Peru recovers national cultural treasures

STORY: This shrunken head is one of the cultural treasures being returned to Peru

The U.S. also returned a funerary bundle, a mummy head and ancient textiles

as well as three viceregal paintings

[Eric Catalfamo, Director, U.S. Cultural Heritage Center]

“For the United States, for the State Department and for the Embassy here, in Peru, it’s so important for us to be able to work together with the authorities in Peru to protect and preserve cultural heritage. We have had a bilateral agreement between our countries for more than 25 years and we’ve actually returned over 2,000 pieces of art that entered our country illicitly back to Peru, where they belong.”

[Guido Toro, Director General, Peru Cultural Affairs]

"There are two (repatriated pieces) that are of particularly high quality and great technique: a painting of the Virgen del Rosario in a fairly large format that comes from New York and a painting of the archangel with baby Jesus surrounded by a choir of angels, which is also a magnificent piece from the Cuzco school.”