French court allows auction of sacred Hopi masks

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/04/12/french-court-allows-auction-of-sacred-hopi-masks/



A French court on Friday rejected a request for an injunction against the auction in Paris of ceremonial masks originating from Arizona’s Hopi tribe, despite opponents saying the sale amounted to “sacrilege”.

A French lawyer for the tribe, Pierre Servan-Schreiber, told AFP the court had refused to halt the sale of around 70 brightly coloured “Kachina” visages and headdresses by auction house Neret-Minet, which was due to start at 1230 GMT.

High-profile figures including actor Robert Redford and the US ambassador to Paris had called for the sale to be cancelled or delayed, saying the masks are sacred objects to the Native American tribe.

The auction has outraged members of the 18,000-strong Hopi tribe, who say the items are blessed with divine spirits. Two Arizona museums had also called for the sale to be cancelled.