Overview

• Mick Taylor has demanded that the Met allow an independent expert to inspect the 1959 Gibson Les Paul displayed in New York to confirm it was stolen from him during the 1971 sessions at Villa Nellcôte.
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art maintains its provenance records show the guitar passed from Keith Richards to producer Adrian Miller in 1971, failed to sell at Christie’s in 2004, and was later acquired by collector Dirk Ziff in 2016.
• Taylor’s team cites the guitar’s distinctive “starburst” finish and archival photos of him playing it as unique markers linking it to his tenure with the Rolling Stones.
• Museum spokesperson Ann Ballis says the Met has not accepted any request for outside authentication and stands by its fully documented chain of ownership.
• The dispute underscores broader challenges in verifying provenance and legal title for high-value rock memorabilia in cultural institutions.