Family stunned after finding looted art from the Battle of Okinawa in their home attic

Sometimes, individuals cannot control the legacy left to them by their forefathers. However, they can choose the ideals they want their life to stand. Last year, a family in Massachusetts decided to play a part in undoing the wrongs of the past by returning some precious artifacts found in their attic to their rightful space, as reported by FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation. For years, the FBI has been at it in their pursuit of looted artifacts from during the war. They have put in as much information on the internet to get collaboration from the public. Due to this endeavor, the family concluded that the art in their possession was looted and contacted the authorities.

The family stumbled upon the artifacts while rummaging through their dead grandfather's belongings, a veteran of World War II. They came across a massive collection of what they thought to be Asian art. The family decided to compare the found artifacts with the FBI's National Stolen Art File and found many common links. They discussed it among themselves and decided to connect with the authorities about the findings in January 2023. The artifacts were identified to be stolen during the Battle of Okinawa.

In its press release, the FBI noted that they collected 22 artifacts from the attic. "They came across somewhat appeared to be very valuable Asian art," said Geoffrey Kelly, the art crime coordinator for FBI Boston and a member of the FBI Art Crime Team. "There were some scrolls, there were some pottery pieces, there was an ancient map. They looked old and valuable. And because of this, they did a little research and they determined that at least the scrolls had been entered about 20 years ago in the FBI's National Stolen Art File." The items were accompanied by a typewritten letter, which confirmed that the items were collected during the last days of World War II.

The family is still unsure how the artifacts reached their grandfather because despite being a veteran, he never served in Pacific Theatre, where the said battle took place. Emily Schmall gave some context about the loot in The New York Times. She wrote, "During the brutal Battle of Okinawa in Japan, in the final months of World War II, a group of American soldiers took residence in the palace of a royal family who had fled the fighting. When a palace steward returned after the war was over, he said later, the treasure was gone." The suspicion was that the soldiers took the treasure with them. A part of this treasure was found in the attic of this Massachusetts family.

Kelly took the items to the National Museum of Asian Art at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, where experts analyzed and concluded that all of them belonged to the Ryukyu Kingdom, a dynasty that ruled Okinawa from the 15th century to the 19th century. In the first month of 2024, they were returned to Okinawa after proper proceedings. The formal repatriation ceremony is soon to take place. The return was a crucial step to fulfill for Kelly. "A nation's cultural identity is really summed up in the artifacts and the history," said Kelly. "This is what makes a culture. And without it, you're taking away their history. And the surest way to eliminate a culture is to eliminate their past." Therefore, the artifacts needed to reach their place of origin, which is thankfully what happened. 

Kelly also expressed gratitude to the family for doing the right thing. He appreciated how they went about it, from checking the National Stolen Art File to contacting the authorities. "We're not looking to put people in jail because they happened to inherit some objects that have some questionable provenance. We're here to help make sure at the end of the day, it goes back to its rightful owner," concluded the special agent.