Mexico calls for two pre-Hispanic art sales in Paris to be canceled

The Mexican Embassy in France on Thursday asked for the

of two auctions of pre-Hispanic art scheduled in Paris in November, citing the risk that Mexican heritage will be sold there.

The sales concerned are Archeology, Oriental Arts & Pre-Columbian Art, organized by Artcurial, and Pre-Columbian Art & Taino Masterworks from the Fiore Arts Collection, set up by Christie's.

They are to take place respectively on November 2 and 10 in Paris.

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Artcurial offers more than 40 pieces from Mixteca, Aztec, Tlatilco and Colima cultures, estimated between 200 and 10,000 euros.

In its catalog, the Christie's house exhibits objects over 1,000 years old, such as an Olmec pendant estimated at at least 150,000 euros, or a Teotihuacan mask, made 1,500 years ago and valued between 20,000 and 40,000. euros.

"Transnational crime"

In a note to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs on October 22, Mexico City already expressed its concern about the trade of its

said the embassy in a press release. The latter considers that

. She believes that this commercialization

and

.

It therefore asks France to

.

In July, Mexico and France had signed a declaration of intent to strengthen their cooperation in the fight against the trafficking of cultural property.

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Asked Thursday by AFP, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) for its part indicated having

.

, specifies the international institution.

In recent years, Mexico has undertaken to recover the historical heritage in the hands of private collectors around the world, with particular difficulties concerning the repatriation of pieces located in France, due to the legislation.

In February, around thirty objects from the Aztec and Mayan cultures were auctioned for a little over 2.5 million euros in Paris, during a sale organized by the Christie's house and contested by the National Institute of anthropology and history (Inah) of Mexico.

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Monday, October 25 in Paris, the fragment of a Mayan stele, dating from the 8th century and having narrowly escaped an auction, was handed over by a French collector in Guatemala, her country of origin.

However, a similar request from Mexico was unsuccessful, as the works in question were not listed in its national heritage.

The Middle East, beset by numerous conflicts, is among the first victims of this low-risk and lucrative crime, as is Latin America.