US Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, announced the return of two antiquities collectively valued at more than $500,000 to the people of Libya, saying the artifacts, “Veiled Head of a Lady” and “Bust of a Bearded Man,” were both looted from the ancient city of Cyrene, which faced rampant looting in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s shortly before the appearance of the pieces on the international art market.
The artifacts were returned during a repatriation ceremony attended by the Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of Libya in DC, Khaled Daief, and US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Deputy Special Agent-in-Charge, Mike Alfonso.
“These are more than just beautiful artifacts – they are windows into thousands of years of culture and deserve to be returned to their country of origin. Manhattan is home to some of the most prized art and history pieces in the entire world, but they must be acquired legally. We will not allow New York to be a hub for trafficked antiquities, and will continue to crackdown on looting and smuggling across the globe in coordination with our law enforcement partners.” District Attorney Bragg said.
The Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of Libya Khaled Daief said: “Thanks to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, we are grateful for the opportunity to repatriate this cultural artifact. We would like to express our highest appreciation and gratitude for the efforts undertaken by the Manhattan District Attorney and his staff, the Department of Homeland Security, and everyone that worked to ensure that this invaluable Libyan artifact returns to its homeland in Shahat Museum.”
As part of an ongoing criminal investigation concerning antiquities looted from the Middle East and North Africa, the Antiquities Trafficking Unit uncovered evidence that the two antiquities repatriated today had been looted from Cyrene, an archaeological site located near modern-day Shahat, Libya.
Dating to roughly 350 B.C.E, the Veiled Head of a Lady is valued at nearly half a million dollars and was seized from the Metropolitan Museum of Art where it was on view since 1998.
Prior to its display at the Met, the piece had been looted from a tomb in Cyrene, smuggled into Egypt by an antiquities trafficker known to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, and then shipped to New York.
Dating to 100-300 C.E., the Bust of a Bearded Man is valued at $30,000 and was also looted from Cyrene, where it originated in a tomb rich with small niches. The piece was smuggled from Libya to Geneva, Switzerland, before arriving in Manhattan.
