Met makes deal with Italians over disputed antiquities
New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art has agreed to a deal that will see six disputed antiquities returned to Italy, the Italian culture ministry announced Monday.
A signing ceremony between Met director Philippe de Montebello and Italy's culture minister, Rocco Buttiglione, was scheduled for Tuesday, ministry officials said. The deal involves the long-term loan of Italian antiquities or works of art to the Met.
The treasures to be repatriated include the Euphronios krater, a vase dating from the 6th century BC, which has been a centrepiece of the Metropolitan Museum's holdings for more than three decades.
De Montebello told the New York Times that changing world attitudes meant a change in museum practices.
"The world is changing, and you have to play by the rules," he said. "It now appears that the piece came to us in a completely improper way, through machinations, lies and clandestine night-digging. As the representative of an honorable institution, I have to say 'no, this is not right.'"
The Met had announced on Feb. 2 a plan to transfer legal title to the six disputed antiquities. It made the decision on the basis of evidence from the Italians about the items' origins, resulting from an investigation of shady art dealers who had been moving antiquities out of the country illegally.
De Montebello was in Rome on Monday to iron out details of the agreement with ministry officials.
"An agreement has been reached for the return of some antiquities in the possession of the Metropolitan Museum that belong to Italy, including the famous Euphronios vase, the Morgantina treasure and other pieces on display in the Metropolitan," a culture ministry statement said.
The 3rd century Morgantina silver collection was smuggled out of Sicily. The other objects involved in the deal include Greek earthenware treasures dating from 320 BC to 520 BC.
The Met has requested the loan of a vase similar to the Euphronios krater from the Italians.
Ownership of the Euphronios vase has long been disputed by the museum and the Italian government. Thought to be the finest example of its kind — a large vessel used to mix water and wine, painted by Euphronios, one of the best Greek vase painters — the pot depicts the Greek god Hermes directing Sleep and Death as they carry the son of Zeus for burial.
Italy is also in talks with the Getty Museum in Los Angeles over 30 more rare pieces believed to have been looted from Italy. Former Getty curator Marion True is on trial in Rome over conspiring to buy looted antiquities.