0
WASHINGTON: The United States has returned a gold monkey head to Peru dating back to the Moche civilisation that flourished in northern Peru from the second to eighth centuries, officials said Friday.
The gold pendant, which was returned Thursday during a repatriation ceremony at the Peruvian Embassy in Washington, had been exhibited for years at the Museum of New Mexico, Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe. It had been donated by private collector John Bourne.
Measuring 1.75 inches (4.4 centimeters) high by 2.25 inches (5.72 centimeters) wide, the pendant has a ball tucked inside that rattles when moved. It also features turquoise and shell eyes, a lapis nose and an open mouth with traces of turquoise on the tongue.
The artifact was originally found in the tomb of the Lord of Sipan, raided by looters after its 1987 discovery in northern Peru.
The FBI began investigating the origin of the piece in September 1998. In November of that year, following a visit by a Peruvian expert, Lima officially demanded that the monkey head be returned and the museum entered into a memorandum of understanding with Peru to hand it over.
“We gave the matter our serious consideration and came to the conclusion that it's appropriate to work collaboratively with the Peruvian government,” said Karen Durkovich, president of the Museum of New Mexico board of regents.
Bourne, the collector, was consulted over the repatriation decision and agreed with the move.
“I'm glad that the artifact was available for many New Mexicans to see during the time it was on display here,” he said in a statement. “I support the process of due diligence that has led to it returning to Peru.”US Attorney Charles Oberly pointed to the historical importance of the monkey head.
“We hope that this repatriation will help repair at least some of the damage caused by the looting of Moche sites,” he added.
