Overview
- The 1959 Gibson Les Paul “Keithburst” is prized for its rare sunburst finish and its role in landmark performances by Keith Richards in 1964 and Mick Taylor through 1971.
- Taylor’s representatives assert he bought the guitar from the Stones’ road manager in 1967 and that it vanished during a 1971 burglary at Villa Nellcôte while recording Exile on Main St.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art points to continuous provenance records from Richards through owners such as Adrian Miller, Cosmo Verrico and Dirk Ziff, noting its appearance at Christie’s in 2004 and a Met exhibition in 2019.
- Taylor’s lawyers have formally requested an independent expert inspection of the guitar to verify ownership, and the Met maintains it has received no communication on the matter.
- The dispute highlights questions about museum acquisition practices, the strength of provenance research and the complexities of repatriating contested cultural artifacts.