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February 14, 2025

Investigators Win Repatriation Battle as Cleveland Museum Backs Down

The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) has abandoned its legal fight to prevent the seizure of a prized bronze statue depicting the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. Valued at $20 million, the artefact was looted from Turkey in the 1960s.  

The decision comes almost a year and a half after New York investigators issued a seizure order, on 31 August 2023, on the basis that the statue constitutes evidence of, and tends to demonstrate the commission of the crimes of, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the First Degree, Penal Law § 165.54, and a Conspiracy to commit the same crime under Penal Law § 105.10(1).

The museum, which has featured the bronze in its collection since 1986, had challenged the order in court, arguing that there was insufficient evidence to prove the statue had been illegally exported.  In their lawsuit, the museum claimed that the headless sculpture, The Emperor as Philosopher, probably Marcus Aurelius, later renamed Draped Male Figure, had been lawfully acquired by the museum and that New York District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg’s office in Manhattan has no legal authority to seize it.  

Today, the CMA announced it has elected to drop its opposition, paving the way for the artefact to be returned to its country of origin. 

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office Antiquities Trafficking Unit, headed by Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos has been actively involved in the repatriation of stolen artefacts, including many bronzes identified as having been looted from the ancient city of Bubon in Türkiye. In recent years, prosecutors and analysts with the ATU have worked closely with academics and the Turkish authorities to seize antiquities looted from this ancient site that were laundered through the black market including a number of bronze figures and portrait heads, never before seen in documented collections.

By May 1967, law enforcement authorities from the Republic of Türkiye had uncovered their first lead as to these objects eventual origins, after a large, ancient bronze statue was found hidden in a looters house in the village of Ibecik, located in the mountainous region of the Gölhisar district, in the southern province of Burdur, less than 100 kilometers from the southwest Turkish coast.

This investigation, coupled with studies by Turkish archaeologist Jale İnan on behalf of the museum in Burdur, as well as notes gathered and seized from a local treasure hunter during investigations, helped to establish the find spot for this statue and other sculptures which once stood on the summit and slopes of Dikmen Tepe within the eastern Roman Empire city of Bubon.

According to the ancient Greek geographer Strabo, the city of Bubon formed a tetrapolis with its neighbouring cities of Cibyra, Oenoanda and Balboura.  Culturally diverse, at its pinnacle its inhabitants are said to have spoken as many as four languages: Greek, Pisidian, Solymian and Lycian. 

Travellers to Bubon as late as the mid-19th century described finding a walled acropolis, a small theatre of local stone, and the remains of tombs, temples, and other large structures in what remained of the ancient city.  Few of these survive today.  Decimated by a large-scale looting operation during the mid-20th century, the unprotected ancient city's movable cultural heritage became the victims of poverty and art market greed, with much of what had survived throughout history, being dug up and carried away for profit.

The Sebasteion at Boubon

In 1967, the archaeological museum of Burdur undertook the first legal excavation at what remained of Boubon.  During these emergency excavations, where some of the explored sites were reburied after exploration to afford more protection, site archaeologists documented a Sebasteion near the centre of the terrace close to the Agora.  This complex is believed to have been devoted to the worship of the imperial cult, honouring members of the Imperial family.  It is thought to have been in use for a period of over two centuries from the 1st to the middle of the 3rd century CE. 

Inside this Sebasteion, archaeologists discovered two inscribed podiums along the north and the east walls of the room, and four free-standing bases along the west wall.  Here, statues of emperors and members of the Imperial household would have been displayed.  

The majority of the dedications found at the Sebasteion date from the half century beginning with the joint reign of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus (161-168 CE) and ending with the sole reign of Caracalla (211-217 CE).  Unsurprisingly, by the time archaeologists set about documenting the site, only one single headless statue remained.  All the others had been clandestinely excavated and illicitly exported out of the country.

As part of this documentation, Jale İnan assigned names to seven of the missing bronzes, based on seven of the 14 dedicatory inscriptions documented in situ at the Sebasteion.  According to the researcher's reconstruction, patrons or visitors entering this room in the middle of the 3rd century CE, would have seen bronze statues of Nerva, Poppaea Sabina,  Lucius Verus, Commodus, Septimius Severus and lastly, Marcus Aurelius on a podium which faced the entrance.

An inscription, documented in İnan's 1990 excavation notes, that stones forming the top course of the north podium read:

[Μ.Αυρήλιο]ν Άντωνεϊνον

Over the subsequent years, it was determined that as many as nine, possibly ten, life-sized bronze statues originating from Bubon had been excavated and sold onward, first by the site's looters and middlemen, then onward to a dealer in Izmir, a city on Turkey’s Aegean coast.  From there, it has been established that some were smuggled out of the country and into Switzerland, passing into the hands of Robert Hecht in defiance of Turkish laws which vested ownership of antiquities with the state.  

The Emperor as Philosopher
Image Credit:
Cleveland Museum of Art
By the late half of 1987, four of these six feet and taller spectacular bronzes, all male, three nude and one wearing a philosopher’s tunic, were known to be in the possession of a Boston coin dealer named Charles S. Lipson.  Lipson maintained relationships with several problematic art market actors, not just Hecht but also George Zakos and several others.  

The bronzes from Turkey were then circulated by Lipson in temporary exhibitions in several North American museums. From 1967 to 1981 they were displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and Rutgers University. One of Lipson's bronzes, the draped figure relinquished by the Cleveland Museum of Art, was sold to the museum in 1986 via the Edward H. Merrin Gallery for $1.85 million and quickly dubbed The Emperor as Philosopher, probably Marcus Aurelius.   

At the time of sculpture's purchase, the CMA's press releases and follow-up publications openly admitted that the bronze was part of a “group of Roman bronze figures and heads, believed to have come from Turkey” that represented various emperors and empresses, which had been created for a structure honouring the imperial cult in the mid-2nd century.  All details which perfectly aligned with the details of the statues which once filled the Sebasteion in Bubon.

Before mandating the statue's seizure, DANY's Antiquities Trafficking Unit, with the assistance of officials from the Republic of Türkiye, were able to locate and interview one of the individuals who actually looted and smuggled this statue and determined that the bronze had been smuggled into Switzerland by Robert Hecht then circulated onward via Charles Lipson, first via the exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and later loaned long term to the Metropolitan Museum of Art via a private collector before ultimately being purchased by the Cleveland museum.

Yet, despite the evidence presented at the time of its seizure and its earlier stance that the object had been lawfully acquired, the museum ultimately cited forensic evidence in its decision to relinquish the Marcus Aurelius statue.  It cited analysis of soil samples taken from within the body of the statue, as well as lead from a plug in its foot used to attach the statue to a plinth, which matched evidence obtained from the Sebasteion in Bubon proving the bronze had once stood there.

