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Christie's to auction off archaeological artifacts from Peru

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© Christie's

(LIP-jl) -- Peru Explorer magazine is denouncing the auctioning of approximately 40 archaeological artifacts from various ancient Peruvian cultures, including the Chavin, Chimu, Nazca, and Mochica. Artifacts such as a mortar and a textile piece are reported to fetch thousands of dollars during the auction.

Peru Explorer Director Jorge Sanchez indicated this morning that approximately 40 pieces from several ancient Peruvian civilizations will be auctioned by the London based auction house Christie's this May 17 and May 23, in its New York City branch, located in Rockefeller Center.

According to Sanchez, he reported the future sale of the Peruvian artifacts to Peru's Chancellor's Office, as well as to Peru's National Institute of Culture, back in January of this year.

Despite the cultural value of the artifacts, both Peruvian government agencies have done nothing to prevent Christie's from selling off part of its heritage.

During an interview with Peru's RPP Radio, Sanchez informed that Christie's will auction off 35 artifacts from the regions of Lambayeque, Ancash, and Ica, among others, on May 23rd. Additionally, on May 17th, the auction house will sell a textile from the Huari culture and a Mochica pitcher with a gold-plated spout, among other items.

"They (Christie's) have not even called an archaeologist to verify where these products were taken from in Peru. However, many of us (Peruvian archaeologists) know when and where they were taken. We can prove that they were taken from our country illegally, but no one is doing anything to prevent the sale of the artifacts," affirmed Sanchez.

Christie's Version

After publishing our article, we received an email from Christie's Public Relations Department stating that some of the information Jorge Sanchez provided was incorrect.  In an effort to provide both sides of the story, we have provided an excerpt of Christie's explanation:

Mr. Jorge Sanchez erroneously reported that Christie's will hold Pre-Columbian Art auctions on May 17 and 23. In fact, Christie's is holding only one auction of Pre-Columbian Art and that auction is scheduled for May 23. The May 17 auction that Mr. Sanchez cites is being held at another New York auction house. Moreover, the two lots highlighted by Mr. Sanchez (i.e., the textile and the pitcher) are not being offered by Christie's but by the other auction house.

All lots in Christie's Pre-Columbian sale have been carefully screened to ensure compliance with applicable laws. Additionally, each lot was individually checked by the Art Loss Register prior to cataloguing to make sure that none of the pieces had been registered as lost or stolen.

To view the artifacts that will be auctioned off by Christie's, click here (link).

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# Racso says :
12 May, 2007 [ 01:35 ]

   Another example of the so well famous and so well promoted "occidental" moral values. Everything, since they knew about the "value" of money, is orienting their lives (and ... of course, ... ours). No matters who they have in front (dignity, principals, humanity concepts, ... etc.), they will smash all of them. This is the main reason why the World is in so pitty situation. The rest is only ... bla, bla, bla ...

# joe says :
15 May, 2007 [ 10:59 ]

The following is an email response we received from Christie's:

The article "Christie's to auction off archaeological artifacts from Peru" contains several incorrect statements.

Mr. Jorge Sanchez erroneously reported that Christie's will hold Pre-Columbian Art auctions on May 17 and 23.  In fact, Christie's is holding only one auction of Pre-Columbian Art and that auction is scheduled for May 23.  The May 17 auction that Mr. Sanchez cites is being held at another New York auction house.  Moreover, the two lots highlighted by Mr. Sanchez (i.e., the textile and the pitcher) are not being offered by Christie's but by the other auction house.  

All lots in Christie's Pre-Columbian sale have been carefully screened to ensure compliance with applicable laws.  Additionally, each lot was individually checked by the Art Loss Register prior to cataloguing to make sure that none of the pieces had been registered as lost or stolen.

Sincerely,

Sara Fox
Public Relations

# Stuart says :
15 May, 2007 [ 20:13 ]

Artefacts stolen from archaeological sites would not be registered on the Art Loss Register because they wouldn't have been excavated and logged by archaeologists.

Christie's and Ms Sara Fox know this, but there's money to be made, so who cares, right? Perhaps I'll steal things from Sara Fox's home without her knowing and sell them. The stolen items wouldn't have been reported stolen, so that makes it alright, no?

# steve says :
7 July, 2007 [ 02:27 ]

i have some 8 pieces of Pre-Columbian clay and gold figurines.
could you call me or e-mail me at stevesurfing2002@yahoo.com or 805 637.6132
a man from peru about 80 yrs old said he obtained these from his grandmother.  they are aobut 1-2 thousand yrs old and very impressive.  he said he sold the damaged items and these 8 pieces are all that is left.  thanx

# james judge says :
31 July, 2007 [ 15:36 ]

WHY SHOULD OBJECTS FROM ANCIENT CIVILAZTIONS GO BACK TO MODERN NATIONS THAT DID NOT EXIST WHEN THE ART WAS CREATED?
NTIQUITES ARE THE PATROMONY OF ALL MANKIND .in other words who really owns the past.? ANCIENTART HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON THE MOVE ,AS EITHER SPOILS OF WAR,THE TREASURES FRON NAPOLIANS
CONQUEST OF EGYPT THAT FILL THE LOURVE FOR EXAMPLE OR THE GREEK EUPTRONIOS KRATER THAT WOUND UP IN A TOMB NEAR ROME MOST LIKELY A TRADE OBJECT OF THAT TIME.

# ana infantas says :
3 October, 2007 [ 20:20 ]

Im intrestet in selling an artifact that has been in my family for more than 200years, it very old

# nick velecico says :
31 March, 2008 [ 22:09 ]

    I have a baby rattle and what seems to be a tea pot , given to me by my wifes grandfather who got it from his parents in the city of Arequipa , Peru .

