AROUND the world, authorities are struggling to stem the illegal trade in cultural property. While this highly lucrative business is booming, the United States has just returned a looted ceremonial relic to the Palestinian Authority.


A historic event took place on January 5 at the headquarters of the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Bethlehem in the West Bank. An official American delegation presented a "cosmetic spoon" to Rula Maayah, the Palestinian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities.

The relic in question is a tool carved in ivory dating from 800 to 700 BC. It was used to pour incense on fires and braziers during rites venerating gods or the dead, according to the New York Times.

The valuable artifact was reportedly stolen from an archaeological site near the southern West Bank city of Hebron. Rula Maayah stressed its historical significance in a statement issued by the US Office of Palestinian Affairs, adding that "this artifact is important as it acquires its real scientific and archaeological value in its authentic location."

According to the Manhattan District Attorney's office, this "cosmetic spoon" first appeared on the market in 2003 when the New York businessman and philanthropist Michael H. Steinhardt purchased it from an Israeli antiquities dealer named Gil Chaya. Gil Chaya has since been accused of selling hundreds of looted antiquities from the Middle East, including at least 28 to Michael Steinhardt.

In 2021, the American billionaire agreed to return 180 works of art and antiquities stolen around the world in recent decades, worth some $70 million. He was also banned for life from acquiring antiquities on the legal art market.

700 looted antiquities already returned

When the agreement with the billionaire was announced, some Palestinians were concerned that the artifacts looted from the West Bank would be handed over to the Israeli government, not the Palestinian Authority.

And for good reason, New York prosecutors had initially announced a transfer to Israel of some of the objects from the Steinhardt collection. Some of them had even been lent to several cultural institutions in the country, including the Israel Museum, well before the 2021 agreement.

George Noll, head of the US Office of Palestinian Affairs, welcomed the return of the "cosmetic spoon" to the Palestinian Authority. "This is a historic moment between the American and Palestinian people and a demonstration of our belief in the power of cultural exchanges in building mutual understanding, respect, and partnership," he said in a statement.

Since 2020, the New York authorities have been conducting a massive campaign to return looted artifacts from around the world that have ended up in museums and galleries in the American city. Some 700 antiquities have already been returned to 14 countries, such as Italy, Greece, Cambodia, India, Pakistan, Egypt and Iraq.