French Auction Offers Rare Yemeni Antiquities Amid Mystery Surrounding Their Source

The French auction house "Blacas" is preparing to showcase four rare Yemeni antiquities at the "Ancient Art" auction scheduled for July 9, amidst questions about how these pieces exited Yemen, as revealed by Yemeni archaeologist Abdullah Mohsen.

The pieces, reportedly in the possession of a European antiquities collector since the 1980s, then passed down to their current owner, lack documentation proving their place of discovery or the circumstances of their smuggling, causing concern among archaeology experts and those interested in preserving Yemen's heritage.

Among the items on display is a rare marble statue resembling its counterpart in Wadi Bayhan, Shabwa Governorate, also similar to a statue housed in the National Museum of Asian Art in Washington.

The auction also includes a marble female statue adorned with a gold earring dating back to the 3rd century BC, featuring inscriptions in cursive script.

The collection also features a stone relief depicting a figure surrounded by animal and geometric motifs, and a transparent marble head sculpted in the 1st century BC, reflecting the precision of ancient Yemeni sculpting.

Abdullah Mohsen warned that the continued sale of Yemeni antiquities in international auctions without transparency or legal accountability threatens the country's cultural heritage, urging the Yemeni government to urgently intervene to negotiate or purchase these pieces before they are lost.

It is worth noting that Yemeni antiquities have been subjected to systematic smuggling operations for years, especially after the outbreak of war in 2014, leading to the loss of thousands of pieces appearing in international auctions without clear permits or ownership documents.