Mexico Voices Protest To France Over Auctioning Cultural Heritage Pieces

MEXICO CITY (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th October, 2021) The Mexican Embassy in France sent a note of protest to the French government over the sale of pre-Columbian art and demanded that Christie's and Artcurial Society's auctions, scheduled for early November, be canceled.

"The Embassy expresses its deep concern about the upcoming auctions, Archaeology, Eastern Arts and Pre-Colombian Art by Artcurial Society and Pre-Columbian Art and Taino Masterworks from the Fiore Arts Collection by Christie's, where on November 2 and 10, respectively, Pre-Hispanic Mexican art will be on sale. In protest against the trade in objects that are part of the cultural heritage of Mexicans, this office sent an oral note on October 22 to the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France," the embassy's statement, published by the Mexican Foreign Ministry, said.

Mexico is concerned that the commercialization of historical treasures encourages international crime and theft of cultural property, and "the priceless pieces on sale are thus deprived of their cultural, symbolic and historical essence," the embassy noted.

Mexico also sent letters of protest to the presidents of Christie's Paris and Artcurial, demanding that the auctions be canceled.

A total of 72 archaeological finds that belong to the country's cultural heritage are being auctioned at Christie's, according to the Mexican Foreign Ministry. In its letter to the auction house, the Mexican government warned about potential lawsuit to protect the heritage.

Christie's, in turn, commented to the French media that it has no reason to believe that the art pieces presented at the auction had been obtained from an illegal source, and the auction itself is being held in accordance with local laws.