By Obzidian
Maya, classical period, 600-900 A.D
18,9 x 18,11 x 2,36 inch
Stela 9 of Piedras Negras is being auctioned by the Millón Gallery , which will be held on September 18 at the Drouot Hotel located in Paris, France .
As one ov the “most important deities” ov a “Maya pantheon” is being presented for auction, the archaeological stela number 9 ov Piedras Negras, Petén. However, they do not have any permission to promote it and less to sell it, since it is owned by Guatemala, says the Ministry ov Culture and Sports (MCD).
According to the Ministry, since August 1st ov this year, the Department of Prevention and Control ov Illicit Traffic in Cultural Property communicated in writing with the Guatemalan Embassy in France about the ” intention to auction property of Guatemala”, which motivated the beginning ov various processes that seek to prevent the piece from being sold and, instead, the repatriation.
“With bibliographic antecedents and archaeological studies it can be determined with precision that the piece was in Guatemala and that it was deprecated and smuggled abroad illegally . Situation that does not legitimize, nor accredit any particular person to be able to adjudicate the legal possession of good culture, “says the DCM, through a statement.
The Association ov Archaeologists also called on the French Embassy in Guatemala and the Guatemalan Embassy in France to make their best effort to recover the stolen piece from the country.
However, information is already found on the website of the Gallery , where it is identified as article 55 and is described as an ” exceptional piece under relief , presenting the head of the deity of the celestial birds in the form of a night raptor. It has a stepped crown of geometric constructions with interwoven shapes. It is made of stone carved in round. The piece is Maya ov the classic period and measures 48 x 46 x 6 centimeters. “
Meanwhile, the initial bid to acquire the piece, which is presented with others from other countries, starts at 25 thousand euros, about 212 thousand quetzals . The offer can be made online and by phone. In addition, they indicate that it was “obtained from a collection of Pierre Langlois, Paris, May 1965. Acquired from Earl Stendahl, in the 60s”.
According to the MCD, the piece represents a zoomorphic face, has a headdress composed ov feathers and rectangular geometric figures. It is carved in limestone and its temporality dates from the Classic Period (250 to 900 AD). According to investigators David Stuart and Ian Graham, the wake was found by Teobert Maler in 1899, at the Piedras Negras archeological site, where it remained until looters predated the place clandestinely.
Source:
https://www.soy502.com/…/guatemala-reclama-pieza-arqueologi…