While these laboratory findings provide are a scientific nail in the coffin, linking this beautiful statue to its original site, this testing merely strengthens Manhattan's preexisting case for restitution.  The evidence of the object's trafficking from Türkiye, didn't rest on scientific analysis, which in this case, was miraculously made possible because the find spot remained relatively undisturbed.  

The case was weighted on multiple elements, including the first-hand testimony of farmers who told investigators that men from a nearby village found the bronzes buried on a hillside, beginning in the late 1950s and year by year, working in teams, removed the artefacts from the Sebasteion, many of which were sold to “American Bob,” absence of legal export permits and then unlawfully smuggled out of Türkiye.

Lest we forget, in 1962, the infamous American ancient art dealer Robert "Bob" Hecht was detained in Türkiye after he was seen inspecting ancient coins returning to Istanbul on a flight from heavily plundered Izmir, the same city where the intermediary dealer in this case operated.  As a result of that incident, Hecht was declared persona non grata in the country.  A friend of notorious Turkish antiquities smugglers, such as Fuat Üzülmez and Edip Telliağaoğlu, Hecht mediated the purchase of a large number of ancient artefacts which were smuggled from Turkey, before he turned his sights on Italy.

To date the ATU has restituted 14 antiquities, valued at almost $80 million, looted from Bubon. This Marcus Aurelius, headless though he be, is the 15th, and one I am sure the citizens of Türkiye will warmly welcome home. 

By:  Lynda Albertson

February 11, 2025

Facing Justice: Ashraf Omar Eldarir Pleads Guilty in High-Profile Smuggling Case


In a significant case of cultural property smuggling, previously reported on ARCA's blog, Ashraf Omar Eldarir, a naturalised U.S. citizen from Brooklyn, plead guilty before Judge Rachel Kovner yesterday in US Federal Court, in the state of New York, for his role in the smuggling of hundreds of Egyptian artefacts. 

Upon arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 22, 2020 from an international flight from Egypt, Eldarir had submitted a customs declaration form to U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP), as required for all travellers entering the United States.  On that form, he had stated that he was bringing in merchandise and agricultural products worth $300.  However, when CBP officers inspected his luggage, instead of finding low value business related products, they discovered three suitcases filled from top to bottom with antiquities wrapped in protective packaging. 

Inside Eldarir's careful bubblewrap and foam padding were a total of 590 Egyptian artefacts.  Some of these still had sand and soil adhering to them, a telltale sign which underscored their recent excavation, and, in the words of the agents examining his luggage, still smelled of wet earth. 

Along with the antiquities, CBP agents found documents "written in Arabic on watermarked paper with stamps affixed on the top right of the documents, and two-hole punches along the left-hand side" along with blank paper resembling that of the purported provenances, with the same watermark and two-hole punches along the left-hand side and thirteen loose stamps similar to the ones used on the provenances.  When asked if he had ever sold historical artefacts previously, Eldarir replied that he had sold "a few in the last few years", a statement which would turn out to be a gross understatement.

Given that he was unable to provide the customs agents with sufficient proof that the packaged artefacts he was importing into New York had legally been exported from Egypt prior to the enactment of the country's 06 August 1983 Law No. 117 "on the Protection of Antiquities, CBP seized the antiquities pending further investigation.

Eldarir was subsequently arrested on 28 February 2020 and charged in the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York, on two counts of smuggling, under Title 18 U.S. Code § 545, 2 and 3551 et seq.  As part of that investigation, the United States also sought forfeiture of the following antiquities in accordance with: (a) Title 18, United States Code, Section 982(a)(2)(B):

forty-one (41) ancient Egyptian gold artifacts;

nineteen (19) ancient coins;

two (2) Greco-Roman rings;

thirty-one (31) ancient Egyptian talismans (Ptolemaic period);

fourteen (14) ancient beads;

twenty-six (26) ancient Egyptian wooden figures;

four hundred (400) ancient Egyptian faience ushabtis;

three (3) ancient Egyptian wooden panels with painted figures;

one ( I ) ancient Egyptian large stone face;

two (2) Egyptian wooden masks;

two (2) Egyptian stone panels with hieroglyphics; 

three (3) ancient Egyptian canopic jar lids;

two (2) ancient Greco-Roman stela;

one (1) ancient Greco-Roman terracotta headless torso with robes;

seven (7) ancient Greco-Roman terracotta statues; 

three (3) ancient Egyptian large terracotta vases; 

two (2) Egyptian smalIterracotta vases;

two (2) Egyptian alabaster artifacts;

two (2) ancient Egyptian Osiris headpieces/crowns; 

twenty-six (26) ancient Greco-Roman oil lamps; 

one (1) Greco-Roman terracotta pilgrim's flask;

one (1) ancient Egyptian polychrome relief.

For years prior to his arrest, Eldarir had been successfully laundering plundered artefacts onto the licit ancient art market.   Often his pieces carried with them a fabricated provenance claiming that the pieces were part of "The Ashraf Eldarir Private Collection of Ancient Art, New York, USA", or "Acquired by Izz al-Din Tah al-Darir Bey in Egypt December 1946 from Salah al-Din Sarmali Bey" or that they had been inherited through the trafficker's grandfather. 

To disguise their illicit origins, and to cosmetically claim that the pieces were derived from a collection which predated Egypt's ban on export, Eldarir's trafficked artefacts sometimes mentioned that his grandfather or "Ezeldeen Eldarir," was a friend of Prince of Egypt, Omar Tosson, with whom he shared a passion for archaeology or that the collection had been formed during the 1930s-1940s, mostly as gifts from Prince Tosson, which he claimed had been moved to the United States "in 1948 where it remained with the family until the present day."

With no export licenses, and no factual proof which supported his vague claims of long term ownership for the pieces he handled, aside from what would turned out to be self-made documents giving a cosmetic overhaul of legitimacy, Eldarir's smuggled antiquities circulated among US and Europe's prestigious ancient art galleries from 2012 until shortly after his arrest was announced publicly.  After which ARCA published a list of material it had identified as being linked to the suspect trafficker.  This compilation of suspect Egyptian antiquities was made public on 8 July 2020, and can be found here.

One of the more interesting high value pieces was this portrait head of a man, sold first through Christies New York in 2012 for $52,500.  Despite the trafficker's arrest in the US, this piece was still up for sale during the COVID-affected TEFAF Maastricht art fair in 2020, at the stand of Swiss dealer, Jean David Cahn.  Here the piece was called "a Portrait Head of the Emporer Severus Alexander" with a price on request. 


A second Eldarar piece was also present at TEFAF at Cahn's stand: a Double Life sized Ptolemaic Royal Portrait Possibly Ptolemy III Euergetes.   Again with a price on request.  As the fair closed early due to the world-wide pandemic, it is unclear if these pieces sold or remain with the Swiss dealer.

