Regina’s MacKenzie Art Gallery had returned a statue of Goddess Annapurna after it was stolen by Norman MacKenzie, on his trip to India, during the British rule.
- Sask. art gallery investigating 2000 pieces from around the world.
- Saskatchewan man had robbed a statue from a temple in Varanasi, India.
- Goddess Annapurna’s statue was kept in Regina’s art gallery for 108 years before it was returned to India, last month.
2,000 art portions of the collection are being investigated by a Saskatchewan art gallery, following the return of a stolen statue to India.
Regina’s MacKenzie Art Gallery has stored Norman MacKenzie’s journals are stored; they’ve found out approximately MacKenzie’s robbery of the Indian statue, and additionally raised questions on different portions he obtained from China, Syria, and elsewhere.
Galleries and museums throughout North America and Europe are dealing with needs to return portions looted from different countries. Some say it is also time to discuss whether or not names like MacKenzie ought to continue to be on one’s buildings.
MacKenzie had moved to Regina from Ontario years in advance and installed a thriving regulation practice. His developing artwork series turned into nearly destroyed in the course of the 1912 Regina Cyclone, the deadliest twister in Canadian history, which killed 28 people.
MacKenzie and his spouse then launched into the primary of 2 global excursions to update and decorate his decimated series.
MacKenzie had dictated the tale sooner or later after returning: He and his guide had been rowing down the Ganges River withinside the holy town of Varanasi, then referred to as Benares after they got here upon a Hindu temple.
He noticed 3 stone statues at the brink of a pool full of red liquid. MacKenzie assumed it turned into sacrificial blood, however, gallery officers say it turned into maximum in all likelihood colored with “sindoor,” a red powder utilized in ceremonies.
MacKenzie talked to a person there who agreed to steal one of the statues. Later that night, the person introduced all 3 to MacKenzie’s motel room.
MacKenzie stated he’d only buy one due to the fact he knew it turned into “a maximum critical offense” and he may want to have “gotten into trouble” with the British colonial authorities if he attempted to smuggle out all 3. MacKenzie informed the person to go back to the scene and positioned back the other statues.
But he took the 1/3 statue — depicting goddess Annapurna — back home to Saskatchewan, in which it remained for the beyond 108 years.
Get Canada and Saskatchewan’s top News, Market news, and other News of USA and worldwide only on Saskatchewanexaminer.com
