New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art holds over 1,000 objects that are linked to people who have been “either indicted or convicted of antiquities crimes”, according to a new report.
Of the 1,109 relics in the Met’s collection that are connected to art trafficking, 309 are now on display, the report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) found.
“The Met sets the tone for museums around the world,” Tess Davis, the executive director of the Antiquities Coalition, told the ICIJ. “If the Met is letting all of these things fall through the cracks, what hope do we have for the rest of the art market?”
1,109 relics connected to art trafficking
In a statement to the ICIJ, a spokesperson for the Met said the museum “is committed to the responsible collecting of art and goes to great lengths to ensure that all works entering the collection meet the laws and strict policies in place at the time of acquisition”.
“Additionally, as laws and guidelines on collecting have changed over time, so have the museum’s policies and procedures.
“The Met also continually researches the history of works in the collection – often in collaboration with colleagues in countries around the world – and has a long track record of acting on new information as appropriate.”
The Met has voluntarily returned some of the looted objects, and prosecutors have seized others in a bid to repatriate trafficked antiquities.
Last year, the Manhattan district attorney’s office seized 27 artifacts from the Met. Officials said the items were looted from their countries of origin. Since 2017, the office has obtained several warrants to seize objects from the Met.
Elsewhere, museums in the UK, US and Germany have handed over ownership of the Benin bronzes in their collections to Nigeria.
Pope Francis recently revealed plans to return the 2,500-year-old Parthenon marbles held at the Vatican Museums to Greece. The move has put pressure on the British Museum to follow suit.
Images: Metropolitan Museum of Art