After ARCA's list of Eldarir identifications went public, practically all digital mention of Egyptian artefacts tied to this suspect in Europe and in the United States, began to be removed from receiving dealers' websites.  Dealers with web pages which once openly advertised Eldarir's antiquities sometimes removed the tainted objects altogether from their listings or modified the web page provenance using less damning indicators, such as replacing the background detail on ownership with innocuous phrases such as "private collector, New York" and omitting any of the previously fabricated details which led back to this suspect art market actor or his ties to princely collections.  

Eldarir’s case is one among many that highlight the persistent problems of artefact smuggling. For his role in these affairs, sentencing guidelines estimate that he could likely have to serve three to five years behind bars as well as possible denaturalisation, sending him back to the very country that he so prolifically robbed.

His sentencing date is currently scheduled for 12 June 2025.

The fate of many of the antiquities on our list remain unknown. 

By:  Lynda Albertson


February 8, 2025

Justice Served: Three Found Guilty in Major Art and Memorabilia Heist Case

On June 15, 2023, a federal grand jury in the Middle District of Pennsylvania indicted Nicholas Dombek, Damien Boland, Joseph Atsus and his brother Alfred Atsus for their alleged involvement in a widespread art and memorabilia theft ring that spanned over two decades and targeted 19 museums and other venues in six states and the District of Columbia.

The charges against the men included conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment or disposal of cultural artefacts, and interstate transportation of stolen property.  Each defendant also faced additional counts related to the theft and concealment of significant cultural objects, with Dombek receiving an extra charge for transporting stolen property across state lines.

The objects taken during the series of breakins included:

Those objects included:

A Christy Mathewson jersey and two contracts signed by Mathewson stolen in 1999 from Keystone College in Factoryville, Pennsylvania;

“Le Grande Passion” by Andy Warhol and “Springs Winter” by Jackson Pollock stolen in 2005 from the Everhart Museum, Scranton, Pennsylvania;

Nine (9) World Series rings, seven (7) other championship rings, and two (2) MVP plaques awarded to Yogi Berra, worth over $1,000,000 stolen in 2014 from the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, Little Falls, New Jersey;

Six (6) championship belts, including four awarded to Carmen Basilio and two awarded to Tony Zale stolen in 2015 from the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Canastota, New York;

The Hickok Belt and MVP Trophy awarded to Roger Maris, stolen in 2016 from the Roger Maris Museum, Fargo, North Dakota;

The U.S. Amateur Trophy and a Hickok Belt awarded to Ben Hogan, stolen in 2012 from the USGA Golf Museum & Library, Liberty Corner, New Jersey;

Fourteen (14) trophies and other awards worth over $300,000 stolen in 2012 from the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, Goshen, New York;

Five (5) trophies worth over $400,000, including the 1903 Belmont Stakes Trophy, stolen in 2013 from the National Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, Saratoga Springs, New York;

Eleven (11) trophies, including 4 awarded to Art Wall, Jr. stolen in 2011 from the Scranton Country Club, Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania;

Three antique firearms worth a combined $1,000,000 stolen in 2006 from Space Farms: Zoo & Museum, Wantage, New Jersey;

An 1903/1904 Tiffany Lamp stolen in 2010 from the Lackawanna Historical Society, Scranton, Pennsylvania,

“Upper Hudson” by Jasper Cropsey, worth approximately $500,000, and two antique firearms worth over $300,000, stolen in 2011 from Ringwood Manor, Ringwood, New Jersey;

$400,000 worth of gold nuggets stolen in 2011 from the Sterling Hill Mining Museum, Ogdensburg, New Jersey;

Various gems, minerals, and other items stolen in 2017 from the Franklin Mineral Museum, Franklin, New Jersey;

An antique shotgun worth over $30,000 stolen in 2018 from Space Farms: Zoo & Museum, Wantage, New Jersey;

Various jewelry, and other items from multiple antique and jewelry stores in New York, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania.

Last night, after three days of lengthy deliberation, a jury in Scranton, Pennsylvania (Lackawanna County) found:
Damien Boland, 48, of Moscow, guilty on all eleven charges;
Nicholas Dombek, 54, of Thornhurst Township, guilty of nine out of eleven charges; 
Joseph Atsus, 50, of Roaring Brook Township, guilty on four out of six charges.
Conversely, Joseph's brother, Alfred Atsus, 48, of Covington Township, was acquitted of all counts.

The prosecution's case relied heavily on the testimony of Thomas Trotta, 49, a former resident of Moscow, Pennsylvania, who law enforcement identified as the ringleader behind the theft operation.  Prior to pleading guilty, state police had used newly acquired DNA evidence to link Trotta to several burglaries which ultimately resulted in him cooperating with state police and the FBI, informing detectives of the extent and scope of the gang's activities.

During his testimony, Trotta spoke of the destruction of the memorbilia for its base metal price, despite the fact that the objects were symbols of legacy.  In providing detailed accounts of the thefts during the trial of his associates, Trotta's testimony highlighted how the group of museum thieves stole the nine World Series rings, trying them on before they set about prying the gemstones out of them, then melting them down, along with the metal on the plaques in his garage.   His cooperation, although controversial, was pivotal in securing the convictions. 

Unfortunately, as this one described incident details, many of the items stolen are not recoverable as the were converted into metal discs or bars which the theft ring then sold in New York for the raw metals. 

Despite this, the trial's outcome has been met with a sense of justice by the numerous law enforcement agencies who worked on this multi-state investigation, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Pennsylvania State Police, the New Jersey State Police, the New York State Police, the New Jersey State Park Police, the Newport Police Department (Rhode Island), the Fargo Police Department (North Dakota), the Chester Police Department (New York), the Wyoming Regional Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Scranton Police Department, the Franklin Police Department (New Jersey), the Village of Goshen Police Department (New York), the Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, D.C.), the West Milford Township Police Department (New Jersey), the Montclair Police Department (New Jersey), the Saratoga Springs Police Department (New York), the Canastota Police Department (New York), the South Abington Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Bernards Township Police Department (New Jersey), the Salisbury Township Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Montclair State University Police Department (New Jersey), the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office (Pennsylvania), the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office (New Jersey), the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office (New Jersey), the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (New York), and the Madison County District Attorney’s Office (New York).  

While stolen memorabilia may not hold immense financial value, their historical and cultural significance still makes their loss irreplaceable.  Many of the objects targeted in ring's museum thefts, such as the championship belts, or award rings, carry deep personal and societal meaning, a value which cannot be calculated simply, and which transcends their monetary worth alone. These sports-related objects serve as tangible connections to the past, preserving the stories and achievements of their respective award winners, and these individual's importance within their communities. 

When stolen and melted down, these pieces of history are lost forever—depriving future generations of their educational and cultural importance. 

February 4, 2025

At a Glacial Pace: Why does the return of stolen art take years?

