The United States recently returned twenty-two historic artifacts to Japan, which were looted following the Battle of Okinawa during World War II. The artifacts were discovered among the personal belongings of a late WWII veteran in Massachusetts.
Discovery of Artifacts:
Agents from the FBI’s Boston office initiated a probe after receiving a call from a family who found the artifacts in their deceased father’s belongings. Despite the father’s lack of participation in the Pacific theater, the artifacts were discovered among his possessions.
Description of Artifacts:
Geoffrey Kelly, Art crime coordinator of the FBI’s Boston field office, described the artifacts, which included scrolls, pottery pieces, and an ancient map. Notably, six painted scrolls from the 18th and 19th centuries were among the recovered items.
Significance of Artifacts:
The artifacts, missing for nearly 80 years, hold significant importance to Okinawa’s history. Among them was a hand-drawn map of Okinawa from the nineteenth century, along with various pots and ceramics.
Confirmation of Theft:
A typewritten letter found among the relics helped establish that the artifacts were stolen in the final days of World War II. This theft occurred amid the Battle of Okinawa, a major engagement between US and Japanese forces.
Transfer to Smithsonian Institution:
The FBI transferred the discovered artifacts to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, DC. The scrolls were exhibited at the museum, showcasing portraits of Okinawan royalty.
Missing Antiquities:
Despite the recovery, several Okinawan antiquities, including portraits of Okinawan monarchs, remain missing according to the FBI’s National Stolen Art File.
Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs):
- Where were the historic artifacts returned to?
- A) Germany
- B) Japan
- C) China
- D) France
- Answer: B) Japan
- How were the artifacts discovered?
- A) They were found in an archaeological excavation.
- B) A family in Massachusetts found them among their late father’s belongings.
- C) They were recovered from a sunken ship.
- D) They were donated by a private collector.
- Answer: B) A family in Massachusetts found them among their late father’s belongings.
- Who described the recovered artifacts?
- A) A historian from Japan
- B) Geoffrey Kelly, from the FBI’s Boston field office
- C) A museum curator
- D) The late father of the family in Massachusetts
- Answer: B) Geoffrey Kelly, from the FBI’s Boston field office
- How long were the artifacts missing?
- A) Nearly 100 years
- B) Approximately 50 years
- C) Nearly 80 years
- D) Less than a decade
- Answer: C) Nearly 80 years
- Where were the artifacts transferred for display?
- A) The Louvre Museum
- B) The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- C) The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Asian Art
- D) The British Museum
- Answer: C) The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Asian Art