What could it be worth , in anything ?

# Anthony says :
23 July, 2008 [ 14:50 ]

I have two amazing really ancient Peruvian pieces that I would love to know the value of. Where does one go?

# Anonymous George says :
23 July, 2008 [ 16:52 ]

To the INC in San Borja, Lima, to donate them to the Peruvian people.

# Peruanophile says :
23 July, 2008 [ 17:50 ]

Anonymous George: you're right on the money. All these artifacts should be turned in to the INC....they should be in Peruvian museums, not scattered all over the world.

Stuart....RIGHT ON, MAN!.....you make an excellent point.

James Judge: dude, you really need to go back to school to learn a few things....mainly spelling:

.....it's: civilizations, antiquities, patrimony, Napoleon's, Louvre, etc.  Also, finders are not keepers when it comes to national patrimonies, ok? It's Peru's patrimony by virtue of the fact that those items came out of the soil of present-day Peru.  Think it through, dude.

# James Judge. says :
26 August, 2008 [ 18:27 ]

Re,Spelling,you are very intelligente.What you say is if you find something it should go to the goverment that did not exist 
when it was made. Or as George says donate it to the Peruvian people.
(So they can post it on this sight for resale.) Now that is thinking it through wouldent you say. 

# Ana Infantas says :
28 August, 2008 [ 21:50 ]

    To whom it may concern:        I`ve had an ancient artifact for years it was past down from generation to generation.  My great great grandfather found it.  Now i have it and I am intrested in selling it but don`t know to who and how.  Please can help me i am going throw a hard time and i really need the money, i can almost say i will be homeless soon and i`m sure my dad would agree but he past away.  Plus i believe it is beautiful and it should be seen  greatly grateful     Ana

# judgej@uio.satnet.net says :
28 August, 2008 [ 23:21 ]

Dear. Ana Infantas.
As you can see from the remarks above Re, George-etc,etc,They feel that everything should be turned over to the INC.I think that is because they dont have anything.Why dont you take it there and see if they will pay you a fair value or offer it to the national museum.It would be very intresting in letting us readers know the results.As there seems to be lots of coimplaints about selling artifacts out of the country,if they are willing to purchase, it should solve all the problems.if not ask George to buy it, So he can donate it. if you do watch your spelling as he is very intelligente and MABYE he can think it through.I wish you the best.
                                                               Respectfully.

# Anonymous George says :
29 August, 2008 [ 00:25 ]

Ana, if you provide your email, perhaps I or others can help. If the piece is important it might be a good idea see if one of us, myself included, might be able to help you donate it. If not important, I don't see a problem with it going to a safe home where someone will care for it, privately or otherwise. An email address would help, but make sure you don't help anyone take it out of the country.

# James Judge says :
1 September, 2008 [ 12:28 ]

Anonymous George.
This one is for you.From an article by James Cuno.Director of the Art Institute of Chicago.You can reply directly to him.Quote.
Modern Peru for example,Was built in the vacuum let by the systematic destruction of the Inca civilization,Whose lagacy the country now claims.
The entire article is based on pros and cons.Re.archaeolgical world movement.I have no opinion here except the question. Who Owns Antiquity.?.
                                                                Best. JJ.

# Stuart says :
1 September, 2008 [ 13:09 ]

James, George, and all the other strange characters here...

Antiguities are owned by everyone.

They are part of human history and nothing should be in private hands that is not also visible to the public.

The easiest way to do this is to have a public entity, a national government for example, manage a museum of some kind. Should this be possible within the geographical area in which culture that created the objects lived, or by the descendents of their people - great. If not, the other option is to have them on display in a major city.

# James Judge. says :
1 September, 2008 [ 14:01 ]

STUART.
THANKS, FINALLY SOMEBODY IS STARTING TO MAKE SOME SENSE HERE
THAT IS A NEW IDEA,THAT I NEVER READ OR HEARD OF BEFORE.NOW
STUART, HOW DO WE WORK OUT THE CASUAL FINDS THAT SOMETIMES PRODUCE FANTASIC RESULTS, ENGLANDS MUSEUMS EVULEATE AND PURCHASE SUCH DISCOUVERIES.PERHAPS THAT CLAUSE SHOULD BECOME A WORLD LAW,SO THAT SOMEONES GOOD LUCK IS NOT A COMDEMNATION OF CONFISCATION. AND OR, OBLIGATES THEM
TO BREAK SOME UNJUST LAWS.THAT EXIST IN OUR SOCIETIES TODAY.
I HAVE HEARD OF PEOPLE FINDING SOMETHING AND THE GOVERMANT CONFISCATING IT,IN OTHER WORDS THE FIND WAS A MISTAKE.? 
                                                                       BEST. jj.

# Stuart says :
1 September, 2008 [ 15:57 ]

I'm from the UK and I know that if you find a Roman coin on your land... its yours. I don't know what would happened if you found a saxon burial... I suppose archaeologists would turn up and by law take the stuff away. In the UK though, no-one would complain at all. Infact, if Peruvians were like Brits everyone would be handing in their Huari pottery or Inca textiles and not expecting money.

I don't have all the solutions, but I think what I wrote in the previous post is as correct a position as there is.

How do we arrive at that point I don't know. There will always be rich idiots buying up priceless important items and hiding them away in secret until they die. There will always be people raiding tombs, destroying the item's meaning and significance.

If a museum were to go arround paying, rewarding, people for what they have found... you'd have more people destroying archaeological sites to get new pieces.

It's a sad and very human situation as interesting as the pieces themselves. Almost makes me with I was an anthropologist.