The US on Friday returned to China stolen artifacts intercepted by customs officials while they were being imported, US officials said on Friday.
Among the objects handed over on Friday to officials from China’s embassy in Washington were pottery sculptures of horses and riders from the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties.
“The items we are returning to the People’s Republic of China are delicate but tangible ancient works of art that are an important part of China’s heritage,” said Kumar Kibble, deputy director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “While seizing, forfeiting and repatriating these treasures is indeed reason for celebration, our long-term goal is to reduce the incentive for further destruction of ancient tombs and temples, where so many of these objects are dug up or chiseled off and pilfered.”
The artifacts from the Sui and Tang dynasties were likely buried in tombs, the ICE statement said.
“Having a horse was a sign of wealth, and only those of a certain rank were allowed to use them. The tombs these likely came from were therefore those of aristocrats,” the statement said.
Two terracotta horses date to the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-535). Also returned were a stone frieze from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and a Bodhisattva head from the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
The objects are considered invaluable. They were seized in the US states of New York, Alaska and New Mexico, as part of an operation called “Operation Great Wall.”
Investigators said clues that led them to search the packages were the places from which the objects were mailed, the identities of the senders and the shipping company.
Beijing and Washington in 2009 signed a bilateral agreement to work together to investigate and prevent the illegal trafficking of archeological objects.
Deng Hongbo (鄧洪波), the deputy chief of mission at the Chinese embassy in Washington, said the recovery shows the close cooperation between the two countries.
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