The US returns a colonial sculpture stolen 20 years ago from Mexico

• The sculpture is of Saint Anthony of Padua, stolen in 2002 from Saint James the Apostle Church in Jiutepec, Morelos
• The statue was recovered and repatriated thanks to the joint work of Mexican and U.S. authorities

This afternoon, a ceremony was held at the National Library of Anthropology and History (BNAH) to deliver a colonial sculpture stolen from Morelos 20 years ago. The event was headed by Culture Secretary Alejandra Frausto; the US ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar; Mexican Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero; the Foreign Ministry's Chief Officer for North America, Roberto Velasco, on behalf of Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, and the Director of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), Diego Prieto Hernández. Also present at the event were FBI Legal Attaché Ángel Catalán and Jiutepec Municipal President Rafael Reyes Reyes.

After 20 years of searching, and thanks to the collaboration between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture, the Attorney General's Office (FGR), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the colonial polychrome sculpture that had been illegally removed from Jiutepec, Morelos was recovered and repatriated.

At the event, Culture Secretary Frausto said that the shared effort to recover items of Mexico's cultural heritage that were removed illegally is yielding results, not only with the #MiPatrimonioNoSeVende (#MyHeritageIsNotForSale) campaign, but with a whole campaign of public diplomacy to make it clear that Mexico's national heritage is not a commodity.

The repatriation, which she said was "a true example of cultural diplomacy," is a very clear example that when institutions have conscientious and responsible people as public servants, results can be obtained.

Before delivering the sculpture to Mexico on behalf of U.S. President Joe Biden, Ambassador Ken Salazar said the work of the Culture Ministry and INAH is "essential for the future," and that it was time to celebrate everyone's good work.

Attorney General Gertz Manero said the work done by the institutions involved in the repatriation is an example of defending who we are on a daily basis.

The INAH Director General said that the collaboration with the U.S. government to recover Mexico's cultural, historical and archaeological heritage has led to the return of thousands of pieces so far during this presidential administration.

The sculpture stolen from the Saint James the Apostle Church in 2002 arrived in Mexico City from Dallas, Texas and was handed over by FBI attachés at the U.S. embassy in Mexico to the Office of the Attorney General (FGR) which, in turn, turned it over to the INAH.

Tale of a repatriation

The INAH in Morelos filed a complaint requesting that the piece be found and, after inquiries, ministerial authorities located the sculpture in Dallas after several years of investigations.

Learning that there was an investigation and file on the sculpture's disappearance, U.S. authorities contacted the Mexican authorities via the FBI attachés in Mexico to report that the piece had been seized. After the subsequent legalities and logistics, it was returned.

Using catalogs and inventories of religious authorities and the INAH, it was possible to prove that the piece is indeed the one that was stolen from the church in Morelos. This repatriation is proof of the success of the binational collaboration in the fight against the illicit trafficking and sale of historical and archaeological pieces.

The sculpture had belonged to an American collector who bequeathed his collection to a Texas museum on his death. The sculpture lacked documentation, which led the museum to report the case to the FBI.

The figure of Saint Anthony of Padua is a polychrome sculpture with estofado (a technique of gilding, painting and incising used to decorate the garments). It measures 110 x 60 x 50 cm. and has elements indicating it was made in the 17th century.

The polychrome sculpture is carved in solid wood, then painted and gilded. It uses the encarnación technique for the flesh tones. Its habit is blue and decorated with a very fine soffit (a technique of covering the figure with gold leaf, painting on gold and then scratching the paint to create designs), which highlights its floral and plant designs.

The saint has a tonsure, and wears a habit bound by a cord with tassels at its ends, both of textile and carved onto the garment. He holds a bible in his left hand and wears sandals, representative of the devotion that is held for him in the religious flock.

Regarding its state of conservation, it shows a certain degree of deterioration, but is structurally stable despite the loss of part of the ring finger on the right hand. It has also lost a metal halo from its head.

The sculpture will be cleaned and repaired before being returned to Jiutepec, Morelos.

Actions such as these continue the efforts being made to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property and to repatriate objects of national heritage that have been illegally removed from Mexico. #MiPatrimonioNoSeVende #MyHeritageIsNotForSale

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