The Oracle at Delphi, 1881, by Camillo Miola

The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before
It always leads me here
Lead me to you door
By The Beatles

Sometimes the road from diplomatic agreement to restitution or seizure to restitution is a long and windy road like the lyrics of a Beatles song.  And in the announcement and publication of victories, which flash across the news, the general public sees only the superficial details, carefully curated to neutralise all the hard fought passages that allowed "Object A" to be returned to "Country B".   

Such is the case with The Oracle at Delphi (1881) by Camillo Miola, a neoclassical painting depicting the ancient Greek sanctuary of Delphi, where the Pythia, a high priestess of Apollo, delivered prophecies. The artwork portrays a dramatic scene within the grand temple, with the Pythia seated on a tripod, enveloped in mystical vapors, as she channels divine messages. A group of supplicants, including warriors and noble figures, eagerly awaits her pronouncements, their expressions reflecting awe, anticipation, and reverence. 

On August 11, 2022, ahead of their agreed upon negotiations, The J. Paul Getty museum made a widespread public announcement that it would be returning a number of objects in their collection to Italy including:

Orpheus and the Sirens (inv. 76.AD.11) acquired in 1976 from Bank Leu in Zurich,

Colossal Head of a Divinity (inv. 72.AL.96) acquired in 1996 from scandalous UK art dealer Robin Symes,

an Etruscan bronze thymiaterion (inv. 96.AC.253) acquired in 1996 from the Fleischman collection, It was sold to the Fleischmans in 1987 by Italian art dealer Edoardo Almagià.  A while back New York Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos, who heads the Manhattan Office's Antiquities Trafficking Unit was quoted in an interview with the Princeton Alumni Weekly, saying: 

“If Almagià is the first name on your provenance, it is stolen.” 

a Mold for Casting Pendants, (75.AA.35) about 2nd century CE, donated by collector Lawrence A. Fleischman and his wife;

and lastly, a rather fanciful oil painting entitled The Oracle at Delphi, 1881 by Camillo Miola (72.PA.32), a neoclassical painting depicting the ancient Greek sanctuary of Delphi, where the Pythia, a high priestess of Apollo, delivered prophecies.  

This artwork portrays a dramatic scene within the grand temple, with the Pythia seated on a tripod, enveloped in mystical vapours, as she channels divine messages. A group of supplicants, including warriors and noble figures, eagerly awaits her pronouncements, their expressions reflecting awe, anticipation, and reverence. Miola’s use of rich colours, classical architecture, and meticulous detail captures the spiritual intensity and grandeur of the sacred ritual, emphasising the oracle’s central role in guiding ancient Greek society.

In their announcement they stated that the impetus for the return of the Sculptural Group of a Seated Poet (Orpheus) and two Sirens is evidence presented to them of their looting.  Their announcement fails to make mention of the fact that the artefacts had been seized earlier pursuant to a court order and no other details were presented for the remaining pieces going home but as we know by the names of the dealers that circulated them, they propensity for being problematic was high. 

But what about the Miola painting nothing was stated as to why this artwork was coming home?

While Orpheus and his two friends came home in 2022, its taken two years and five months after the Getty's initial and somewhat lacking announcement, for Camillo Miola's painting to arrive back in Naples, along with the oil painting Portrait of Vittorio Emanuele III, 1902 by Achille Talarico.  

The paintings having just arrived and been presented at Palazzo Matteotti in Naples, by Gaetano Manfredi the Mayor of Naples and Gen. Div. Francesco Gargaro, the Commander of the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage.  

But when and how long ago did this particular painting's story begin? And why is at that so many of these restitution announcements, which concretise agreements between museum parties and source country authorities such as the Carabinieri, or Italy or the USA's prosecutorial bodies, omit historical facts when it is exactly these historical facts which served as the evidence needed to persuade museums, or courts of justice that these artworks need to come home. 

We know that Miola's painting depicting Pythia was stolen from the San Lorenzo Institute of Aversa between 1943 and 1946.  But not much has been written in public records which elaborates upon its exit from Italy.  We know only that the painting left Italy at some point after the close of World War II arriving to America.  It was then consigned to Parke-Bernet in New York as coming from "a Private Collection", and sold on 24 February 1972 to Ira Spanierman, who operated the eponymous Spanierman Gallery (1961-2014).   He in turn sold it to the J. Paul Getty that same year.

According to the museum's accession record the provenance for this painting is:

By 1880 — Pinacoteca Provinciale (Naples, Italy)
until 1972 — Private Collection [sold, Parke-Bernet, New York, February 24, 1972, lot 273, to Ira Spanierman.]
since 1972 — Ira Spanierman (New York), sold to the J. Paul Getty Museum, 1972. 

Open source records show us that following a meeting of Italy's Committee for the Recovery and Restitution of Cultural Heritage, chaired by Minister Alberto Bonisoli Italy's Ministry of Cultural Heritage formally asked the J. Getty Museum on 9 May 2019 to consider the country's claim for the Victorious Youth bronze (no progress there yet) and to also evaluate the provenance of four objects in the museum's collections that were also stolen or exported without permission from Italy. 

Those four objects were:  

Camillo Miola "The Oracle of Delphi" stolen from the San Lorenzo Institute in Aversa between 1943 and 1946; 

two marble lions from the Roman era that were in the Palazzo Spaventa in Preturo (Aquila) and 

a Mosaic with Medusa stolen from the National Roman Museum. 

This request was signed by the secretary general Panebianco and emphasised Italy's ministry's full willingness to keep alive the consolidated relations with the Getty,  blah blah blah, and considers cultural diplomacy a priority, blah blah blah, and stated that the writers would like to identify a suitable date for a meeting between the two parties to further discuss the Italian request for the restitution of The Victorious Youth, or the Athlete of Fano, the bronze statue that was fished out in 1964 in the waters of Fano in the Marche region and was subsequently illegally exported from Italy as determined by Italy's courts.

From the museum's side, the Getty replied that it would start their verification with the technical staff and that a response will be sent "as soon as possible"which, given the presentation of Miola's painting back in Italy has happened five and a half years later, and two years after the museum acknowledged that they were in agreement to relinquish the artwork, one has to marvel at the almost glacial pace of restitutions. 

And while ARCA is more than pleased that these artworks have actually come home through mutually beneficial agreements between museums and ministries and law enforcement officers and art researchers doing diligent work, we do wish there was a little more information than just somber, happy, formal, tight-lipped presentations stating these works are once again home. 

Transparency in restitution agreements between museums and source countries is crucial for ensuring accountability and ethical stewardship of cultural heritage. Not to mention it also builds public trust.  

Too often, repatriation deals are negotiated behind closed doors, with mutually agreed upon formal announcements which are carefully worded and often vague, leaving out key details about the provenance research, legal considerations, and the conditions of return.  All facts which could help us learn why one object makes it home and another doesn't. Or why certain objects are returned home quickly, while others take years after a restitution is announced, delaying justice for affected communities. 

