CBP Seizes Misdeclared Byzantine-Era Vessel In OKC, Donates To Sam Noble Museum

CBP officers in Oklahoma City seized a misdeclared $18 shipment from the U.K. that contained a single ceramic vessel, later assessed by academic experts as likely Byzantine-era. The item was initially flagged as a possible “Greek fire” hand grenade, prompting consultation with CBP’s Cultural Property Identification Program and HSI. With no provenance or lawful export documentation provided by buyer or seller, CBP retained the artifact and donated it to the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History for conservation and public display.