New York Metropolitan Museum of Art Faces Embarrassment for Displaying Stolen Items

179 Billion KRW Worth 27 Stolen Cultural Artifacts Exhibition Faces Criticism
Manhattan Prosecutors Plan to Return Cultural Artifacts to Italy and Egypt This Week

A drinking cup made around 470 BC, seized by the U.S. prosecution, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It is valued at approximately 1.2 million dollars (about 1.64 billion won). Photo by Metropolitan Museum of Art

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] The Metropolitan Museum of Art, a tourist attraction in New York, USA, suffered the humiliation of having stolen cultural artifacts from Greece, Rome, and Egypt seized by prosecutors after exhibiting them.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is considered one of the world's top five museums alongside the British Museum in London, UK, the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, the Hermitage Museum in Russia, and the National Palace Museum in Taiwan.

According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 3rd (local time), the Manhattan District Attorney's Office seized 27 looted cultural artifacts from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Manhattan prosecutors expedited the return process, which originally took more than a year, and plan to return 21 pieces to Italy and 6 pieces to Egypt this week. Italy and Egypt are planning to hold ceremonies to commemorate the return of the cultural artifacts.

◆ Manhattan prosecutors seized a total of 27 stolen cultural artifacts by July, following seizures in February and May this year

Earlier, the Manhattan prosecutors received information that looted cultural artifacts had flowed into the Metropolitan Museum of Art and launched an investigation. As a result, they seized 6 Egyptian cultural artifacts in February and May. In July, they additionally seized 21 Italian cultural artifacts. Among these artifacts were a Greek sculpture estimated to be from the 3rd to 2nd century BCE, a terracotta (clay-fired pottery) drinking cup made in Athens, Greece around 470 BCE, and a terracotta sculpture of a Greek goddess made around 400 BCE.

The 21 Italian cultural artifacts seized are estimated to be worth $10 million (approximately 13.6 billion KRW). The 6 Egyptian cultural artifacts seized in February and May are estimated to be worth about $3.2 million (approximately 430 million KRW).

Last year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art had already returned three African artworks to Nigeria, facing criticism.

◆ Many of the stolen cultural artifacts were purchased through illicit trade... criticism unavoidable despite explanations

Among the 21 Italian cultural artifacts seized by the Manhattan prosecutors this time, 8 were confirmed to have been acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art from Gianfranco Becchina. Becchina, who operated a gallery in Switzerland, is suspected of involvement in illicit trade of stolen cultural artifacts and was convicted in Greece for trafficking stolen cultural artifacts. The Italian government has seized about 6,300 Greek and Roman cultural artifacts he possessed.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art issued a statement explaining, "We only recently learned about the Italian cultural artifact information through the prosecutors."

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is also under suspicion of possessing numerous stolen relics from the Khmer Empire of Cambodia, and the Manhattan prosecutors are conducting an investigation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.