This lack of openness can fuel skepticism, and invites speculation and negative interpretation, where the length of delays from announcement to homecoming can be misinterpreted foot dragging on the museum's part.    

By committing to clear, public disclosure of restitution decisions—detailing the origins of looted works, the justification for their return, the collaborative efforts between museum staff and source nations, and the complex mechanisms that often delay repatriation—museums can demonstrate a genuine commitment to ethical responsibility and cooperation. Transparency in these processes not only fosters trust but also ensures that institutions are seen as proactive stewards of cultural heritage rather than merely responding to external pressure.

Greater transparency would not only strengthen international cooperation—providing provenance researchers with valuable roadmaps from successful restitution cases—but also help rebuild public trust in museums as institutions committed to rightful ownership and historical justice. Rather than treating returns as mere footnotes with minimal explanation, museums should fully articulate the reasons behind their decisions, reinforcing their role as ethical stewards of cultural heritage.

January 31, 2025

Drents Museum Heist: Two Suspects Named, Search for Stolen Artifacts Continues

In a significant development in the Drents Museum burglary case, Dutch authorities have publicly identified two suspects: Douglas Chesley Wendersteyt and Bernhard Zeeman, both residents of Heerhugowaard.  The duo is alleged to have been involved in the theft of invaluable Dacian artefacts, including a 2,500-year-old golden helmet of Coțofenești as well as three solid gold spirals, from the museum in Assen. 

The heist, which occurred in the Netherlands on January 25, 2025, has been described by Drents Museum director Harry Tupan as the most significant incident in the institution's 170-year history.  Following the burglary, investigators discovered a bag containing clothing in Assen, which along with other investigative traces, led them to Wendersteyt and Zeeman.  Authorities have since released the names and two photographs of the two of the three suspects under investigation and are appealing to the public for any information regarding their whereabouts or activities in the days leading up to and immediately after the theft. 

In addition to Wendersteyt and Zeeman, the third individual, a woman, also from Heerhugowaard, has been arrested in connection with the case. Her identity has not been disclosed, but Dutch and Romanian news reports suggest that she and one of the male suspects are a couple with two young children. 

Zeeman, aged 34, has (at least for now) a profile on LinkedIn which describes him as a scaffolding fitter and carpenter.  Dutch news agency De Telegraaf indicates he was convicted of a very violent house robbery in Heerhugowaard in 2014 in which he was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison for his role in a home invasion in which a 12-year-old girl, her eight year old brother, and their parents were tied up and threatened with a gun.  In that incident the thieves made off with the family’s Audi A6 as well as jewellery.  

Wendersteyt is also reported as having a criminal record and has been convicted of, among other things, robberies in the Heerhugowaard region.

The stolen artefacts from the Drents Museum are considered Romanian national treasures, and their theft has elicited strong reactions from Romanian officials, who are concerned about the potential loss of such culturally significant items. 

As the investigation continues, Dutch police are continuing to urge anyone with information about the suspects or the missing artefacts to come forward.  The authorities are particularly interested in details regarding the suspects' movements and any potential accomplices involved in the heist.

By:  Lynda Albertson

January 30, 2025

Judge Rules Against Safani Gallery in Fight Over Stolen Marble Head of Alexander

Image Credit: Safani Gallery TEFAF Maastricht advertisement

On 12 November 2019 Safani Gallerym through their attorney David Schoen, filed a Federal lawsuit in the Southern District of New York seeking a declaratory judgment declaring that Safani Gallery, Inc. seeking, along with damages, a declaratory judgment that the gallery was the exclusive owner of a stolen, circa-1st-century CE, marble Head of Alexander and that the country of Italy had no rights in, or claims to, the artefact.  The case was assigned to US District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, in the Southern District of New York.

On 2 August 2021, Judge Broderick dismissed the case, finding that Italy was protected from being sued in U.S. Court by the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA).  Subsequent to that ruling, and through their attorney, Safani then amended its complaint, adding the Italian Ministry of Culture Heritage and Activities and Tourism (“MiBACT”) and the New York District Attorney's Office as defendants, asserting that the DA had violated its Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights.

Italy, its Ministry of Culture, and the DA subsequently sought a dismissal of the Second Amended Complaint filed by the New York antiquities gallery which was  attempting to block the return of the ancient head of Alexander the Great as Helios, the Sun God to the country of its origin. 

On Tuesday, 28 January 2025, Judge Broderick, again, concluded that Italy and its cultural ministry were immune under the FSIA and granted the District Attorney's motion to dismiss the Gallery's amended complaint, additionally finding that Safani lacked Article III standing to bring its federal claims against the State's DA.  Accordingly, Count IV was also dismissed. 

In making his ruling Broderick elaborated:
“A finding that the Manhattan DA violated the Constitution by seizing the Head without probable cause and without due process would not change the fact that only the state court can order the disposition of the Head.”
 
“Finally, although “the state-law issues [are] not so groundbreaking as to preclude the exercise of jurisdiction” under 28 U.S.C. § 1367(a)(1), Korshnyi, 771 F.3d at 102, the consideration of comity also weighs in favor of dismissal, because dismissal avoids “needless” federal-court “decisions of state law,” Valencia, 316 F.3d at 305 (quoting United Mine Workers v.Gibbs, 383 U.S. 715, 726 (1966)).”

The backstory on this case

Previously on Monday, 23 July 2018 Matthew Bogdanos, Senior Trial Counsel in the Office of New York County District, through District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr., submitted an Application for Turnover in support of an order pursuant to N.Y. Penal Law §450.10 (Consol. 2017) and N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law §690.55 (Consol. 2017) authorising the transfer of the circa-1st-century CE marble head of Alexander the Great as Helios, the Sun God, seized pursuant to a previously executed search warrant, from the custody of the court, to the custody of Italy.

To that end, and under order of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, the antiquity had been seized at Safani Gallery on 22 February 2018, and was taken into evidence as part of a state investigation seeking to demonstrate the crime of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Second Degree.  This seizure was based on suspicions that the object had been stolen and at some point illegally exported from the country of origin in contravention of Italy’s cultural heritage law (No 364/1909).

Since 2018 the object had been retained as evidence by the New York authorities while Safani's complaint and second amended complaint was being heard within the US justice system. 

In terms of its history, DANY's court documents set out that the head was discovered during excavations of the Basilica Aemilia, located on the Via Sacra.  This is the ancient road between the Capitoline Hill and the Colosseum located within the Roman Forum in Rome. While little remains of the Basilica Aemilia today, it was considered by Rome historian Pliny the Elder to be one of the three most beautiful elements of the Roman Forum, this alongside the Forum of Augustus and the Temple of Peace. 

