Prosecutors in Manhattan seize $20 million headless bronze STATUE from Ohio museum over fears that artwork depicting Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius was looted from Turkey
- Authorities have seized a reportedly looted headless statue believed to depict Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius from a museum in Cleveland, Ohio.
- The bronze art was taken earlier last month by New York investigators investigating claims that it was looted from Bubon, southern Turkey, in the 1960s.
- The 76-inch statue is about 1,800 years old and is valued at about $20 million: Authorities haven’t yet said how the statue ended up in Ohio
A headless bronze statue believed to represent Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius has been seized from the Cleveland Museum of Art by New York authorities investigating antiquities looted from Turkey.
An order signed by a Manhattan judge on August 14 ordered the seizure of the statue, which the museum acquired in 1986 and had been a highlight of its collection of ancient Roman art.
The warrant was obtained as part of an ongoing investigation into a smuggling ring involving antiquities looted from Bubon in southwestern Turkey and trafficked through Manhattan, a spokesman for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said. No details about the investigation were provided.
The 76-inch statue dates from 180 to 200 AD and is worth $20 million, according to the district attorney’s office.
The Roman-era statue is said to represent Marcus Aurelius and was removed from view of the museum just over two months ago
The statue has been seized from the Cleveland Museum of Art by New York authorities investigating antiquities looted from Turkey
The statue was removed from view just over two months ago, and the museum changed the description of the piece on its website, where it now calls the statue a “draped male figure” rather than indicating a connection to Marcus Aurelius, the official said. Cleveland newspaper. The ordinary trader.
Turkey first made claims about the statue in 2012 when it released a list of nearly 20 items from the Cleveland Museum’s collection that it said had been looted from Bubon and other locations.
Museum officials said at the time that Turkey had provided no hard evidence of looting.
Zeynep Boz of Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism said of the statue: “The ongoing dispute over this issue has kept him separated from his hometown.”
In an emailed statement, Ms Boz said the seizure “gives a strong sense of hope, long overdue, for the rectification of an intentional offence”.
Todd Mesek, spokesman for the museum, said in a statement that the museum could not comment on the statue of Marcus Aurelius while a lawsuit over it is pending.
Mr Mesek said the museum “takes provenance issues very seriously and carefully and responsibly assesses claims made to objects in its collection.”
Marcus Aurelius reigned as Roman Emperor from 161 AD to 180 and was a Stoic philosopher whose meditations have been studied over the centuries, seen here in another statue
Marcus Aurelius was the last of the Five Good Emperors and ruled the Roman Empire from 161 to 180 AD. Known for ruling with authority, humanity and competence, he was one of the most revered emperors in Roman history
The Manhattan district attorney’s office has worked in recent years to repatriate hundreds of items looted from countries including Turkey, Greece, Israel and Italy.
It was unclear who might be targeted in the investigation of the statue seized in Cleveland.
Marcus Aurelius reigned as Roman Emperor from 161 AD. to 180 and was a stoic philosopher whose meditations have been studied over the centuries.
The seized image shows a man in flowing robes holding one hand in front of him in a regal pose.