Art collector returns stolen works valued at $ 70 million

Photo: Jason Kempin / Getty Images

Manhattan authorities reported that an American billionaire and one of the world’s largest collectors of ancient art, returned 100 stolen relics, which belonged to his collection, worth $ 70 million dollars.

The man in question, the well-known collector, Michael Steinhardt, shamelessly showed his passion and obsession for ancient art regardless of its origin ; that is, without caring about the legality of the origin of the collection object.

“For decades, Michael Steinhardt displayed a voracious appetite for looted artifacts without caring about the legality of his actions, the legitimacy of the pieces he bought and sold, or the serious cultural damage he caused around the world”

Manhattan District Attorney

The Manhattan prosecutor’s office explained the details of the recovery operation through a statement, signed by the prosecutor Cy Vance Jr. Investigations had discovered that Steinhardt had among his collection artifacts looted and taken from at least 11 countries by about 12 criminal groups.

The billionaire collector, apparently er, it had no geographic limits, no criminal gangs, no money laundering, grave robbers, among others. However, there were no criminal charges against Steinhardt.

For authorities it was enough with the return of the 180 pieces to be returned to their original owners. The lawyers for the New York collector also considered that “it was easier to return the pieces than to go to trial for them.”

Andrew Levander and Theodore Wells Jr. reiterated that finally the best thing has been that “objects unfairly taken by others were returned to their countries of origin.”

But that’s not all, Michael Steinhardt’s lawyers said that an agreement of was also established “Lifetime ban” on acquiring antiques. This is an unprecedented ban.

This investigation began in the year 2017 with the search for a statue of the Bull’s Head that had been stolen in Lebanon during the The country’s civil war.

To carry out the investigation, the US authorities had the cooperation of countries such as Bulgaria, Egypt, Iraq, Israel , Italy, Jordan, Libya, Syria and Turkey.

The authorities’ statement highlights that, for Steinhardt buying these objects was a simple possession, it was only merchandise. At no time was it respected that they were part of a treasure, of the world’s cultural heritage that had been looted.

While the collector’s attorneys argued that “the merchants from whom Steinhardt purchased these objects made specific statements about the legal ownership of the same and their supposed origin ”. But the statements were false, so in theory Steinhardt can claim compensation from the merchants who scammed him.

Until now, the Traffic Unit of Antiquities of the Manhattan Attorney’s Office have recovered thousands of stolen art objects, worth $ 200 millions of dollars. Many have already been returned to their owners and others are waiting to be repatriated.