“This incredible, ancient piece is a rare window into the past of Olmec society,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Like many other looted antiquities, the Olmec Cave Mask was broken into several different pieces to make the smuggling process simpler. After being sent to different museums and private collections across the United States for nearly 60 years, the Cave Mask can finally return to sit with the rest of its companion monuments.”

“It is shameful that these beautiful pieces were stored away for decades by a convicted trafficker. Cyrene has faced significant looting, but thanks to the work of our Antiquities Trafficking Unit and partners at Homeland Security, we have now returned several pieces from this ancient city back to the people of Libya. We continue to have ongoing investigations into stolen Libyan artifacts and look forward to more repatriation ceremonies in the future,” said District Attorney Bragg.

“Once again, we see historic and priceless antiquities hidden from the public and sitting in the possession of traffickers and looters. We will not allow New Yok City to be a safe harbor for stolen cultural artifacts,” said District Attorney Bragg.

“It is a shame that these two incredible antiquities were stolen and at least one remained largely hidden from the public view for nearly three decades. While their total value is more than $3 million, the incredible detail and beauty of these pieces can never be truly captured by a price tag,” said District Attorney Bragg.

“This repatriation underscores how art and culture can serve as powerful symbols of hope” said District Attorney Bragg. “Our investigation into the collector Shelby White has allowed dozens of antiquities that were ripped from their countries of origin to finally return home. These are just three of nearly 1,000 antiquities we have repatriated over the past 16 months, thanks to the talent of our investigators and prosecutors, along with our outstanding partners at HSI.”