An uncomfortable situation is living the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) in New York given the fact that some of its treasures come from suspicious acquisition practices. In an article published by the newspaper La Naciónfrom Argentina, it was revealed by a journalistic investigation that of 1,109 pieces, less than half have records that describe how they left their country of origin and that they previously belonged to people accused or convicted of crimes against antiquities or their galleries, and 309 of them are currently on display, it became known from another text from The Guardian.
In the note of the Argentine newspaper it is said that in more than 250 ancient objects from Nepal and Kashmir, only three have origin records that explain how they left their regions of origin.
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The result of the investigation should not be surprising, since throughout its history the MET has received numerous complaints of appropriation of objects and in some cases it has voluntarily returned some items, while in others it has been the courts that seized the objects, such as acts of reparation for violence and heritage looting.
Over 250 ancient objects from Nepal and Kashmir, only three have origin records explaining how they left their home regions.
Precisely – details the newspaper – it is worth remembering the denunciation of the Bungamati community, in Nepal, from which one day the statue of Shreedhar Vishnu, Hindu protector god. A decade later the piece appeared in exhibition at the MET, until a Facebook account called Lost Arts of Nepal finally identified her and executed the complaint.
“The MET sets the tone for museums around the world” and if “the Met is letting all these things slide under the radar, what hope do we have for the rest of the art market?” he said. Tess Davisexecutive director of the Antiquities Coalition, an organization that seeks to prevent the looting of ancient works and treasures.
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From the museum it was stressed that everything possible is being done to ensure that all works that enter the collection comply with the laws and strict policies in force at the time of acquisition. The Met also continually researches the history of the works in its collection.
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