This marks another positive step in the Met’s ongoing collaboration with foreign governments to repatriate antiquities.
Following an extensive investigation by experts, a Sumerian alabaster vessel and two Babylonian terracotta sculptures will be returned to Iraq. This announcement comes as part of the Met’s Cultural Heritage Initiative, an effort that includes thorough research into the provenance of objects in its collection. According to My Modern Met, the museum has also assembled a dedicated team of specialists to ensure that all acquisitions comply with legal and ethical standards.
The items being repatriated date back to the third to second millennia BCE. Specifically, the Sumerian vessel — notable for its base adorned with two rams — and a Babylonian female head were donated to the museum in 1982, while a Babylonian male head was purchased by the Met in 1972. Both the vessel and the male head were once sold by Robin Symes, a dealer notorious for trafficking looted antiquities. After working closely with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the museum confirmed that these artifacts should rightfully be returned.
“The Met is committed to responsible collecting and to the careful stewardship of the world’s cultural heritage. We have made significant investments to accelerate provenance research into our collection. We are grateful for the ongoing dialogue with Iraq about future collaborations, and we look forward to working together to advance knowledge and appreciation of Iraqi art and culture,” said Max Hollein, the museum’s director, in a statement.
The return of these valuable antiquities is yet another example of the Met’s proactive partnerships with other nations to address issues of cultural heritage and ownership. These efforts have also paved the way for new cultural exchanges. Other recent initiatives include the return of a 7th-century BCE bronze griffin head to Greece and the transfer of ownership of two stone sculptures to Yemen under a historic custodial agreement — under this arrangement, the Met will care for and display the sculptures until Yemen requests their repatriation.
