A warrior figurine attributed to the pre-Hispanic tradition of Nayarit is among the pieces the Mexican government is seeking to recover after being included in an international auction in Monte Carlo, Monaco. It is one of four Mesoamerican artifacts identified by Mexican authorities in the catalog of Accademia Fine Art, whose sale is scheduled for April 16.
According to the Ministry of Culture and a report by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the pieces—including a warrior figurine from Nayarit, a seated male figure and a female figure from Jalisco, as well as an object linked to the Teotihuacan tradition—are part of Mexico’s cultural heritage, dating back more than a thousand years.
Mexican authorities maintain that these artifacts are “inalienable and imprescriptible,” therefore their sale is prohibited, and it is presumed they were illegally removed from the country. In response, the federal government initiated legal and diplomatic procedures to stop the auction and obtain its restitution.
Source: ntv
