Wednesday, 30th August 2006 (4474 views)

A priceless national treasure from Peru – described as the Mona Lisa of the Peruvian culture – has been recovered in London.

The item is an ancient headdress which depicts a mythical octopus-like sea god. It is made from an embossed sheet of gold and dates back to around 700AD.

The item was recovered by detectives from the art and antiques squad of the Metropolitan Police through a sting operation, when a smuggler handed the piece over to a reformed illegal arts dealer.

Michel Van Rijn had posed as an interested buyer before handing the police the item and informing the police of the dealer's identity.

Mr Van Rijn said the item, a prime example of art from the Mochica civilisation, would be worth in excess of £1 million if it were sold.

It is believed to have been recovered from a looted Peruvian tomb in the Jequetepeque valley in 1988.

 

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