Architectural Digest photographed images in a San Francisco mansion layout, which hid what was believed to be stolen Cambodian treasures, The Washington Post reported Monday.
According to the Post, a photo was published by the luxury magazine in January 2021 of a mansion that had been modified to hide two Khmer statues. The Cambodian government claims that they could have been stolen.
Two empty pedestals were featured in the photo of the $42million mansion owned by Sloan Lindemann Barnett, author and Roger Barnett, executive at a nutritional supplement company. However, another version of the image, found on the magazine’s website, revealed the pedestals weren’t actually bare but instead topped with two ancient Khmer sculptures.
The Cambodian government says the sculptures, which feature heads of gods and demons, match artifacts that are listed among the country’s 10 most important stolen relics, the Post learned.
The sculptures aren’t where this story ends, though, as the relics are reportedly a part of Lindemann Barnett’s billionaire parents’ larger collection. The magazine called the collection Frayda and George Lindemann’s in 2008 “The Collection”. “one of the greatest collections of Southeast Asian art in private hands.”According to The Post, many of these relics could also be stolen by the Cambodian government.
When contacted about the edited photo, Erin Kaplan, a spokesperson for the Condé Nast-owned publication, told the Post that the magazine published a photo without the relics due to “unresolved publication rights around select artworks.”
The Spanish Renaissance Revival-style residence has been described as a Spanish Renaissance Revival palace. “been described, with good reason, as the most beautiful house in America,”According to the magazine.
The Post and The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and Finance Uncovered (a non-profit journalism organization) are using the altered photo as a starting point for a larger investigation into artifact theft and art traffickers.
The Getty museum’s closure was days ago. AnnouncementIt was expected that three life-size figures of terra-cotta would be returned to Italy by the company after they had been illegally excavated.