Dealer’s proactive alert leads to the return of Timurid cenotaph to Uzbekistan

A rare Timurid cenotaph has been returned to Uzbekistan after the art dealer who owned it contacted the Art Loss Register, a London-based art recovery firm, over concerns that the object lacked clear provenance and may have been illicitly exported.

“Recognizing the fact that the item, given these issues, should be returned to its country of origin, the dealer transferred the Cenotaph to The ALR in order to enable its return,” the Art Loss Register said in a news release.

The dealer's name was not provided, and it was not immediately clear when or how the dealer had acquired it before contacting the firm. After further research into its origin, the Art Loss Register worked with British law enforcement on its return.

“This latest restitution highlights the important role that the art market plays in ensuring that illicit material is identified, and the positive impact such cooperation plays in safeguarding the world’s cultural heritage,” James Ratcliffe, director of recoveries at the Art Loss Register, said in a statement.

The Art Loss Register said the item was handed over to the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in London on April 28 during a ceremony marking the 690th anniversary of the birth of Emir Timur, better known in the West as Tamerlane, a Central Asian conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire.

The Uzbekistan Embassy said in a statement that the ceremony also included the return of ten other “priceless” artifacts from across Central Asian history, including objects linked to the Kushan period, ancient Termez, the ancient Central Asian region of Sogdiana, and Buddhist artistic traditions.

The cenotaph, carved from grey schist stone, was described as having belonged to a member of the royal family and decorated with calligraphic inscriptions, entwining palmettes and arabesques.

Its top features a square Kufic inscription, including couplets from a ghazal by Hafiz, alongside a geometric composition in Kufic script.

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