Mexico recovered paintings and archaeological pieces that were in the possession of a family in Sweden

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) reported on Thursday night that Sweden returned 43 archaeological pieces to the country, as well as five oil paintings dating from the viceregal period.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry detailed that the set of pieces was voluntarily delivered by Swedish citizens Katja Silva-Leander and Sebastian Silva-Leander, which were exhibited on March 30 during a ceremony held by the Mexican Embassy in the Scandinavian country, led by Francisco del Río.

According to the opinion made by specialists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), 39 of the recovered pieces are archaeological assets and four are newly manufactured pieces; likewise, the paintings were made in the 17th century in New Spain.

During the event, the ambassador thanked the Silva-Leander family for their initiative to deliver these significant pieces to Mexico and reaffirmed the commitment of the Secretariats of Culture and Foreign Affairs to recover and protect the nation's archaeological and historical heritage in the face of their constant auctions in Europe.

For their part, the Silva Leander brothers explained that the pieces had been in the possession of their mother, Dr. Birgitta Leander, since the 1950s.

Dr. Leander was a prominent expert in Nahuatl poetry and codices, on which she wrote various interpretations. The translation he made in 1967 of the Otlazpan Codex, which is of great relevance to the historical knowledge of the municipality of Tepeji del Río, in the state of Hidalgo, stands out.

In the near future, the pieces will be repatriated to Mexico through the efforts of the Mexican Embassy in Sweden and, subsequently, the SRE Legal Consultancy will deliver the heritage objects to the authorities of the federal Secretariat of Culture and the INAH for their proper safekeeping, study, analysis and conservation.

More information in development.