The FBI says 22 items looted after the war on Okinawa come after a Massachusetts family discovers “highly valuable Asian artifacts” belonging to father, a late World War II veteran. It was announced that the crafts had been returned to Japan.
The artifacts, which have been missing for nearly 80 years, “date back to the 18th and 19th centuries and represent an important part of Okinawa’s history, including portraits of six people, a hand-drawn map of Okinawa dating back to the 19th century, and other Contains a variety of “pottery and pottery shards,” a statement from the FBI’s Boston office said.
“This case highlights the important role the public plays in recognizing and reporting potential stolen art,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. Ta. “We would like to thank the Massachusetts family who did the right thing by reaching out to us and releasing these treasures so they could be returned to the people of Okinawa.”
The FBI said the family discovered the artifacts last year while going through the belongings of their late father, a World War II veteran who never served in the Pacific Theater.
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According to the FBI, these artifacts have been missing for nearly 80 years. (FBI)
“To determine the source of the artifacts, a review of the National Stolen Items File revealed that at least four items were missing 18th-century portraits listed in the database,” the FBI said in a statement. Ta. “These items were accompanied by an unsigned, typewritten letter indicating that the items were collected in Okinawa at the end of World War II.”
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The FBI said the artifacts returned to Okinawa on Friday, March 14, included “a variety of pottery and pottery shards.” (FBI)
The FBI announced that the work arrived Friday, with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Asian Art assisting investigators through a preliminary investigation to ensure it was properly packaged for shipment to Japan.
The FBI said the artifacts were discovered by a Massachusetts family who were sorting through the belongings of their late father, a World War II veteran. (FBI)
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“In 2001, the Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education placed some of these artifacts into the FBI’s National Stolen Art File (a database of art and cultural property) as a result of participation in the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. “The theft was reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies in the United States and abroad,” the FBI said.
