On 22 November, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the return of nearly $500,000 worth of antiquities to Mexico. The 30 objects were seized as part of a series of looting and trafficking investigations conducted by the DA’s Office, and include a variety of Mesoamerican artefacts related to worship, warfare and games. They were smuggled into the US by dealers who laundered the antiquities through false provenance and appraisals.
Included in the trove is a stone Ballgame yoke (AD300-600), a ceremonial likeness of a ball used in one the first recorded examples of a ball game. It was likely used as a trophy or as part of a ceremony. Heavy stone yokes like this one have been found in burial tombs, leading historians to believe that they were status symbols.
A Xipe Totec figure is also part of the haul, depicting the Aztec god of agriculture and warfare. Another pair of pieces, a feathered rattlesnake made of stone and an anthropomorphic turtle, represent two phases of the Aztec creator deity Quetzalcoatl. His feathered rattlesnake form is often seen in Aztec architecture. His human form, Ehecatl, is depicted here as a turtle with a human face.
“The pieces being returned today reflect the depth and beauty of this ancient cultural heritage,” said Bragg in a statement. “There are unfortunately many more pieces looted from Mexico that are still sitting in galleries, homes and auction houses, and we will continue to track them down.”
In a statement, the Mexican acting consul general, Joaquín Pastrana Uranga, noted: “The repatriation of these artefacts represents a profound commitment to justice and cultural preservation. Each piece is a part of Mexico’s history and identity, and their return will inspire future generations.”
Over the course of Bragg’s tenure as Manhattan DA, his office’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit has recovered nearly 2,100 antiquities from 39 countries valued at $250m.