The Metropolitan Museum of Art returns Sumerian artifact to Iraq
The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, and the Iraqi Ambassador to the United States, Nazar Al Khirullah, next to a Sumerian artifact. Photo: INA
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, received on Tuesday a Sumerian artifact dating from the third millennium B.C. from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
The artifact was handed over by representatives of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in the presence of the Iraqi Ambassador to the United States, Nazar Al Khirullah, and a group of journalists, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister Office (PMO).
In a ceremony held to return the Sumerian piece to Iraq, the Iraqi Prime Minister expressed appreciation for the efforts made by officials in the museum to deliver this artifact, stressing that these initiatives will strengthen the relationship between Iraq and the United States.
The historic artifact has been in the museum’s holdings for about 70 years, according to The New York Times.
The museum’s director, Max Hollein, said in a statement that the museum is dedicated to the shared preservation of the global cultural legacy as well as the ethical acquisition of artifacts.
The study that resulted in the repatriation of the sculpture made of copper alloy and labeled ‘Man Carrying a Box, Possibly for Offerings’ was not discussed by museum officials.
The artifact, according to the museum, was acquired in 1955 and has been a part of its collection ever since. It is believed to date from between 2900 and 2600 B.C.