Met Museum Still Holds Hundreds of Looted Antiquities Despite Major Seizures

New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art continues to house hundreds of antiquities linked to alleged looting and trafficking figures, according to an analysis by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. This ongoing retention persists despite authorities seizing more than $95 million worth of antiquities from the institution in recent years.

The seizures from the Met largely consist of works obtained from a small group of collectors with ties to suspected trafficking networks spanning from Rome to rural Cambodia. Previous investigations by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists identified more than a thousand pieces in the Met’s catalog tied to individuals who were indicted or convicted of antiquities crimes.

Among those figures are Subhash Kapoor, whom U.S. authorities identified as “one of the most prolific commodities smugglers in the world,” and Robert E. Hecht, whom Italy charged with trafficking. Kapoor was arrested in Germany in 2011 and later convicted in India of trafficking crimes. Hecht denied involvement in the illegal exportation of art and died in 2012. Despite these judicial actions, the Met still holds hundreds of objects once owned by these exact individuals.

Navigating the complex legal and logistical hurdles of questionable provenance requires specialized intervention.

Provenance Research and Institutional Response

In response to inquiries from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the Met stated that it has identified and expedited research into several hundred works connected with certain dealers as part of a broader review of its collection. The museum noted that it takes an object-by-object approach to this research.

Lucian Simmons, the museum’s head of provenance research, addressed the institution’s position in an emailed statement to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

“The Met doesn’t want any stolen art in our collection,” Simmons said. “We’ve devoted substantial resources to researching works in our care and sharing our findings online and with experts around the world. These efforts have produced meaningful results, including repatriations of objects to multiple countries.”

The Scope of Legacy Collections

Beyond Kapoor and Hecht, the museum also still holds pieces once owned by Douglas Latchford. Latchford was a previously indicted art dealer believed to have played a key role in the mass pillaging of Cambodia’s cultural heritage before his death in 2020.

Safeguarding cultural heritage will depend on how thoroughly museums address the remaining disputed pieces in their care.