Looking across the remains of the Basilica Aemilia
towards the Severan Arch,
the Tabularium, and the Modern Senate House
Image Credit: B. Dolan
The head was discovered at some point during Italian research excavations carried out by Drs. Professors Giacomo Boni and later by Professor Alfonso Bartoli which were carried out on the Palatine Hill between 1899 and 1939.  Documentation from the excavations suggest that the head belongs to one of the “Statues of Parthian Barbarians” which once adorned the Basilica.

After 20 BCE Roman art often portrayed the people of the Empire and during its restoration in 14 BCE, Augustus chose to line the Basilica with a series of Parthian figurines, perhaps in humiliation of Rome's ancient foreign enemy.  Representing individuals from the Parthian Empire (also known as the Arsacid Empire), these likenesses depicted the conquered Parthians as representatives of the Orbis Alter, subjects of Rome which were not considered to be part of the “civilised” world.  Stylistically, they differ from representations we have from the same period of people from the Orbis Romanus. 

According to court documents, the Italian Soprintendenza alle Antichità Palatino e Foro Romano began keeping archival photographic documentation of the objects discovered during the lengthy excavation starting in 1908.  Based on these records, the head of Alexander the Great, seized from the New York gallery, is believed to have been discovered during the second phase of these excavations which began after 1909. This dating is derived as the Italian authorities have no written, descriptive entries or photographic archival documentation of any marble head finds from the Roman forum of the Barbarian statues prior to 1909.   It was also not until September 1909 that Dr. Professor Bartoli's team began their explorations in the zone of the Basilica Aemilia.  As a result of this and other evidence described in the New York Court's Application for Turnover it seems most likely that the marble head was found sometime around 1910.

Bear in mind 1909 is a critical date as it is this year that Italy's Code of the Cultural and Landscape Heritage (No 364/1909) was made into law.  According to this law, there is a presumption of the State's ownership for all archaeological objects discovered after 1909, unless the cultural Ministry acknowledges that the object does not have a cultural interest, something it would never do for objects located inside Rome's culturally significant Roman Forum.

Italy's archival records from the Forum excavation document an image of the head of Alexander, taken after it was excavated, resting separately on a table at the Museo Forense cloister as well as other photos in which the object is pictured with additional finds.  While the date of the actual theft of this head, and another second missing object which was also stolen, is undetermined, the incident is believed to have occurred sometime before 1959.

What we can define with certainty, on the basis of the dating of the archival photograph, along with the excavation records of the start date of the Basilica site excavation, and documentation of the dates the Museo Forense cloister would have been available to be used as a evidentiary photographic venue, this object indisputably has Italy as its country of origin.  Predicated on the foregoing evidence, it can be proven that the marble head of Alexander was illegally removed from Italian territory after the 1909 law was enacted.

It is on this basis that the object has been defined as stolen property by the State of New York, as its removal from the custody of the Italian authorities was in contravention of the 1909 Italian law.  Also, according to New York law, a thief can never acquire good title.  It should be noted that the removal of the head of Alexander from the Republic of Italy without an export license from the Italian governmental authorities authorising its removal from the territory is also a further violation of Italian law.

Interestingly though, like many stolen works of art illicitly obtained, antiquities remain fairly easy to launder, being sold over and over again through a lack of adequate due diligence in some of the finest, legitimate, marketplaces and to, and through, some of the richest collectors in the world.  

In this instance, the Alexander head has sold in the United States and in the United Kingdom on multiple occasions.

But where was the object bought and sold? 

While the documentation of this object's collection history is spartan, we know that on 22 November 1974 the head of Alexander sold for a mere $650, having been consigned by the Hagop Kevorkian fund to Sotheby Parke Bernet.  Sotheby’s Auction House acquired Parke Bernet Galleries in 1964 and adopted the name Sotheby Parke Bernet throughout the 1970s.  Today, this auction house is known simply as Sotheby’s.  The buyer at the time was listed only as "Altertum Ltd."

Sometime after that date the object was then purportedly purchased by Professor Oikonomides who indicated to others that he purchased the object while vacationing in Cairo, Egypt sometime between 1984 and 1986.  The object was then bequeathed to Dr. Miller by Oikonomides through his estate when he passed away in 1988.

Sotheby's Website Screen Capture
taken 24 July 2018
On 08 December 2011 the object sold at Sotheby's for a second time during Sotheby’s Egyptian, Classical and Western Asiatic Antiquities sale .

At the time of this auction, the purported provenance for the object was listed as:

Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962), New York, most likely acquired prior to World War II
The Hagop Kevorkian Fund (Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, November 22nd, 1974, no. 317, illus.)
A.N. Oikonomides, Chicago

But with very little in the way of documentation to confirm this narrative.

The object sold to an unidentified buyer for $92,500 USD.

In May 2017, the head of Alexander surfaced across the Atlantic.  This time the ancient marble head went up for sale in the United Kingdom, having once been in the possession of former Qatari culture minister and cousin of the current ruler of the oil-rich Arab country, Sheikh Saud bin Mohammed Ali Al-Thani.  Before his death in 2014 Sheikh Saud Al-Thani was believed to have been the world's richest art collector.

Through Classical Galleries Limited, UK the Sheikh’s foundation sold the head of Alexander to Alan Safani of Safani Gallery for $152,625 on June 20, 2017.

Object Identified

Safani Gallery Booth - TEFAF 2018
Image Credit: L. Albertson
By an amazing bit of serendipity, on 19 February 2018 Dr. Patrizia Fortini, Director and Coordinator of the Archaeological Site of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill chanced upon an advertisement which featured a photo of the stolen head in a publication for the upcoming 2018 Fine Arts Expo known as TEFAF.  In the dealer's documentation, a photograph of the marble head had been included highlighting Safani Gallery's offerings for the upcoming Maastricht sale scheduled to be held in the Netherlands from March 10 through 18 in 2018.

The photo in the advertisement and the old archival documentation photo of the head in the Museo Forense’s cloister were identified as one and the same object and as a result, Italy moved forward in requesting the object's seizure.

For now Judge Broderick’s decision has recognised the primacy of state court jurisdiction in adjudicating disputes over the seizure of stolen antiquities. Leaving the ultimate question of who owns the Head to the state court, he observed:
“[a] finding that the Manhattan DA violated the Constitution by seizing the Head without probable cause and without due process would not change the fact that only the state court can order the disposition of the Head.”
For now, Safani has one month to appeal against Judge Broderick's final dismissal decision.  

To view the New York Application for Turnover in its entirety, please see here.
To view the New York February 22, 2018 Seizure Order, please see here.
To view the the US District Court's 28 January 2025 Dismissal Order, please see here.

By:  Lynda Albertson 


Dutch Police Seek Public Help to Identify Fourth Suspect in Drents Museum Theft

In a significant development after four days of searching, Dutch police in Heerhugowaardin have arrested three individuals for their possible involvement in the burglary and theft at the Drents Museum in Assen.  The stolen artefacts, including a priceless 2,500-year-old Geto-Dacian golden helmet and three solid gold spiral bangles —treasures of immense cultural significance to Romania—were taken during a brazen heist that has drawn international attention.

