This has never been seen before in the American judiciary: a collector and patron is forbidden for the rest of his life to buy antique works of art again. This ban was placed on the businessman and patron Michael Steinhardt, 81, who owns one of the largest private collections of antiquities in the world. He also had to undertake to return 180 stolen antique pieces valued at around 70 million dollars to their countries of origin. The Manhattan District Attorney announced on Monday.
In his press release, Cyrus Vance, the New York public prosecutor in charge, did not skimp with harsh words: Steinhardt had “for decades had a predatory appetite for looted artifacts, without worrying about the legality of his actions or the legitimacy of the pieces he bought and sold or to take care of the serious cultural damage “. The person responsible for the investigation Special agent Ricky Patel added: “For Steinhardt these valuable artifacts were just goods, things to collect and possess. He showed no respect for the fact that these treasures represent the legacy of cultures around the world from which they were stolen, often during conflict and unrest became.
In Europe, dealers and collectors of looted and smuggled ancient works have little to fear
The investigation into Michael Steinhardt’s collection began four years ago with a statue from Lebanon that he had loaned to the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. The public prosecutor’s office concluded that the statue, as well as numerous other pieces in Steinhardt’s collection, had been illegally exported.
In contrast to Europe, where dealers and collectors of looted and smuggled ancient works have little to fear, the New York prosecutor’s office is increasingly aggressively pursuing these crimes. “Raids by the authorities are now part of everyday life in museums, galleries and art fairs,” said Willi Korte, a Washington lawyer who specializes in art theft, to the SZ.