Looted 2,700-year-old bricks—discovered in Swiss warehouse—are returned to Iran (Q114228962)
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| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Looted 2,700-year-old bricks—discovered in Swiss warehouse—are returned to Iran |
news article |
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Looted 2,700-year-old bricks—discovered in Swiss warehouse—are returned to Iran (English)
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In 1991 an Iranian antiquities dealer with a base in Switzerland contacted John Curtis, the British Museum’s keeper of the Middle East at the time, with a view to selling a collection of Qalaichi bricks. Curtis travelled to a warehouse in Chiasso, very close to the Italian border. He warned the vendor that the bricks may have been illegally exported from Iran and advised that they should be returned. His advice was ignored.Trouble in store The bricks remained in Chiasso, but in 2008 the warehouse owners took action after the dealer’s storage bill had remained unpaid. The warehouse obtained authority to seize the contents and on finding the bricks, the Swiss authorities were alerted. Curtis, together with a London-based lawyer, Jeremy Scott, contacted Tehran’s National Museum, which submitted a formal request for their return. (English)
Martin Bailey
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26 August 2021
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