Transfer of a significant Swiss private collection of pre-Columbian items to their countries of origin

Bern, 04.03.2024 - A significant private collection of pre-Columbian items was transferred in February from the owner, a Swiss private person, with the cooperation of the Federal Office of Culture (FOC), to several countries of origin in Central and South America.

The collection comprises about 60 items from Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. The collection had been family-owned for several generations and was built up during over six decades. Its dissolution is due to the owner’s express wish to transfer the individual items to the countries of origin where they were originally crafted. The aim is for the pieces to be exhibited locally and enable further associated research.

Worthy of particular mention are 13 so-called “tunjos” from Colombia, anthropomorphic or zoomorphic figurines, once used as ritual sacrificial offerings to mark special events and request divine intervention. Another prominent item is a terracotta sculpture dating back about 1,500 years, of the Tumbas de Tiro tradition from Ancient Mexico, which stands out through its particularly fine artistic quality. An equally notable piece comes from the Huetar culture in Costa Rica: the figure of a priest made from volcanic stone and offering a sacrifice. The human sacrifice presented here was an important event in the pre-Columbian world, where its purpose was to maintain the balance between the earthly and heavenly realms. A vessel of the Nazca culture from Peru is over 1,500 years old and is distinguished by its extraordinary refinement, colours and variety of naturalistic motifs.

The FOC supports private persons and institutions seeking to voluntarily return cultural property to interested countries of origin. The FOC acts as an intermediary in these cases, establishes contact with foreign representations and cooperates with the process up to the transfer of the items. The commitment underlines the contribution to preserving the cultural heritage of humankind.

Address for enquiries

Fabienne Baraga, Head of the Specialized Body for the International Transfer of Cultural Property, Federal Office of Culture FOC +41 58 465 73 05, kgt@bak.admin.ch