Three Maya basalt sculptures

Three Maya basalt sculptures

On August 15, 2013, the Lowe Art Museum at the University of Miami returned three large Mesoamerican sculptures to Mexico after research linked their provenance to the antiquities trafficker Leonardo Patterson.

All three sculptures were architectural ornaments carved from basalt and originated from different historical periods and archaeological regions within Mexico. The oldest is a basalt stele from the Preclassic period (200 BCE–200 CE), depicting a Maya noble or priest. Authorities believe this relief, suspected to have been stripped from a building, likely came from the Mexican Gulf Coast.

The second piece, a large architectural sculpture of a serpent head, dates to the Postclassic period (900–1200 CE) and is believed to have come from a site in the Central High Plateau. The final piece, a Classic period (700–900 CE) relief depicting the rain god Tlaloc, is thought to have originated in the Guerrero region.

The circumstances surrounding the thefts remain unclear, but Mexican authorities noted that given their size and weight, the sculptures were likely removed by an international trafficking network. Investigations linked the artifacts to Leonardo Patterson, who at that time was on trial in Spain for smuggling.

The sculptures eventually ended up in a private collection in the United States and were donated to the Lowe Art Museum after the collector’s death.

According to Antonio Saborit, Director of the National Institute of Anthropology (INAH), Mexican officials became aware of the works after the Lowe Museum contacted INAH about organizing an exhibition of Mesoamerican art. Noting the size and exceptional quality of the pieces, authorities launched an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding their export.

Following a three-year investigation led by INAH, the Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs (SRE), and the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBA), the Lowe Museum agreed to repatriate the sculptures to Mexico.

3

Sculpture – statues, carvings, bronzes, reliefs, figurines

Maya

Unnamed private collector

Lowe Art Museum at the University of Miami

Mexico

Denise Delgado

Lisa Duffy-Zebalos