His Excellency President Rashad Al-Alimi and the
Signing of a Historic Custody Agreement with the Metropolitan Museum of Art
September 23, 2023
Joined by His Excellency Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, President of the Republic of Yemen and his delegation, the Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in Washington, DC, was hosted on Friday September 22, 2023, in Manhattan, New York at the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York (Met) in a formal ceremony for the transference of ownership back to the Government of Yemen of two ancient sculptures of Yemeni cultural property and provenance, and the signing of a temporary custody agreement between the Met and the Embassy of Yemen.
In attendance at this historic signing ceremony was the US Special Envoy for Yemen, the Honorable Mr. Timothy Lenderking, representatives from the U.S. Department of State, along with special guests from the Antiquities Coalition, and the Press – and who were also joined by a diverse & distinguished group of members from the Yemeni-American community of New York and other states.
The two priceless Yemeni artifacts that were returned today are embodied in the following:
- A Standing Female Figure wearing a strap & necklace formed of sandstone; and
- A Rectangular Mortar composed of marble. Both objects date back to the third millennium
The provision of these items of Yemeni cultural heritage marks the first time that any objects of Yemeni cultural patrimony in the collections at a museum or cultural institution in the USA have been voluntarily returned to Yemen.
H.E. President Al-Alimi affirmed in his remarks at the ceremony: “I am very pleased to speak to you today from inside one of the most prestigious and prodigious museums for international culture and arts, from the Metropolitan Museum in the beautiful city of New York, and to witness the recovery of two Yemeni artifacts from our beloved country. Just as we witnessed earlier this year the repatriation of 79 artifacts, including ancient Qur’anic manuscripts that were seized by the American authorities and handed over to the Yemeni government and then temporarily loaned to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC, here today we are recuperating two new artifacts to be loaned temporarily to the Metropolitan Museum until we end the brutal Houthi coup against the state.”
H.E. President Al-Alimi furthermore stressed in his speech: “We deem it an opportunity here to urge the rest of the international museum community and artistic institutions, whether in the United States of America or abroad, to follow the example of this cultural institution, to take the same initiative and communicate with our embassies abroad to return what was pillaged from our ancient heritage. We are hopeful that the partnership emerging from the agreement signed today between our government and the Metropolitan Museum will be a new road map for establishing a new future and an effective partnership between the Yemeni people and international cultural institutions so as to protect & preserve Yemeni heritage, and for raising awareness to combat the pillage of these treasures from our beloved country.”
And H.E. Mohammed Al-Hadhrami, the Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen to the United States, who signed on behalf of the Government of Yemen this custodial agreement, also noted his deep gratitude to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for this historic partnership, for which the Met will temporarily safeguard and showcase these artifacts until the Government of Yemen requests their repatriation.
Indeed, our heritage and history have been under attack. In addition to the Houthi militias, other terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula have taken advantage of the current situation in Yemen by looting, smuggling, and trading in Yemeni antiquities.
The Embassy of Yemen to the USA will continue its engagement with the museum community in the United States and with the US Government in pursuit of the restitution of Yemen’s cultural property that have been improperly purchased or possessed. We look forward to closely collaborating with all parties to achieve a favorable outcome for their retrieval and undertaking forms of cooperation with the Embassy.
The Embassy of Yemen reaffirms its appreciation to the Met for this collaboration, and to the Government of the United States of America at the Federal and State Levels for efforts in implementing the import restrictions of Yemeni antiquities into the USA, and for all measures undertaken to protect and preserve Yemen’s cultural property.