Happy Holidays 2011

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, etc ... from Assorted Skullduggery and the Skulldiggers Guild.

Monkey head

Gold Moche monkey head artifact that was returned to the government of Peru in a repatriation ceremony at the Peruvian Embassy in Washington, D.C., on December 8, 2011. Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Justice.

A 2-inch gold bead is headed back to Peru (South America, not Illinois) following an almost 25-year stay in the United States. The 1,700-year-old monkey head-shaped trinket was unearthed in 1987 and carted off to the U.S. where it eventually made its way to the art collection John Bourne, according to Archeology News Network.

Archeology News said the charm is pendant with "turquoise and shell eyes, a lapis nose and open mouth with traces of turquoise on the tongue. It measures 1 3/4 inches high by 2 1/4 inches wide and has a ball tucked inside that rattles when moved."

Anyway, Bourne gave it to the New Mexico Palace of Governors in 1995, and it was placed in the Museum of New Mexico in Santa Fe. Word of the artifact later got back to the government of Peru, which pressed for its return.The FBI's art crime team got involved, and below is the official DOJ press release on how matter turned out:


Peruvian Artifact Repatriated
U.S. Department of Justice December 08, 2011

WASHINGTON—A gold Moche monkey head was returned to the government of Peru today in a repatriation ceremony at the Peruvian Embassy in Washington, D.C., announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Charles M. Oberly III for the District of Delaware.

The Moche culture flourished in Peru from the first through eighth centuries AD. Moche nobility were buried in tombs with important symbols of power, often made of gold. Due to the dry climate, the bodies and artifacts have been preserved through the years. In 1987, the royal tombs were discovered in northern Peru, including the Sipan region. Shortly thereafter, tomb raiders descended on the sites, looking for gold. They found it, including the gold monkey head (circa 300 AD). The monkey head ended up in a private collection in the United States. The collector subsequently donated the monkey head to the Museum of New Mexico, Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe, N.M.

The Museum of New Mexico entered into a memorandum of understanding with the government of Peru to return the monkey head to its rightful place in Peru.

“This repatriation is the result of the joint efforts of this office, the FBI Art Crime Team, the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs, the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office and the Museum of New Mexico,” said U.S. Attorney Charles M. Oberly III. “I commend all parties for their efforts in producing this positive outcome. In particular, I commend the Museum of New Mexico for its selfless and noble action in returning this invaluable artifact to Peru. Artifacts like this Moche monkey head represent the history not only of the source country, in this case Peru, but the history of all mankind. We hope that this repatriation will help repair at least some of the damage caused by the looting of Moche sites.”

This matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Hall, who has an extensive history in handling cases involving ancient artifacts, who became involved in the investigation in 2007 in his capacity as special prosecutor, FBI Art Crime Team. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in this matter.

Ivory Smuggler Pleads

I found this interesting. It’s a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division:

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Ivory Smuggler Pleads Guilty in New York

 

According to documents filed in federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y., today, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security officer at JFK International Airport in Queens, N.Y., alerted inspectors with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on Sept. 17, 2011, that Xu, a Chinese national, was carrying suspected wildlife items in his carry-on luggage based on x-ray screening.   When questioned about 18 carved art objects apparently made of ivory, Xu initially stated that he did not know what they were made from and that they had been purchased for approximately $3,000 to 4,000 at U.S. auction houses.   In pleading guilty, Xu has admitted that he knew that the carvings were ivory and that they had a value of approximately $50,000.   Also, Xu knew that it was a crime to export ivory from the United States without required documents and approval, according to papers filed in Court.   Xu packed the ivory carvings in aluminum foil in order to conceal their outline from x-ray screening.    

According to an expert examination of the ivory carvings, most are newly carved ivory and not genuine antiques.   The African elephant is listed as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) and is also protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international treaty regulating trade on endangered species to which the United States is a party.  The global demand for antiques and art made of or containing elephant ivory is believed to have resulted in a significant impact on the species and given life to a thriving black market.   Despite international efforts to control the ivory trade and stop the decline of elephant populations, prices and demand remain high, thus causing continued elephant poaching and illegal ivory finding its way into international and domestic markets.

Xu was charged with a felony count for illegal smuggling that carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain from the offense.   Xu was also charged with a misdemeanor violation of the ESA for knowingly engaging in trade of ivory specimens, contrary to the provisions of CITES, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000, or twice the gross gain from the crime.

The Xu investigation was conducted by Special Agents of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Northeast Regional Office of Law Enforcement, with assistance from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Wildlife Inspectors, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the TSA.   The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Richard A. Udell of the U.S. Department of Justice Environmental Crimes Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Pravda of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. 

WASHINGTON – Lin Feng Xu, 31, an antique dealer in China, has pleaded guilty to smuggling and to violating the Endangered Species Act in connection with the illegal export of African elephant ivory in his carry-on luggage.