Latest news with #culturalProperty
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Malay Mail
US hands back 500-year-old conqueror Hernan Cortes document stolen from Mexico's archives
MEXICO CITY, Aug 14 — The US FBI said it had on Wednesday returned to Mexico a stolen manuscript dating back five centuries to the Spanish conquest and signed by its leading military commander, Hernan Cortes. Special Agent Jessica Dittmer, a member of the FBI's Art Crime Team in New York, said the document contains a detailed accounting of the logistics related to Cortes' journey to what eventually became New Spain – a territory that stretched from Central America to modern-day Washington state. 'This is an original manuscript page that was actually signed by Hernan Cortes,' she said in a statement. 'Pieces like this are considered protected cultural property and represent valuable moments in Mexico's history.' Cortes landed in Mexico with a small army in 1519, when he formed alliances with local groups that opposed the Aztec empire, which helped him capture the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan – modern-day Mexico City – just two years later. The document is dated February 20, 1527, just days before one of Cortes' top lieutenants was appointed co-governor of the conquered territory. It was a key year for the formation of royal and religious institutions that would rule over the indigenous peoples of Mexico until its 1810 war of independence. The manuscript was initially stored in Mexico's national archives, but archivists preserving the documents on film in 1993 found that 15 pages had gone missing. Based on its wax numbering system, the FBI said the document was likely stolen between 1985 and 1993. This marks the second repatriation of a Cortes manuscript to Mexico, after a letter from April 1527 authorizing the purchase of rose sugar was returned in 2023. No one will face prosecution in connection with the theft, Dittmer said, because investigators assessed the manuscript had changed hands several times since it disappeared. The US antiques market is valued in the tens of billions of dollars, largely concentrated in New York auction houses. Mexico has for decades sought the repatriation of cultural artifacts, including a delicate headdress made of iridescent quetzal feathers thought to have belonged to Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II, currently housed in an Austrian museum. — Reuters
Reuters
5 days ago
- Reuters
US returns to Mexico stolen manuscript signed by conquistador Hernan Cortes
MEXICO CITY, Aug 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. FBI said it had on Wednesday returned to Mexico a stolen manuscript dating back five centuries to the Spanish conquest and signed by its leading military commander, Hernan Cortes. Special Agent Jessica Dittmer, a member of the FBI's Art Crime Team in New York, said the document contains a detailed accounting of the logistics related to Cortes' journey to what eventually became New Spain - a territory that stretched from Central America to modern-day Washington state. "This is an original manuscript page that was actually signed by Hernan Cortes," she said in a statement. "Pieces like this are considered protected cultural property and represent valuable moments in Mexico's history." Cortes landed in Mexico with a small army in 1519, when he formed alliances with local groups that opposed the Aztec empire, which helped him capture the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan - modern-day Mexico City - just two years later. The document is dated February 20, 1527, just days before one of Cortes' top lieutenants was appointed co-governor of the conquered territory. It was a key year for the formation of royal and religious institutions that would rule over the indigenous peoples of Mexico until its 1810 war of independence. The manuscript was initially stored in Mexico's national archives, but archivists preserving the documents on film in 1993 found that 15 pages had gone missing. Based on its wax numbering system, the FBI said the document was likely stolen between 1985 and 1993. This marks the second repatriation of a Cortes manuscript to Mexico, after a letter from April 1527 authorizing the purchase of rose sugar was returned in 2023. No one will face prosecution in connection with the theft, Dittmer said, because investigators assessed the manuscript had changed hands several times since it disappeared. The U.S. antiques market is valued in the tens of billions of dollars, largely concentrated in New York auction houses. Mexico has for decades sought the repatriation of cultural artifacts, including a delicate headdress made of iridescent quetzal feathers thought to have belonged to Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II, currently housed in an Austrian museum.
NHK
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NHK
Cosplayers shine light on historic home in western Japan city
An old residence in the western Japanese city of Kitakyushu has served as the backdrop for a modern phenomenon. Cosplayers dressed up as characters from anime and video games gathered for photo shoots at a distinctive home now designated as a tangible cultural property of the city. More than 200 people joined a garden party on Sunday at the Kyu-Yasukawatei residence, the former home of a renowned businessman active from the late 19th to the early 20th century. Organizers said they hoped the event would help introduce young people to the history and charm of the residence. Participants sought out the best settings in the garden and structures to show off their costumes for video and photo shoots. A child dressed as a train conductor and other guests rode a miniature model of a steam locomotive around the home's square. A woman in her 20s cosplayed as a character from the popular TV anime series "Nintama Rantaro." The anime features children training at a school to become full-fledged ninja spies. The woman said she was happy to find out that places like this exist so close to home. She said she was glad that the participants were able to take photos in such a nice atmosphere. An official of the former residence said he hopes visitors will use the Japanese-style surroundings to take photos and as a place to interact with various people.
