More returns from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Looting Matters · 11 months ago · 115 views

Tarentine funerary reliefSource: Metropolitan Museum of ArtThe Manhattan DA has provided limited details about the recent return of antiquities to Italy [August 6, 2025; press release]. A cluster of items seems to be derived from Tarentum, and includes three fragments of a funerary relief that were sold to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1996 by Robin Symes. All had a reported history that suggested that they had been in an anonymous English private collection from the 1950s. Two of the returning items–a limestone column capital and a capital fragment from a naiskos—were gifts by the Aboutaam family in 1995. This group of material should alert other museums that hold Tarentine material supplied by Symes.Among the 31 antiquities being returned to Italy is a fragmentary Attic black-figured column-krater attributed to Lydos. The fragments were derived from Robin Symes and additional fragments from the Rosens and Dietrich von Bothmer.The Met has yet to issue a press release about its return. | |

Tarentine funerary relief Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Manhattan DA has provided limited details about the recent return of antiquities to Italy [August 6, 2025; press release]. A cluster of items seems to be derived from Tarentum, and includes three fragments of a funerary relief that were sold to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1996 by Robin Symes. All had a reported history that suggested that they had been in an anonymous English private collection from the 1950s. Two of the returning items–a limestone column capital and a capital fragment from a naiskos—were gifts by the Aboutaam family in 1995. This group of material should alert other museums that hold Tarentine material supplied by Symes.

Among the 31 antiquities being returned to Italy is a fragmentary Attic black-figured column-krater attributed to Lydos. The fragments were derived from Robin Symes and additional fragments from the Rosens and Dietrich von Bothmer.

The Met has yet to issue a press release about its return.

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