Yemeni antiquities expert Abdullah Mohsen revealed one of the most heinous crimes committed against the intellectual and literary property of Yemeni antiquities.
Mohsen said that Yemeni antiquities smuggled abroad are now claiming ownership and selling them on the basis that they are antiquities belonging to this country or one that practices trade in smuggled antiquities.
Mohsen, on his Facebook page, posted a picture of a statue of a bull from Sheba with a Spanish export license!
Mohsen said that the statue is one of the antiquities of Yemen dating back to the end of the first millennium BC, from the collection of François Antonovich Ares, France.
It was sold in 2022 AD at a judicial auction, then it was sold at the ancient art auction last Saturday, September 2, 2023 AD.
Mohsen pointed out the great ignorance that the statue is Yemeni. The Spanish export license for the statue issued on July 5, 2022 did not specify the source of the statue, and it stated: “The Spanish administration does not guarantee the value, composition, or authenticity of this commodity. All data was declared by the applicant, and the Ministry “Spanish culture and sports are not responsible for it.”
