Page 15 - ARUBA TRAVELLER 15AUG,2015
P. 15
U.S. RETURNS
STOLEN Picasso
Painting to
France
FOURTEEN years after its reported theft from a ICE,” Saldaña said. French government, the rightful owner.
Paris museum, “La Coiffeuse” by Pablo Picasso, will “La Coiffeuse”, or “the Hairdresser” was painted Officials declined to comment on the investigation
return home. in 1911 and is an oil on canvas Cubist work valued into the theft.
U.S. authorities returned the stolen $15 million now at approximately $15 million. In December, U.S. Previous art repatriations to France have included
Picasso painting “La Coiffeuse” to France on Thursday, custom’s officials at the Port of Newark discovered the works by Edgar Degas, Camille Pissaro and Andre
nine months after it was found in a FedEx shipment painting in a package sent from Belgium described Breton.
listed as a $37 handicraft. on the shipping slip as “handicrafts” and insured for
roughly $37. The Homeland Security Investigations unit of U.S.
In a repatriation ceremony held at the French Customs has returned more than 7,800 items to
Embassy in Washington, D.C., U.S. Immigrations Yet according to the Justice department, the package their home countries since 2007, the agency said in a
and Customs Enforcement director Sarah Saldaña was bound for a climate-controlled storage facility on statement. Thursday’s ceremony was brief, and ended
officially transferred the painting over to the Frédéric Long Island. The package was seized by Customs and with a signing ceremony and handshake between
Doré, deputy chief of mission at the French Embassy. Border Patrol and turned over to Homeland Security. Saldaña and Doré
“The recovery and return of stolen artwork and other Upon authentication by two experts from the Paris “We’re so glad that it’s going to be shown to the world
cultural artifacts remains a significant priority for museum, arrangements were made to return it to the again,” Saldaña told reporters.
ARUBA TRAVELLER - Saturday, August 15 2015 15INTERNATIONAL
