Iraq reclaimed 5 new antiquities from the United States, Al-Sahhaf says

 
Baghdad-INA
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs-MOFA announced on Saturday, that Iraq has reclaimed five new artifacts from Washington.
MOFA spokesman, Ahmed Al-Sahaf, said in a statement, received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "Iraq's ambassador to the United States, Farid Yassin, received five artifacts that had been stolen during the past thirty years," noting that "these steps came within the continoues efforts to repatriate the smuggled artifacts into Iraq."
 



He added, "The handover ceremony was attended by the Manhattan District Attorney Mr. Alvin Bragg, and the Deputy Special Agent in Charge at Homeland Security Investigations at US Department of Homeland Security Eric Rosenblatt."
 
Al-Sahaf also pointed out, "Ambassador Farid Yassin received two artifacts recovered from Michael Steinhardt as well as three other artifacts, and the investigation is underway," noting that "the recovered artifacts are collectively estimated at hundreds - thousands of US dollars."
 
The Ambassador of Iraq to the United States, Farid Yassin, said in his speech upon receiving the artifacts, "I am grateful to the Manhattan District Attorney and the staff in his office for their continuous and successful efforts to combat antiquities smuggling, as they were able, through their efforts, to recover these valuable artifacts, of historical significance to Iraq.


 
Yassin added, "These artifacts are part of the history and heritage of the Iraqi people, thus they belong to Iraq, and they will be on display in public museums in front of the Iraqi people to increase their appreciation of their history and culture, affirming that this initiative is another example of strengthening the long-term cooperation and friendship between the United States and Iraq."
 
Regarding the details of the recovered artifacts, al-Sahaf elaborated, "Among the recovered artifacts from Steinhardt collection is an ivory plaque which depicts a human-headed winged sphinx, in September 2010 for $400,000. The plaque dates from the era of King Sargon I of Assyria (721-725 B.C.E.) and may have been looted from Northern Iraq during the Gulf War in the early 1990s in the aftermath of Operation Desert Storm.The piece first appeared on the international art market on November 2, in 1994, Steinhardt bought it on September 10, 2010.



While the golden bowl, purchased by Mr. Steinhadt in 2020 for $150,000, had been looted from Nimrud, Iraq, an area where the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, had sought to raise revenue by trafficking in ancient objects made of gold and other precious metals. The golden bowl appeared on the international art market for the first time on October 22, 2019, and Steinhardt bought it on July 10, 2020.
As for the other three artifacts, he continued, “It includes a group of Mandaean manuscripts, valued at $8,500.00, and two cylindrical boxes with separate lids, valued at $15,000.00 each.”