The museum said it is cooperating with the Manhattan district attorney’s office, which has executed several search warrants at the museum since February. Source: New York Times
Posts published in “Arts and Antiquities Looting”
Jerome M. Eisenberg, Expert on Antiquities Both Real and Fake, Dies at 92
By Gotham Rex on July 14, 2022
He saw himself as a leader in promoting the ethical acquisition of ancient art by museums and collectors, although he also called himself “both an idealist and a hypocrite.” Source: New York Times
Theft of Brooklyn Church’s Gold Tabernacle Stabs at Hearts of Faithful
By Gotham Rex on June 1, 2022
A Brooklyn congregation condemned the desecration of their sacred sanctuary in a burglary that the pastor called “one more blow” to a struggling church. Source: New York Times
Manhattan Prosecutors Return Two Artifacts to Iraq
By Gotham Rex on January 19, 2022
The repatriations are among the first under Alvin Bragg, the new Manhattan district attorney, who is continuing the work of a dedicated antiquities trafficking unit created by his predecessor. Source: New York Times
A Trove of Artifacts Officials Call ‘Stolen’ Are Returned to Italy
By Gotham Rex on December 15, 2021
The Manhattan district attorney’s office is repatriating 200 objects it confiscated from major museums and collections. Many were tied to one dealer. Source: New York Times
Looking for a Stolen Idol? Visit the Museum of the Manhattan D.A.
By Gotham Rex on November 17, 2021
Investigators have seized so many looted artifacts — more than 3,000 — that storing and caring for them until they can be returned is now a full-time job. Source: New York Times
Antiquities Dealer Admits Mass-Producing Fakes He Sold for Years
By Gotham Rex on October 13, 2021
The owner of a longtime Manhattan gallery said in court that while some customers thought they were buying ancient items, they were actually modern knockoffs, just made to look old. Source: New York Times
Met Museum to Return Ancient Sculpture to Nepal
By Gotham Rex on September 30, 2021
Three years after returning two stone sculptures, the museum has decided to give back another artwork to Nepal, this one thought to have been stolen from a temple in the Kathmandu Valley. Source: New York Times
Jewish Burial Records Among Items Seized by U.S. Authorities
By Gotham Rex on July 22, 2021
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said they plan to return 17 items — once headed for auction — to their communities. Source: New York Times
Looted Objects From Afghanistan Are Returned
By Gotham Rex on April 19, 2021
Thirty-three antiquities were handed over to the Afghan ambassador by the Manhattan district attorney’s office and the Department of Homeland Security. Source: New York Times