Catherine

Ancient gold relic looted 20 years ago returns to Peru

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• published: 24 Jul 2015
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1. Wide exterior of the Foreign Relations Ministry 2. Medium of headdress 3. Close up of headdress 4. Wide of foreign ministry hall and headdress 5. Pan of guests 6. Medium shot of Peruvian and British authorities 7. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Cecilia Bakula, Director of the National Cultural Institute: "This ceremony not only symbolises the recovery of this extraordinary piece, it is a symbolic act which will allow all Peruvians to know that our heritage is something we must preserve." 8. Medium shot of Peruvian Foreign Minister Jose Benavides looking at headdress 9. Various of officials signing over headdress to National Cultural Institute 10. Pan of press and officials 11. Medium of Benavides and British Ambassador Catherine Nettleton standing next to headdress 12. Zoom out of headdress 13. Cut away of Walter Alva from Peru's Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum 14. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Walter Alva, Peru's Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum: "Today the item is returning to Peru. This ornament, which is of extraordinary importance, is reintegrating into Peruvian society. Today marks the return of an ornament of extraordinary importance, culturally, artistically. This is the crown of a king from ancient Peru." 15. Various of security with headdress STORYLINE: Peru celebrated the return on Friday of a prized centuries old embossed gold headdress, renowned as Peru's equivalent of the "Mona Lisa". The headdress was found in London a month ago, nearly 20 years after it was looted from a tomb in the Jequetepeque valley in northern Peru. Flanked by a heavily armed police detail, the golden antique was delivered by Peru's Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Garcia to the national museum. He was met there by top National Cultural Institute officials, Britain's ambassador to Peru, Catherine Nettleton, and Walter Alva, of Peru's Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum. The Director of the National Cultural Institute, Cecilia Bakula labelled the headdress said its return was "a symbolic act which will allow all Peruvians to know that our heritage is something we must preserve." A spokesman for Peru's Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum Walter Alva said the returning of the headdress was of great importance both culturally and artistically. "Today marks the return of an ornament of extraordinary importance, culturally, artistically. This is the crown of a king from ancient Peru," said Alva. The headdress depicts a sea god with a feline-like face at its centre and eight curving tentacles and dates from the end of the Peruvian Mochica civilisation around 700 AD. It was recovered last month by Scotland Yard's Art and Antiques squad after an undercover "sting" operation. Collectors claim the headdress could be among Peru's most valuable treasures, worth close to two (m) million dollars. Alva offered his thanks to Interpol and Scotland Yard, British police and the "informant" who led police onto the discovery. The informant is described by English media as a Dutch art expert, based in London, who once specialised in smuggling art works but now helps expose crooked dealers. The informant claimed that he rooted out the dealer who had the headdress by posting information about his activities on a web page. He alerted Peruvian authorities when he was contacted by the suspect, who has reportedly escaped. The dealer's identity has not been revealed. Peruvian officials said they got in touch with Scotland Yard through the international police agency Interpol in Lima, and the headdress was seized in a dusty cabinet of a London law firm. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/967ceb8bdc819c6981e6d3191ef03993 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork