OTTAWA, ON, Aug. 17, 2026 /CNW/ -- A small, pre-Hispanic artifact, believed to be roughly 2,000 years old, is headed home. The Nasca-style bowl is returning to Peru after the RCMP's Art Crime and Cultural Heritage Crime initiative helped facilitate its voluntary recovery and repatriation. 

In late June, the artifact was identified at a Montreal auction house when it was listed for sale as part of a lot of three bowls. Two of the bowls were of little value, while the third was noticed by Peruvian authorities owing to its cultural and historical significance. Officials from the Embassy of Peru in Canada contacted Global Affairs Canada via diplomatic note requesting the bowl be repatriated under the provisions of the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.

The seller of the bowl, also from Montreal, came to possess it through inheritance. The auction house agreed to suspend the sale, and the artifact was voluntarily relinquished following discussions between the RCMP, representatives of the Government of Peru, and the possessor. The artifact was then transferred into RCMP custody before it was formally presented to representatives from the Peruvian Consulate in Montreal, on July 16, 2026, for return to its country of origin. The possessor was not financially compensated but did receive a letter of thanks from the Peruvian government following the transfer.

The recovery fell under the RCMP's Art Crime and Cultural Heritage Crime initiative, which works with partners in Canada and abroad to address the illicit movement of cultural property and facilitate the return of items and artifacts of cultural importance.

No criminal charges were associated with the recovery or repatriation.

QUOTES

"The bowl itself may be small, but it is part of a much larger story which informs the history of Peru and its people. It is satisfying for us to contribute to its safe return. This successful repatriation demonstrates the value of cooperation between law enforcement, governments, cultural institutions, and private individuals."

          –Inspector Dawn Morris-Little, Financial Crime Director, RCMP

Link: https://rcmp.ca/en/news/2026/08/4355844

SOURCE Royal Canadian Mounted Police Media Relations and Issues Management