Posted on 07/28/2021 9:02:33 AM PDT by Red Badger
KEY POINTS A 3,500-year-old clay tablet purchased by the Hobby Lobby arts and crafts chain for $1.6 million has been forfeited to the United States.
The tablet was illegally transported to the U.S. in 2003 and 2014.
In a complaint filed in May 2020, prosecutors said the 5-by-6-inch tablet is considered the property of the Iraqi government and should be returned.
==========================================================================
A 3,500-year-old clay tablet purchased by the Hobby Lobby arts and crafts chain for $1.6 million has been forfeited to the United States.
The tablet, which bears a portion of the epic of Gilgamesh, a Sumerian poem considered one of the world’s oldest works, originated in the area of modern-day Iraq and was illegally transported to the U.S. in 2003 and 2014.
A false provenance letter was used to sell the tablet several times before Hobby Lobby purchased the item from a London-based auction house in 2014.
The Gilgamesh Dream Tablet was seized by law enforcement agents from Hobby Lobby’s Washington, D.C.-based Museum of the Bible in 2019. In a complaint filed in May 2020, prosecutors said the 5-by-6-inch tablet is considered the property of the Iraqi government and should be returned. The arts and crafts company cooperated with the investigation.
Representatives from Hobby Lobby did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
On Monday, Brooklyn federal court Judge Ann Donnelly entered an order documenting the handover of the rare cuneiform tablet. It is currently being stored in Brooklyn, the filing said.
“This forfeiture represents an important milestone on the path to returning this rare and ancient masterpiece of world literature to its country of origin,” acting Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis said in a statement Monday. “This Office is committed to combating the black-market sale of cultural property and the smuggling of looted artifacts.”
The government’s investigation uncovered that in 2003 a U.S. antiquities dealer purchased the tablet from a family member of a coin dealer in London. The item was dirty and unreadable at that time and was transported to the U.S. by international post without declaring formal entry.
The tablet was then cleaned and it was determined to be a portion of the Gilgamesh epic. In 2007, the antiquities dealer sold the artifact with a false provenance letter that stated the tablet had been inside a box of miscellaneous ancient bronze fragments that were purchased in an auction in 1981.
That false letter traveled with the tablet as it was sold several times in different countries, according to the investigation. That same letter was used when a London auction house sold the item to Hobby Lobby in a private sale in 2014. Hobby Lobby later agreed to the tablet’s forfeiture based on its illegal importations to the U.S. in 2003 and 2014.
“Forfeiture of the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet demonstrates the Department’s continued commitment to eliminating smuggled cultural property from the U.S. art market,” said Kenneth Polite, assistant attorney general, in a statement. “Thwarting trade in smuggled goods by seizing and forfeiting an ancient artifact shows the department’s dedication to using all available tools, including forfeiture, to ensure justice.”
Also this week, the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the sale of a one-of-a-kind album by the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan that was once owned by Martin Shkreli. The record was forfeited by Shkreli as part of his conviction for securities fraud in 2017.
PinGGG!.......................
8n other words, the wrong people bought it
Where Iraqi Muslims will promptly destroy it.
Spot on observation.
I always thought “HOOOM-ba-ba” was a fantastic name for a giant demon
Sounds like Hobby Lobby got defrauded by whoever sold them the tablet and assured them the transaction was legal.
They didn’t return the Elgion Marbles (British Museum) and that is why they are still around today. This was a mistake.
ping
>>Also this week, the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the sale of a one-of-a-kind album by the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan that was once owned by Martin Shkreli. The record was forfeited by Shkreli as part of his conviction for securities fraud in 2017.
how much did it sell for this time?
huh. imagine that. several times over the artifact was sold...and a Christian owned business makes the purchase and suddenly it is illegal to own.
huh.
...and Al Sharpton owes over $1M in taxes for 18 years.
The Iranian government will be happy to sell the artifact back to Hobby Lobby for a minor consideration, if the Jihadists do not destroy it first.
Lol. Ancient artifacts have become a govt shakedown scam.
The article FAILS to mention the Museum of the Bible where all humanity could see it, and turns it into hit piece against a Christian owned business.
To a believing Muslim there is no history before Islam.
I am a senior
I have seen a lot in my years
Today I want to SCREAM...
at the DUMB in government and parts of society
When did they lose any sense
We are duscussing virus, open border, stuff.
You know what is important?
That the apes are running all this.
There would be no discussion on trivia
If we had a man who just did what is right
WHY DO WE PUT UP WITH THIS?
I’m frustrated...so very frustrated with trivia and stupidity...
When does wisdom enter an adult brain!
Oh man..I am so tired of all this.. it’s do unnecessary !!!
Hmmm..Muslims and democrats.
Both with a history of lying and destroying
anything that doesn’t fit their narative.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.