2024-02-14 03:14:16
At a restitution ceremony held at the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the country’s capital, Lima, welcomed the return of more than 200 cultural objects from the United States, Germany, Belgium, Canada and Spain. The collection includes objects from the pre-Hispanic period: quipas, Inca sculptures, Chancay textiles and pottery.
As Day.Az reports with reference to foreign media, the restitution of artifacts became possible thanks to the collective efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Prosecutor’s Office and Interpol.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank foreign citizens and organizations representing Germany, Belgium, Canada, Spain and the United States who recognize the damage caused by the illicit trade in cultural property and support our efforts to return cultural heritage,” the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs said at the ceremony. Del. of Peru Ignacio Higueras.
The extensive returned collection included 198 archaeological artifacts, one historical art exhibit and three archival documentary items. Remarkably, 154 archaeological objects were voluntarily returned by citizens from around the world, demonstrating a global commitment to cultural preservation. The remaining 42 items were found as a result of seizures carried out by the US Department of Homeland Security and German police. Two items were returned by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles.
Notable pre-Hispanic artifacts include two quipus and lithic artifacts, including mace heads and Inca sculptures, Chancay tools and textile fragments, and Chimu metalwork. The collection also features pottery representing the Moche, Nazca, Lambayeque, Inca and other cultures.