The discovery of a large collection of stolen Angkorian crown jewellery, some pieces dating back to the 7th century, in London last summer has been revealed. The items, which belonged to

British antiquities smuggler Douglas Latchford, have been returned to Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, and are set to be displayed in the national museum.

Experts are stunned by the collection, with many of the pieces being unfamiliar to them. The investigative team head, Brad Gordon, was the first Cambodian representative to view the jewellery, which was delivered in four boxes to an undisclosed location in London.

The collection contains 77 pieces, including crowns, belts, earrings, and a large bowl, believed to be made of solid gold and potentially used as a rice bowl for Angkorian royalty, although it has yet to be tested. Latchford died in 2020 while awaiting trial in the US, and his family promised to return the stolen collection to Cambodia. Photo by Dennis Jarvis, Wikimedia commons.