In an emotional ceremony in January, the Cambodian government expressed heartfelt gratitude to a British-Thai woman, Julia Latchford, for what seemed a remarkably generous offer of immense cultural importance. Latchford had agreed to give the southeast Asian country her entire collection of 125 antiquities from Cambodia’s Khmer period — magnificent statues, sculptures, gold and bronze figurines that she had inherited when her father, Douglas Latchford, died last year. Cambodian Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona described Julia Latchford as “precious and selfless and beautiful,” and said of the historic treasures: “Happiness is not enough to sum up my emotions...