[MSN] Case of the disappearing headdress, the Mona Lisa of Peru

Fri Aug 18 06:48:28 CEST 2006

Solved: Case of the disappearing headdress, the Mona Lisa of Peru
By Steve Connor, Science Editor
Published: 18 August 2006

One of South American's most valuable art treasures, missing for 20 
years, has been recovered by Scotland Yard in an extraordinary operation 
involving murder and double dealing.

The artefact is an ancient Peruvian headdress considered a national 
treasure and worth more than £1m.

The stunning gold mask disappeared in 1988, after a tomb in the 
Jequetepeque valley in northern Peru was excavated and its contents 
trafficked on the black market.

The 3ft-wide headdress was recovered largely thanks to the unorthodox 
methods of a maverick art specialist, who switched from selling fake 
masterpieces to recovering stolen ones.

The Peruvian treasure depicts the image of a sea god - the headdress 
symbolises a mythical octopus with a stylised human head displaying 
cat-like features.

It is an example of ancient Mochica-civilisation art dating back to 
700AD - before the Incas - and is regarded as one of the most important 
artefacts in Peru's cultural heritage.

Like thousands of other Peruvian antiquities, the mask is thought to 
have been trafficked in the international black market for stolen art works.

It is believed to have ended up in the hands of a Peruvian dealer called 
Raul Apestiguia who was murdered in 1996 and his home was ransacked. The 
headdress next appeared on the black market for sale by a notorious 
Latin American dealer, with another 41 stolen artefacts.

It is at this stage that a controversial Dutchman called Michel van Rijn 
became involved. Mr Van Rijn, who is based in London, once specialised 
in stealing and smuggling works of art, but now claims to expose bent 
dealers.

He used his website to highlight the stolen headdress. Mr Van Rijn said 
yesterday that he was contacted by the dealer, who offered the headdress 
as a bribe in return for taking his details off the website. "The dealer 
is well connected to high society in the UK - he has his own polo team - 
and didn't like all the bad publicity," said Mr Van Rijn.

Mr Van Rijn contacted the authorities in Peru, who in turn got in touch 
with Scotland Yard via the international police agency Interpol in the 
city of Lima.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police's Art and Antiques Squad struck 
after the illegal trader handed the piece over to a lawyer in London for 
safe-keeping. The headdress was seized, but the dealer escaped and is 
currently under investigation by Scotland Yard and the Peruvian police.

Peruvian officials are due to retrieve the headdress from Scotland Yard 
this month.

Dr Walter Alva, director of the Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum in Peru, 
described the seizure as "a very important moment in the worldwide war 
against illicit art and the looting of my country".

"No ornament of similar quality can be found in any Peruvian museum," he 
said.

The full role that Mr Van Rijn played is unclear. In the past he has 
claimed to have operated as an undercover agent for Scotland Yard in 
return for protection for his own illegal activities. Official sources, 
however, have confirmed Mr Van Rijn's story. Commenting on the dealer he 
claims was trying to sell the headdress, he said: "Hopefully he will be 
arrested soon. If they catch him in Peru they will hang him upside down."

He added that as soon as Scotland Yard gives him the go-ahead he will 
reinstate details of the alleged offender on his website.

He said of the headdress: "It is Peru's Mona Lisa. It is impossible to 
put a price on a piece of history and world heritage such as this, 
because they never come on the market, but should it do so, it could 
potentially reach in excess of £1m."