Law enforcement officers seized dozens of exhibits from the Metropolitan Museum: it turned out that they were stolen
'03.09.2022'
Olga Derkach
According to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, dozens of ancient artifacts that investigators believe were looted have been seized from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The edition told in more detail CNN.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art seized 27 artifacts with three search warrants. They will be repatriated to their countries of origin, District Attorney Alvin Bragg's spokesman said.
“We have two repatriation ceremonies: one with Italy, the other with Egypt,” he said. - Fifty-eight objects will go back to Italy, 21 - from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Sixteen to Egypt, six to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Bragg's office did not specify where the other artifacts were taken from, nor did they describe them.
“It should be no secret to collectors, art museums and auction houses that they may have looted works,” said Bragg. “Investigations conducted by my office have identified these items and have released a wealth of information to the public that the art world can actively use to bring antiquities back to where they rightfully belong.”
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“Our investigations, which have resulted in the repatriation of almost 2000 objects, will continue,” he assured.
Efforts to repatriate cultural artifacts after they have been illegally sold to private collectors or museums continue. In August, New York authorities returned 30 antiques to Cambodia, including a masterpiece of XNUMXth-century Khmer sculpture.
In July, officials returned nearly $14 million worth of stolen antiquities to Italy, including dozens of artifacts seized from US billionaire Michael Steinhardt.
In 2021, the Metropolitan Museum of Art returned three pieces of African art to Nigeria, including a pair of XNUMXth-century Benin copper tablets. The move comes after European museums began returning stolen African art to their home countries due to growing pressure to return irreplaceable artifacts stolen during colonial times.