The arrests were made in the northern Netherlands and the arresting authorities have indicated that the suspects come from North Holland.  Their apprehensions were the result of meticulous investigative work, involving 35 detectives and specialists working on the robbery since Saturday morning and examining evidence which included the analysis of CCTV footage and valuable information provided via tips from the public.  This shows that public and police collaborating together can result in criminals being charged and eventually brought to justice. 

Despite these arrests, the four stolen artefacts have not been recovered. 

Authorities are intensifying their efforts to locate these invaluable pieces and are again seeking the public's assistance in identifying this fourth individual. This person may have been observed in a hardware store in Assen days before the robbery and may have purchased the tools depicted here, which could be the goods that were used during the break-in. 

The police have released these photographs and urge anyone with information on this individual or who may have engaged with this many to contact the Dutch authorities.

The Drents Museum has expressed its relief over the arrests and remains hopeful for the safe return of the artefacts. The museum's director emphasised the importance of these pieces to the Romanian people and to the broader historical community. 

As the investigation continues, authorities are also appealing to the public for any information regarding the person/persons who may have been seen traveling in a that could assist in identifying this fourth individual as well as information on a dark Ford Transit van, similar this photo as it is possible that residents of the museum in Assen, or people on or around the location of the burning car under the viaduct of the N33 on the Grolloërstraat near Rolde may have information about suspicious persons or vehicles which may have been used in carrying out the burglary.


Have you seen something or have images available?  Please contact us or share your images directly via this anonymous tip form

Area Ingelandstraat, Alkmaar (theft Volkswagen Golf)
All images from January 22, 8:30 PM to January 23, 3:30 AM.
 
Area of ​​Van Aylvaweg, Witmarsum (theft of license plates)
All images from January 22, 6:00 PM to January 23, 3:30 AM.
 
Area around Julianaplein, Groningen (stolen car reported around 4:20 am)
All images from January 23, 3:45 am to 5:00 am.
 
Drents Museum area (explosion and burglary)
All images from January 25, 3:00 AM to 4:00 AM.
 
Area N33 / Grolloërstraat, Rolde (car fire, stolen Golf and possible escape)
All images from January 25, 03:30 to 04:15.
 
Area around and between Groningen and Assen (Location car wanted)
Images of gray Volkswagen Golf with license plate K-813-BK or P-343-RL.
From January 23 04.20 am to January 25 03.50 am.

January 28, 2025

Tuesday, January 28, 2025 - No comments

An Interview with Noah Charney – founder of ARCA

By Edgar Tijhuis*

Introduction

Dr. Noah Charney founded ARCA in 2006 while still a postgraduate student. He will lecture during ARCA's summer training programmes on his area of expertise: the motives and methods of forgers.

How did you get into art crime?

I became interested in art crime during my postgraduate studies in London at The Courtauld Institute, where I pursued an MA in art history. Initially torn between playwrighting and art history, I chose the latter after encouragement from professors who felt playwrighting could be self-taught.

While studying, I combined my love of art and writing, gaining experience through summer jobs at Christie’s and the Yale British Arts Center. Around this time, The Da Vinci Code and The Thomas Crown Affair remake inspired me to write my debut novel, The Art Thief, blending suspense with accurate art-world research. Its success enabled me to become a full-time writer.

What led you to the concept of an association dedicated to studying art crime?

Researching The Art Thief revealed art crime as an underdeveloped academic field with little structured study.  As I began a PhD at Cambridge on the history of art theft, I organised the first-ever art crime conference, bringing together law enforcement agencies working in the field, including folks with the FBI, Metropolitan Police, the Carabinieri, and academics, thinking academics, art historians, museum professionals, art conservators, and archaeologists could help inform future police enforcement.

The conference gained unexpected attention when The New York Times Magazine featured it, labelling me as a trailblazer pioneer in the field. This success led me to establish ARCA (the Association for Research into Crimes against Art) to bring together and to connect specialists and to promote the serious study of art crime. At the time, there were only a few dozen experts in the field, and no specialised training programs, so I decided we needed to create one. 

What has ARCA achieved?

ARCA has significantly advanced art crime studies. In 2009, we launched the first postgraduate program focused on art crime, held in a picturesque Italian town. The same year, we introduced The Journal of Art Crime, the first peer-reviewed journal in this focused area and hosted the first annual "Amelia" art crime conference.

Many of our forensic analysts and directors in allied sectors. We’ve expanded into documentaries, partnerships with companies like Samsung, and recently launched a book series with Bloomsbury.

Initially, ARCA was a homemade effort from me and my wife, but overtime many others got involved and took over the leadership of ARCA, allowing me to focus on teaching and advocacy.

Today, ARCA continues to grow, connecting academia, law enforcement, and the art world to deepen everyone's understanding of art crime.

What is the purpose of the course you are teaching this summer?

I teach a concise course on art forgery, a subject of my book The Art of Forgery (2015).  A new edition is due in late 2025 with Bloomsbury.

Forgery is a fascinating topic, filled with quirky characters and surprising stories. My approach was the first to apply a criminological framework to what had been anecdotal studies of individual forgers. One concept I developed is “the provenance trap,” which highlights how criminals manipulate provenance research to deceive experts into authenticating forgeries.

Which forger fascinates you the most?

Lothar Malskat stands out for his humorous story. He included hidden “time bombs” in his forged medieval frescoes, such as a turkey and a portrait of Marlene Dietrich, to prove he was a forger. Determined to expose himself, he even sued himself, acting as both the defendant and the prosecution!

What is it like in Amelia, where ARCA's summer program is based?

Amelia is an idyllic Umbrian hilltop town. I discovered it while teaching at Yale University, where their Italian language program was transitioning to Siena. Amelia sought a new academic program, and it was a perfect fit for ARCA.

The town is small enough that our students and professors bring economic and cultural liveliness. It’s ancient, charming, and not overly touristy, offering an authentic Italian experience. Our participants often feel “adopted” by the locals and return frequently to visit.

Amelia is also close to Rome yet affordable, making it an ideal location for our program as it keeps the costs down.  Even best-selling author Daniel Silva, whose protagonist is an art restorer, used to summer here and set a scene in one of his novels at the city's local gelateria.

What is special about this program?

Our programme was groundbreaking when it launched and remains the most comprehensive interdisciplinary programming in art and antiquities crime out there.  It combines group and individualised classroom learning with the experience of living in a beautiful Italian town.

We organize amazing field classes which are connected to the courses, evaluating risk management at museums and exploring endangered Etruscan tombs. It’s a unique blend of intense academia and real-world experiences.

Which course would you like to take yourself?

I’d love to take all the courses, but if I had to choose, it would be Tasha Dobbin Bennett’s. She’s a professor at Oxford College at Emory University and an accomplished Egyptologist and bioarchaeologist. After completing our program herself, she joined our faculty, and her course is a fantastic addition.

