On May 19, Mexico received the sculpture Fauces de la Tierra – a significant artifact of the ancient Olmec civilization.
According to reporters in Mexico, the reception ceremony for Fauces de la Tierra (Mouth of the Earth) took place in Denver, Colorado, USA, where this nearly 3,000-year-old ceramic sculpture was found in a private collection.
The ceramic sculpture weighs 1 ton and measures 1.8m x 1.5m, dating back nearly 3,000 years. (Photo: TTXVN).
Speaking at the ceremony, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard emphasized that this event is highly meaningful as the recovery of Fauces de la Tierra helps the Mexican people reconnect with their ancestral heritage from thousands of years ago, akin to a long-healed wound. This is regarded as one of the most significant events in decades related to the efforts of collecting and preserving historical artifacts.
According to the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico (INAH), with a height of 1.8m and a width of 1.5m, Fauces de la Tierra depicts the face of a jaguar with its wide mouth shaped like a large cave. Surrounding the sculpture are engravings in the distinctive style of the Olmec – one of the greatest civilizations that existed thousands of years ago on the plains of Central America.
This artifact was discovered by a farmer in Morelos – a state adjacent to Mexico City to the south while digging in his garden. The farmer is believed to have sold the nearly 1-ton sculpture to a collector. The sculpture then changed hands multiple times before being illegally transported to the United States in 1968.
According to information from American Antiquity – a U.S. journal specializing in antiquities, from 1968 to 1994, Fauces de la Tierra was exhibited at the New York Museum of Art. It is currently unclear why this sculpture was later moved to Colorado.
Collecting and preserving historical artifacts is one of the top priority policies of President López Obrador’s administration in Mexico.
Since taking office in 2018, President Obrador has instructed Mexican diplomatic missions abroad to conduct campaigns to locate artifacts that have been lost during various historical periods.
Additionally, the Mexican government has intensified global outreach over the years to promote the rich historical and cultural heritage of Mexico, which has contributed to persuading governments of many countries and individual collectors to return artifacts belonging to this Latin American nation.
According to INAH, under President Obrador’s nearly five-year term, Mexico has received 11,505 artifacts, including many historically valuable items that were once displayed in renowned museums and private collections worldwide.
