Shelby White, a prominent collector of antiquities and a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has been revealed as the former owner of dozens of looted artifacts that were recently returned to their countries of origin by the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
In the past two years, 89 artifacts from White’s collection, valued at $69 million, were seized by the special Antiquities Trafficking Unit after they were found to have been stolen from 10 different countries, including Greece, Turkey, Iraq, China and Yemen. Some of the items were on loan to the Met, where White has served as a trustee for 33 years and donated $20 million to the museum’s Greek and Roman Art galleries.
White, 84, has cooperated with the authorities and has not been accused of knowingly buying stolen antiquities. Her lawyer, Peter Chavkin, said in a statement that White and her late husband, Leon Levy, a legendary financier, bought the items “in good faith” from public auctions and reputable dealers. He added that White has always been willing to return any item in her collection that was shown to have been wrongfully taken by others.
The Manhattan DA, Alvin Bragg, said in a statement that his office will not allow New York City to be a “safe harbor” for stolen cultural artifacts. He said that since early 2022, his office has repatriated 950 antiquities to 17 countries as part of its efforts to combat the illicit trade of ancient art.
The Met has also been under scrutiny for its collecting practices and its relationship with White, who sits on its acquisitions, buildings and finance committees. The museum’s director, Max Hollein, has praised White as a “profoundly generous supporter” who had an “enormous impact” at the museum. He also said that the museum has appointed White to a task force that will advise on its collecting policies and devote more resources to provenance research.
The seizure of White’s artifacts has raised questions about the ethics and transparency of the art market and the role of museums in preserving cultural heritage. Matthew Bogdanos, a retired Marine colonel who heads the Manhattan antiquities unit, said that dealers, private collectors and museums have for years sat on the fence if the subject of illicit antiquities was raised. He said that his office is determined to hold accountable those who profit from the plundering of ancient civilizations.
Relevant articles:
– Looted artifacts found in Met trustee’s home were bought ‘in good faith’, The Guardian, 22 Jul 2023
– At the Met, She Holds Court. At Home, She Held 71 Looted Antiquities., The New York Times, 17 Jul 2023
– Investigators seize $69M worth of stolen artifacts bought by Met trustee Shelby White, MSN, 19 Jul 2023
– Looted art, artifacts seized by Manhattan DA were recovered from home of Met trustee, UPI, 2 Dec 2022