Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Repatriates 44 Ancient Artifacts

The decision follows an investigation revealing the objects had been looted or stolen, with no current employees implicated in the acquisitions.

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) has repatriated 44 ancient artifacts to their countries of origin, including Italy, Egypt, and Turkey, following an investigation led by New York State and federal officials.
The repatriated works, which entered the museum's collection between the 1970s and 1990s, include a bronze statue of an Etruscan warrior dated from the 5th Century B.C.E., a terracotta Italian wine flask from 330 B.C.E. and an ancient Egyptian cosmetics vessel.
The investigation began in May when officials requested documentation related to 28 objects suspected of having been looted or improperly removed from their countries of origin. The inquiry was later expanded to include a total of 61 works.
In October, authorities presented evidence indicating that more than half of the objects had been looted, stolen or displaced, leading to the museum's decision to repatriate the 44 artifacts.
No evidence linked current employees to unlawful activity related to the initial acquisition of the returned objects.