The Ministry of Culture expressed its “profound rejection” of Christie’s auction of 72 pre-Hispanic pieces in Paris
France, (October 27, 2021).- The Secretary of Culture of Mexico, Alejandra Fraustro, released a letter in which she expressed her “profound rejection” of Christie’s auction in Paris of 72 pre-Hispanic pieces that belong to Mexico’s heritage.
The auction is scheduled for November 10 in France under the concept “Pre-Columbian Art & Taino Masterworks from the Fiore Arts Collection”, for which the Mexican authorities urged Christie’s to stop the auction.
The letter also asks the auction house “to reflect on the historical and cultural values of the assets indicated above commercial aspirations.”
The Ministry of Culture explained that it condemns the sale of pre-Hispanic pieces because their extraction from Mexico was carried out without authorization since they are property of the nation and their sale has been prohibited by law since 1827.
The Mexican authorities reported that for these reasons legal proceedings will be initiated before the French authorities to avoid the auction and to recover the pre-Hispanic pieces.
El próximo 10 de noviembre Christie’s París tendrá una nueva subasta de patrimonio arqueológico americano. 139 piezas de entre 23 y 5 siglos de antigüedad provenientes de México, Perú, Panamá, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala y el Caribe serán vendidas al mejor postor.
— Daniel Salinas Córdova (@DanielSalinas00) October 27, 2021
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Pre-Hispanic pieces from Mexico, Peru, Panama, among other countries will be auctioned
Christie’s will have a new auction of American archaeological heritage consisting of 139 pieces between 23 and 5 centuries old from Mexico, Peru, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, and the Caribbean.
According to historian Daniel Salinas Córdova, most of the lots offered by Christie’s are from Mexican cultures with Maya, Teotihuacan, and Olmec pieces.
“There are dozens of Mezcala figurines from the state of Guerrero, which have a long tradition of being prized by collectors due to their refined aesthetics and portability. Also sculptures from the Mexican, Huasteca region and other cultures such as the Chontal, Mixteca and the cultures of the Western tradition of tombs, ” she explained on Twitter.
La @cultura_mx se manifiesta en contra de la subasta de 72 piezas arqueológicas pertenecientes al patrimonio de México, programada para el 10 de noviembre por la casa de subastas Christie’s en París, Francia. La venta del patrimonio cultural es un delito. #MiPatrimonioNoSeVende pic.twitter.com/INnxWES3Z4
— Alejandra Frausto (@alefrausto) October 27, 2021
Source: ADN40
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