New York – La publication des dossiers Epstein élargit la piste documentaire dans les affaires d’antiquités cambodgiennes

Inventory Details

A April 2014 spreadsheet titled "Leon Black / Narrows South East Asian Art Inventory" lists 12 bronzes and stones attributed to Khmer civilization, including representations of Vishnu, Shiva, and Maitreya. Acquisition costs total millions of dollars, with a Shiva bronze at $7 million and an overall value nearing $28 million.These items appear in a larger set connected to Jeffrey Epstein, who advised Black on estate and tax matters from 2012 to 2017.

Leon Black, whose modern and contemporary art collection is likely worth several billion dollars, owns a small number of Cambodian works acquired through reputable channels, according to his spokesperson. He cooperated in a Department of Justice investigation, with no indication of current active scrutiny or the pieces' status.

Context of Khmer Repatriations

Cambodian and U.S. authorities have been tracking these antiquities for over a decade. In 2012, a 10th-century sandstone statue offered for sale by Sotheby's was repatriated after its feet were identified at the Koh Ker temple.British dealer Douglas Latchford was indicted in 2019 for trafficking; he died in 2020, and his network led to the return of 30 objects in 2022 and 16 Metropolitan Museum sculptures in 2023. These cases often rely on fraudulent import declarations via civil forfeiture.

Implications for Cambodia

For Phnom Penh, these inventories provide valuable identifiers (titles, dimensions, dates, intermediaries) to cross-reference with temple sites and dealer networks. They do not constitute proof of illicit origin but enhance traceability.Cambodia views Khmer works abroad as suspect without demonstrated legal provenance. This disclosure could lead to investigations, negotiations, or inaction, depending on accumulated evidence.