The FBI is investigating the sale of hundreds of suspected stolen treasures from the British Museum to US buyers. The BBC reports that the FBI has assisted in the return of 268 items sold to a Washington, DC, collector, which the museum claims as its property.
Last year, the British Museum announced that numerous ancient gems, jewelry, and other artifacts were missing, stolen, or damaged. An FBI agent contacted a New Orleans buyer, seeking information about two pieces bought on eBay. The buyer no longer has the items and doesn’t believe they have been found.
Ongoing recovery efforts
Out of 1,500 estimated stolen or missing items, the museum has recovered 626 and located 100 more. Most stolen items were uncatalogued, complicating the process of proving ownership. The museum is working with collectors to assess and reclaim these artifacts.
Curator accused of theft
Peter Higgs, a senior curator, is accused of stealing, damaging, melting down, and selling artifacts, allegedly profiting around £100,000. Court documents reveal Higgs sold items, mostly unregistered, on eBay under the alias “sultan1966.” He denies the allegations and is defending against a civil claim.
The British Museum is tracing items sold by Higgs, who used the name “Paul Higgins” with buyers. New Orleans buyer Tonio Birbiglia confirmed buying two items from “Sultan 1966” in 2016, but the British Museum has yet to examine these artifacts.
International efforts
Danish antiquities dealer Dr. Ittai Gradel, who first alerted the museum to the thefts, tracked down items sold to buyers in cities including Hamburg, Paris, and Hong Kong. Some gems ended up in Germany’s Deutsches Edelsteinmuseum.
One notable item, a rare 2nd-century obsidian head of Hercules, was bought by Dr. Gradel for £300 and loaned to the museum for an exhibition. Despite being uncatalogued, the British Museum believes it belongs to its collection and has since reclaimed it.