Family Finds 22 Stolen WWII Artifacts in Their Father’s Attic

More recently, a family found 22 stolen WWII artifacts when they were in the process of clearing out their father’s attic, which delighted both them and historians throughout the world. 

The family wished to remain anonymous, but after realizing there were stolen artifacts, decided to turn them into the FBI.  

This was when they decided to do some research and came across the National Stolen Art File. They saw that the artifacts had been listed and immediately realized that they had to hand them in.

Some of the artifacts include portraits, a 19th-century hand-drawn map of Okinawan, pottery, and ceramics. 

The majority of the artifacts depict Okinawan royalty, which suggests that the artifacts had been stolen during WWII. 

The portraits depict the 13th King Sho Kei (1713-1751) and the 18th King Sho Iku (1835-1847). They are believed to be replicas of murals that were painted on the walls of Enkakuji, the royal family’s Buddhist temple.

This is because he didn’t take part in the Pacific Theater, so had no way of being able to obtain the artifacts himself. Therefore, they were likely given to him by someone who had. 

It was a battle between US and Japanese troops. It involved 60,000 US troops, and over 1000 kamikaze attacks were launched by Japan. The result was over 100,000 casualties, but it was a victory for the US soldiers.

It was the Prefectural Board of Education in Japan that had reported the artifacts as missing in the FBI’s National Stolen Art File back in 2001, to alert the authorities to the fact they were gone. Over 20 years later, they were finally returned.

This is what the family used with the Okinawa artifacts and is how many other stolen artifacts have been discovered and returned back to their rightful owners.

They compared the artifacts to photos of them from the mid-1940s and were able to assert from this that they were the stolen artifacts, as stated by the FBI.

They found a typewritten letter among the artifacts that confirmed they were what had been stolen from Japan. 

Some soldiers were under the impression that they were entitled to have these items, so they took them with them. However, over time, it has come to light that these items were stolen, and their rightful owners have asked for them back.

The FBI has said it is important they are returned to their rightful origin and owners to assert their place back into the culture they came from. 

Some of the artifacts depict the kings that ruled during the Ryukyu Kingdom, which reigned in Okinawa from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Not only do they tell more information, but they also help squash or prove any rumors and old tales that have been told over the years.

Culture can also be a key part of someone’s identity. Without the artifacts, the people of Okinawa were confused as to what their culture was and how it came to be, which led them to question their identity.

The artifacts point towards a heritage and are seen as “cultural treasures.” They help give the people of Okinawa some knowledge of their history that previously wasn’t there, previously relying on the stories of their ancestors.

Funnily enough, these items were also found at a home in Massachusetts. The items found in this set included the Omoro Sochi, which is 22 volumes of ancient Okinawa poems and songs that date back to the 12th century.

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Asian Art thoroughly examined the artifacts first and then ensured they were properly packed to ensure they would withstand the journey back to Japan.

From the family who found them to the museum officials who verified they were the stolen artifacts and to the Okinawa people who got their artifacts back, it has been an exciting time all around as history has been made.

The Collector states the artifacts were presented to Japanese officials during a ceremony on March 15, 2024, but that the formal repatriation ceremony took place a month later.

The family looking into the artifacts, realizing they were wanted, and handing them in was a good example of why the public knowing about stolen artifacts and other objects can help in finding them and returning them to the rightful owner. 

These have been registered with the National Stolen Art File and include portraits and a royal crown. It is highly likely that someone across the world will have these somewhere, but who that person is and where they are is currently unknown.

This ceremony marks the official return of the artifacts to their rightful owners, where they should hopefully be held for the rest of time.