Another Bürki object returns to Italy

Source: MMA

A psykter column-krater attributed to the Troilos painter was deaccessioned by New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art in June 2026 (1986.11.12; BAPD 15922). The history of the piece was recorded by the MMA:

[By 1982, (perhaps late 1970s), with Sandro Cimicchi, Basel, Switzerland]; [until 1985, with Christoph Leon, Basel, Switzerland]; [1985-86, with Christie’s, London]; acquired in 1986, purchased from Christie’s, London (lot 141).

However, the Manhattan DA added that the krater was 'smuggled out of Italy by Fritz Bürki'. The Christie's sale was on July 16, 1986.

The references on the MMA website omit the publication in the volume of Essays in Honor of Dietrich von Bothmer (2002).

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Two more Bothmer donations returned to Italy

Cup attributed to near Psiax. Source: MMA.

In February 2026 two fragmentary Attic cups that had been given to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art by Dietrich von Bothmer were deaccessioned pending their return to Italy. Both were donated in 1984, and both had been acquired from Fritz Bürki. One was a bilingual cup attributed to near Psiax (1984.500.1; BAPD 44520) and the other cup was attributed to Epiktetos with a kalos inscription of Hip(p)archos (1984.500.2; BAPD 9055412).

We should note that the MMA has earlier returned a black-figured mastos attributed to Psiax (1975.11.6; BAPD 4525). Bürki was the source of other returns from the MMA including fragments from a Makron cup (1978.11.7a, d), and fragments of the Apulian dinos attributed to the Dinos painter (1984.11.7). He was also the source of some 11 per cent of the fragments in the sample selection of Bothmer fragment collection acquired by the MMA.

The MMA returns 45 more antiquities to Italy

Source: MMA

The Manhattan DA has announced that 45 objects derived from New York's Metropolitan Museum have been returned to Italy. They include a marble fishplate and two marble dishes said to have been found together that had been handled by Robert Hecht (the fishplate) or Jonathan P. Rosen (the bowls) (inv. 1984.11.6; 1985.401.1–2). Another group of 40 Italic items had been donated by Mr & Mrs Jonathan P. Rosen (inv. 1991.171.2–41). Some of these pieces feature in the catalogue of the Etruscan collection. It should also be recalled that Rosen was the source for some of the pieces of amber that have already been returned to Italy.

Another piece was an Attic red-figured psykter column-krater attributed to the Troilos painter that is said to be have been removed from Italy by Fritz Bürki (inv. 1986.11.12; BAPD 15922).

Other classical items from the MMA are to be handed back to Greece and Türkiye including the terracottas from the Panionion.

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Classical Returns from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art

Over 900 classical items - and perhaps as many as 1,200 if the Lydian haul material is included - have been deaccessioned from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Over 15 entries from the handbook to the classical collection form part of the returns.

These returns are now discussed in: 

Gill, D. W. J. 2026. "Context Matters: Classical Repatriations and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art." Journal of Art Crime 35: 55–93.

The scale of the deaccessions is staggering and does not reflect well on those who made the recommendations to acquire.

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MMA returns terracottas to Türkiye

Source: MMA

LM has drawn attention to the three terracottas apparently from the Panionion in Türkiye that the Metropolitan Museum of Art acquired as a gift from Robert Hecht in 1992. Prior to this they had been handled by George Zakos. All three terracottas were returned to Türkiye in June 2026.

The business relationship between Zakos and Hecht is worth exploring. Will other material derived from this partnership be returning to Türkiye?

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The Carlos: Don't Mention the Donor

Source: MCCM.
Loan from the Republic of Italy

The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University has issued a "story" about their acquisition of looted Laconian pottery fragments from Italy ("Thieves, soda cans and an ancient vessel"). There is no mention of the donor in this new report: "the five sherds were photographed in the collection of the individual who donated them to the Carlos". It is more than significant that the donor was the late Dietrich von Bothmer who has been linked to a number of sherds that have had to be returned to Italy. Why does the "story" fail to name one of the most prolific modern collectors of pottery fragments? 

Henry Kim, the director of the Carlos, reminds us of the importance of transparency: "It’s a notion based in fear ... which the Carlos staff counteracts through vociferous transparency about their own efforts." Perhaps he needs to reflect a little more on the meaning of obscured transparency.

See Gill, D. W. J., and C. Tsirogiannis. 2024. "Fragmented pots and Dietrich von Bothmer." MAAR 69: 535–94 [online].  

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Further returns to Italy from the MMA

Formerly New York MMA 1991.11.6.1–2.
Source: MMA

New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned another batch of Greek and Roman antiquities as a result of investigations by the Manhattan DA into objects handled by Frieda Tchacos, Gianfranco Becchina, and Fritz Bürki [see Manhattan DA press release].

Only one piece is highlighted in the press release, a fragmentary Sicilian terracotta relief:

Two additional adjoining fragments of the votive relief were found in the archaeological excavations of the temple of Demeter Malophoros at Selinunte, Sicily, less than ten miles from Becchina’s hometown. Those fragments remain in the Palermo Museum.

This is linked to the Becchina investigation. The relief had formed part of the Norbert Schimmel collection. One other Schimmel piece is among the repatriated objects, a bronze handle attachment in the form of a mask. Other Schimmel items appeared in earlier returns.

The two Bürki linked pieces were objects presented by Dietrich von Bothmer, an Attic bilingual cup attributed to near Psiax, and a fragmentary cup attributed to Epiktetos.

The Tchacos pieces include a pair of spherical Greek gold earrings, a pair of Roman silver cups —one carries a weight inscription for the pair — and an inscribed lid of a Roman cinerarium (Sextus Flavius Pencarpus). There is also a forged Roman funerary inscription.

These latest returns have implications for other material. A batch of material from Selinunte is discussed in my Artwashing the Past (2025) [chapter 11]. The Tchacos investigation will lead to the numerous fragments acquired by other museums (as well as the nearly 300 fragments in the Bothmer collection: and these are just the ones identified in the sample).

I am grateful to Jason Felch for drawing my attention to one of the Schimmel pieces.