The Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, China—a site of immense cultural and religious significance—were ravaged by looting expeditions in the early 20th century. These missions, masked as scholarly research, resulted in the systematic removal of priceless relics that now lie scattered across museums worldwide. Today, these looted artifacts are displayed in prestigious institutions such as the British Museum in London, the Bibliothèque nationale de France and Guimet Museum in Paris, and the Harvard Art Museums, where their origins and the exploitative means of acquisition often go unmentioned.
The looting began with Hungarian-British archaeologist Sir Marc Aurel Stein, who, in 1907, deceived the cave watcher, Taoist Wang, by claiming to be a Buddhist follower seeking sacred texts. After earning Wang’s trust with this false pretense, Stein went further by bribing him, ultimately securing thousands of manuscripts and other treasures from Dunhuang’s “Library Cave.” Stein’s haul—packed into 29 crates and shipped to Britain—included approximately 7,000 complete manuscripts and 6,000 fragments, along with paintings and textiles. These artifacts now reside in the British Museum and the British Library, far removed from their cultural home.
In 1908, French sinologist Paul Pelliot arrived in Dunhuang, furthering the extensive looting of this cultural heritage site. Known for his linguistic expertise, Pelliot meticulously selected around 10,000 manuscripts, paintings, and prints, which he shipped back to France. Among the artifacts he brought back was the Avalokiteshvara (Chinese: Guanyin) statue with eight arms, a rare wooden sculpture representing the Bodhisattva of Compassion. This statue, now preserved in the Guimet Museum, is a significant example of Tang dynasty Buddhist art and stands as a testament to the spiritual and artistic legacy of the Mogao Caves—a legacy that was removed from its origin and dispersed across the world as a result of Pelliot’s actions.
Further looting followed as Japanese and Russian archaeologists removed additional relics. When Harvard’s Langdon Warner arrived in 1923, most manuscripts were already gone. Warner’s team instead focused on removing murals and sculptures, often using damaging techniques that left several caves structurally compromised. Warner’s team even looted a Tang Dynasty Kneeling Attendant Bodhisattva sculpture from Cave 328, which now resides at the Harvard Art Museums.
The scattered relics of Dunhuang stand as a painful reminder of the vulnerability of cultural sites during times of national instability. These looted artifacts, dispersed throughout Western institutions, symbolize the ongoing struggle for historical justice and ethical stewardship of cultural heritage. The Mogao Caves, once a vibrant center of cultural and religious exchange, now exist in fragments across the globe, raising critical questions about rightful ownership and the preservation of cultural identity.
