Mesoamerican mask returned to Mexico by Japanese citizen

A Japanese citizen has voluntarily returned a Mesoamerican mask to the Mexican Embassy in Japan, marking the first restitution of an archaeological object from Japan to Mexico. The individual acquired the piece in 2023 from the Kankan art gallery in Tokyo, where it had been sold in 1980 after traveling through France.

Preliminary analysis by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) dates the mask to the Late Preclassic period (700–230 B.C.). Experts believe the piece originated from the region of what is now northern Guerrero. The mask is crafted from a whitish stone identified as quartzite and depicts a human face with oval eyes, a wide, pointed nose, and prominent lips.

The artifact features four perforations: two at the top of the head and two in the earlobes. While a previous certificate of authenticity incorrectly identified the piece as Teotihuacan jade from the Classic period, current morphological and stylistic studies suggest its Preclassic origin. The mask will undergo detailed examination once it arrives in Mexico.