New York Returns 59 Looted Antiquities to Italy, Iraq, and Indonesia

On Wednesday, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office announced the return of 59 looted antiquities to their countries of origin, including Italy, Iraq, and Indonesia. Among these artifacts, 45 were seized from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, highlighting ongoing efforts to restore cultural heritage.

Significant Artifacts Returned to Italy

Included in the returned items is a remarkable terracotta vase attributed to the renowned Troilos Painter. The vase, which features a depiction of Dionysos and Herakles on one side and members of the Olympian pantheon on the reverse, was smuggled out of Italy by Fritz Burki and later consigned for sale at Christie’s London before entering the Met's collection.

Additionally, a marble fish plate from Magna Graecia, dating back to around 400 B.C.E., was also returned. This piece was acquired by the museum through dealer Robert Hecht in 1984.

Iraqi Antiquities: A Cultural Repatriation

Nine antiquities valued at nearly $300,000 were returned to Iraq. Among these were two significant sculptures: the Sumerian Gypsum Male Worshipper and Sumerian Gypsum Female Worshipper, both dating to Iraq's Early Dynastic II period (circa 2750–2600 BCE). Dr. Duraid Abbas, deputy chief of mission of Iraq to the United States, expressed the importance of this return, stating, “The return of these invaluable Iraqi antiquities reflects the strength of the partnership between the Republic of Iraq and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office in protecting our shared cultural heritage.”

Indonesian Cultural Heritage and Human Remains

Returning to Indonesia are two carefully preserved human skulls from the Dayak people, representing over 200 Indigenous groups from Borneo. The evolving ethical standards and tightening repatriation laws have led to a growing trend among ethnographic museums to remove human remains from public display. These remains are increasingly recognized as significant links to revered ancestors.

Major museums, including the American Museum of Natural History and the Penn Museum, have taken similar actions in recent years. Winanto Adi, consul general of the Republic of Indonesia in New York, noted the significance of this handover coinciding with the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, stating, “As Americans celebrate their nation’s remarkable history and enduring ideals, today’s ceremony also reminds us that every nation treasures the objects that tell the story of its civilization.”