Any advice for participants coming to Amelia?

Just go for it. It will be one of the most enriching summers of your life, both academically and personally. And don’t forget to enjoy the cappuccinos!


* Edgar Tijhuis is the Academic Director of ARCA. 


January 26, 2025

Looted Treasures Twice Over: The Daring Heist of Dacian Gold in Drents Museum

Drents Museum 

In the early hours of January 25, 2025, the Drents Museum in Assen, Netherlands, became the scene of a daring heist that sent shockwaves through the world of cultural heritage protection.  An explosion rocked the museum at approximately 3:45 a.m., causing significant damage to nearby buildings on the Brink and among the stolen items taken were some of the most iconic treasures of Romania's ancient Dacian kingdom, pieces already burdened by a complex and troubled history.  In its 170-year existence, such a major incident has never occurred at the museum. 

The Incident

Coinciding with the museum's ongoing exhibition Dacia - Realm of Gold and Silver, the explosion, caught on CCTV camera was engineered by at least three accomplices and facilitated their entry into the building from the landscaped area above the museum's underground extension.  The exhibition showcased 673 artefacts from Romania, many made of gold and silver and offered visitors a glimpse into the grandeur of the Dacian culture that once thrived in the area of modern-day Romania from the 1st century BCE to the 2nd century CE.

Public park and garden above Drents Museum underground extension

During the burglary, four priceless artefacts were recorded by Dutch Politie as having been stolen.  They are:

  • Three gold spiral Dacian bracelets, dating from the 1st century BCE - 1st century CE. They were originally found at the Sarmizegetusa Regia archaeological site, one of the six Dacian fortification systems included on the UNESCO Heritage List.
  • The golden helmet of Coțofenești, from the 5th century BCE.  This masterpiece of Geto-Dacian craftsmanship was discovered by children after a heavy rainstorm in 1927. 

Shortly after the explosion at the museum authorities also discovered a burned-out vehicle at 4:15 a.m. at the intersection of Grolloërstraat and Marwijksoord with the N33, near Rolde. It is not yet known if the thieves were connected to the museum's theft, but it is being speculated that the culprits may have transferred to another waiting car after setting the first ablaze.

Looted Twice Over

Stolen from the Drents Museum - Image Credit: Vibeke Berens

This is not the first time that three of the four stolen artefacts have been the target of criminals.  The heavy gold polyspiral bracelets, one of the most original creations of the Dacian artisans that survived through ages, were part of a group of 24 royal bangles plundered from the Sarmizegetusa Regia archaeological site between 1998 and 2001.  The bangles were part of a high value cache of Dacian material which some scholars believe may have been hidden as part of the gold reserves of Dacia's last king, Decebalus.


Once in circulation, the bracelets were dispersed into private collections in several countries.  Of the 24 spirals stolen between 1998 and 2001, only 13 were recovered by Romanian authorities with the assistance of collaborating law enforcement agencies in eight countries, including the United States, Germany, Serbia and Switzerland, many of which had to be purchased back from good faith purchasers.  The last was returned in May 2011 and despite the heavy costs involved, their recovery was hailed as a major victory for the protection of cultural heritage.


Sadly discussing the Drents Museum theft, former Prosecutor General of Romania, Augustin Lazăr, who worked the looting case for ten years, informed Radio Romania that:
"The stolen spirals are 3 of the first 4 Dacian royal gold bracelets recovered by Romanian authorities in January 2007."

Romanian authorities bought back these four artefacts from a U.S. collector paying US$307,000.  The bracelets, weight approximately 1 kilo each,  


Stolen from the Drents Museum
Image Credit: Vibeke Berens
The golden helmet of Coțofeneșt                                                                Weighing in at .72608 kilograms, this Getae helmet's discovery in the Romanian village of Poiana Varbilau in 1929 spared it from being lost, unlike many pieces of Romania’s National Treasury confiscated by  Russia in 1916.  It serves as a vivid reminder of the wealth and culture of these ancient peoples as craftsmen and artists.

Can (and should) priceless art be displayed in Museums?

The Drents Museum theft raises significant questions about the security needed for internationally loaned artefacts and the persistent risks tied to high-value museum thefts like those we have witnessed these past months. 

Exhibitions like Dacia - Realm of Gold and Silver or Luxe de poche. Petits objets précieux au siècle des Lumières at the the Musée Cognacq-Jay which both suffered thefts, aim to bring cultures together by sharing the marvels of our past with the world, and by fostering a greater appreciation for our shared human history.  However, incidents like these expose the real vulnerabilities inherent in displaying priceless treasures in museum settings as for every step these institutions take to make global heritage more accessible, they also must grapple with the complex challenge of safeguarding irreplaceable pieces from increasingly violent and sophisticated criminals.

While cultural exchange through artefact loans enriches global understanding, museums thefts while objects are on loan can also discourage future collaborations making these recent thefts that much more painful. Along the same theme, museums face mounting pressure to balance public access with enhanced security protocols, a task made even more daunting with limited budgets or when, like this weekend, thieves utilise heavy explosives to cary out their crimes.  

A Reflection on Yesterday's Loss

The looting of cultural heritage is not merely a theft of snuff boxes where diamonds can be pried off or Dacian gold that can be melted down, but the theft of history, identity, and shared human achievement.  To understand how these golden bracelets made their way out of Romania and onto the antiquities market, Boston-based Kogainon Films, interviewed many people, including Hungarian born and London-based antiquities dealer William Veres for a documentary film that explored the complexity of this 10+ year investigation. 

That three of these artefacts now find themselves stolen for a second time is a grim reminder of the ever-pressing challenges faced in protecting the past while still allowing for public access to cultural material which shaped our existence. 

Can you help?

Dutch Authorities are urging anyone who may have been near the Drents Museum, the site of the car fire, or along any potential escape route to come forward with any information which could prove beneficial to their investigation. If you noticed unusual activity, suspicious individuals, or vehicles between 3:00 and 4:30 a.m. on January 25, your observations may be critical to learning more about the suspects in this case.

Residents are encouraged to check any available footage from doorbell cameras or dashcams during that time frame as even minor details might provide a significant lead.

Do you have tips or information about the explosion, burglary, or the stolen artifacts? Did you see individuals lingering near the museum in the days leading up to the heist? Have you heard anything about the whereabouts of the stolen treasures, which may already be circulating in criminal circles?

If so, please contact the authorities through the following channels:

  • Tip Line: 0800-6070
  • Online Tip Form: Accessible via the police website
  • Anonymous Reporting: Meld Misdaad Anoniem at 0800-7000
  • Criminal Intelligence Team: For confidential tips, call 088-6617734

In urgent cases, dial 112. Every piece of information counts in the effort to recover these priceless cultural treasures.