Guatemala claims Maya lintel repatriated to Mexico by 'Michelangelo of pre-Columbian era'

A Maya stone lintel, recently repatriated to Mexico from a US businessman, is now claimed by Guatemala. The artifact was returned to the Mexican consulate in New York and officially repatriated on April 16, but experts quickly determined its origin is Guatemala's Petén Basin. Guatemala's cultural ministry, led by Luis Méndez Salinas, has formally requested the object's return through diplomatic channels, citing technical analysis including bibliographic research and archaeological consultations. The limestone lintel dates from AD600-AD900 and depicts a ritual scene linked to Maya ruler Cheleew Chan K’inich. Archaeologist Stephen Houston, a leading Maya expert, confirms the lintel is from Guatemala and was created by the elite artist Mayuy, whom he calls "the Michelangelo of the pre-Columbian era." Mayuy, originally from Piedras Negras, is one of the few named ancient American artists; his signature remains visible. The lintel was documented in the 1950s, then illegally removed and entered private collections. It is part of a series of four lintels now split between US private collections and the Kimbell Art Museum in Texas. The confusion over origin stems from the Usumacinta River border, where Maya territory once spanned both sides.