4,600 culturally important Peruvian artifacts, comprising textiles, clothing, and ceramics retrieved from various collections across the United States and Europe have been returned to Peru, according to a statement by the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs last Wednesday, March 20.
Particularly, in Europe, the items were reacquired from numerous institutions in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Switzerland. The ministry said they worked alongside consulates and embassies within the concerned nations to eventually facilitate the objects' repatriation.
Details on the Repatriated Peruvian Cultural Artifacts
Of the 4,600 assets returned to the South American nation, 4,556 were from the personal collection of the late American archaeologist and anthropologist John Howland Roe, who was also known to be the preeminent scholar surrounding the Inca civilization.
The statement added that 33 were retrieved from Italy and 22 of those were confiscated by the country's authorities from an art gallery, including clothing and ceramic items from the cultures of the Nazca, Wari, Inca, Paracas, and Chimú people.
An artifact of note is a silver incense burner dated back around the 18th or 19th century, which was retrieved from Portugal. Objects recovered from Germany and the Netherlands, on the other hand, were turned over voluntarily.
Authorities from Switzerland were also instrumental in the seizure and repatriation of a four-piece pre-Hispanic ceramic set, the statement said.
The country's Foreign Minister, Javier González-Olaechea, was quoted during the return ceremony saying that it has recovered over 7,000 culturally significant artifacts of heritage since 2019. Because of this,
the country has "[established] itself as an international benchmark in the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural property," the Minister continued.
Similarly, in a post on the Peruvian Ministry of Culture's X (formerly Twitter) account, Culture Minister Leslie Urteaga said: "We will continue on this upward path in strengthening sovereignty over our precious heritage."
Because the cultural legacy of Peru is a fundamental pillar for the formation of our identity as Peruvians," she added.
