A rare funerary relief from ancient Yemen is set to go under the hammer at an international art auction in Barcelona on July 30, raising concerns among heritage experts and cultural activists.

The piece is part of the Summer Fine Art Auction hosted by Templum Auction House, and comes from a private European collection. 

Alongside contemporary art and jewelry, the sale includes a number of historical antiquities, prompting renewed scrutiny over the provenance and legal status of Middle Eastern artifacts on the international market.

Yemeni historian Abdullah Mohsen criticized the auction publicly, questioning the ethical standards surrounding the sale of cultural heritage from conflict zones. “This is yet another example of Yemen’s looted history being casually traded abroad,” he wrote on social media.

The artifact’s sale occurs amid growing calls to implement stricter international protocols on the trafficking and resale of cultural property originating from countries experiencing armed conflict and political instability.