Iran’s claim to art reinstated by court

Iran won an important court ruling Friday in its bid to force an international art dealer in London to return 18 ancient artifacts that allegedly were stolen from the country’s tombs.

The British Court of Appeal, overruling a lower court, reinstated Iran’s suit to reclaim the artifacts.

Iran says the 18 jars, bowls and cups, which date from 3,000 BC, come from sites in the Halil Rud valley, south of Jiroft, a town in the Kerman province of southeast Iran. Since 2001, excavations have uncovered graves containing beautifully carved chlorite objects, like those in dispute, but many tombs were emptied illegally between 2000 and 2004, Iran said.

Fayez Barakat, owner of the Barakat Gallery, said he had bought the jars, bowls and cups in continental Europe for about $500,000. Iran’s lawyer, Hodge Malek, said the gallery had no title to them since there was no way that their unknown finder could obtain good or lawful title.