Pre-Hispanic art objects auctioned in France despite protests from Mexico

The auction house Artcurial auctioned this Tuesday in France objects of prehispanic art, despite protests from Mexico demanding its annulment, considering that the pieces were extracted “illegally.”

“The auction took place,” the auction house told AFP, without further details, referring to the sale “Archéologie, arts d’Orient & art précolombien” that included some 40 pieces from pre-Columbian cultures.

The Mexican embassy in France had reported this auction to the French Foreign Ministry on October 22, as well as another that will take place at the house Christie’s November 10.

The diplomatic representation expressed concern “about the trade in goods from [su] national heritage “in that message to the French Foreign Ministry, which, according to the embassy,” acknowledged receipt “of it.

In another letter to Artcurial, published on social networks this Tuesday by the Secretary of Culture of the mexican governmentAlejandra Frausto, her department asked her on October 31 to “stop the auction.”

The pieces “constitute property of the Nation, inalienable and imprescriptible, extracted without authorization and illegally, “says the letter, which signals the beginning of” legal proceedings “before the French authorities.

The French Office for the Fight against Trafficking in Cultural Property, a unit of the judicial police, did not open an investigation into the two auctions, a source close to the case told AFP on Tuesday.

“The claims of Mexico have existed for years on these cultural property,” added the source, who pointed out that generally “there are no crimes, either by importation or reception” in this type of property.

For a few years, Mexico has been trying to recover its historical heritage in the hands of private collections around the world, but has had great difficulty in recovering pieces in France.

Despite the claims of Mexico, the house Christie’s already held an auction in February in Paris of 40 pre-Hispanic pieces from private European hands, which raised about 3 million dollars.

In July, Mexico and France signed a declaration of intent to strengthen their cooperation in the fight against trafficking in cultural property.

The illicit trade in cultural property generates about 10 billion dollars, according to UNESCO.