Some were jewel-encrusted diadems worn by Angkor royalty as far back as the ninth century. Other items were also treasured legacies of Cambodia’s past: belts and necklaces woven from fine gold filaments, or body ornaments shaped into rosettes and scrolling vines.
The 77 items had been in the collection of Douglas A.J. Latchford, accused of trafficking in looted antiquities, and were returned under an agreement with his estate.