Thread by @Terressa_Davis

Just one week after @HSINewYork and @SDNYnews repatriated a $35m collection of Cambodian art, here is the latest on contested Khmer antiquities at @metmuseum from @TMashberg at @nytimesarts.

A 🧵.
nytimes.com/2022/08/18/art…

1) This story began—publicly at least—in February 2012 when @TMashberg and @ralphblu of @nytimesarts revealed that Cambodia was calling on Sotheby's to return a 1000-year-old stone warrior...

... whose feet and pedestal remained at the site of Koh Ker. nytimes.com/2012/02/29/art…

2) The statue had graced the cover of the auction house's 2011 Asia Week catalogue and was expected to fetch $3m.

(Note the dramatic fade-to-black where the feet and pedestal should be)

3) @TulaneLaw Professor and criminal defense attorney told the @nytimesarts at the time, “Every red flag on the planet should have gone off when this was offered for sale. It screams ‘loot.’”
🚨🚩🚨

4) In April, at 🇰🇭's request, then US Attorney @PreetBharara filed suit to seize & repatriate the warrior.

(Fun Fact: This action was in rem, so brought against the property itself, resulting in the whimsical case name of U.S. v. 10th Century Cambodian Sandstone Sculpture.)

5) The New York Times and @jasonfelch, author of @ChasingAphrodit, then identified another 5 pieces allegedly looted from the same place at the same time by the same people.

Cambodia quickly called for their repatriation as well.

Enter the Met. nytimes.com/2013/05/04/art…

6) To its credit, @metmuseum did the right thing, immediately. Nor did they (as Sotheby's later would) hide behind a polished press statement, instead telling @jasonfelch “sufficient evidence came to light... It was dispositive." latimes.com/entertainment/…

7) In the NYT, @MarkVlasic and I wrote: @metmuseum should "be praised for refusing to hold on to looted antiquities... [The Met] did not wait for a court order or lawsuit to return stolen property, demonstrating it is never too early to do the right thing."nytimes.com/2013/05/18/opi…

8) 2 years later in 2014, the Met returns would be joined by the Sotheby's piece, another from Christie's, and yet another from the Norton Simon. In the years since, there have been many others from private collectors and museums.

But the Met was the first to make the leap.

9) Now fast forward to October 2021, when @washingtonpost, @ICIJorg, and an international team broke the #PandoraPapers.

Douglas Latchford, whom we now know trafficked most if not all of the pieces discussed above, figured prominently in this scandal.
washingtonpost.com/world/interact…

10) The #PandoraPapers revealed Latchford, once a respected “adventurer scholar,” smuggled countless antiquities from Cambodian warzones, then hid millions in profits through tax havens, trusts, and offshore accounts.

He laundered these pieces into the global art market...

11) ... including @metmuseum?

@ICIJ asked the institution for comment on the Latchford-linked pieces in their collection.
icij.org/investigations…

12) @metmuseum responded it "has a long & well documented history of responding to claims regarding works of 🖼, restituting objects where appropriate, being transparent about provenance, & supporting further research & scholarship by sharing all known ownership history."

13) Renter @HSINewYork and @SDNYnews, whom the Met reportedly reached out to, following the #PandoraPapers revelations, "to volunteer that we are happy to cooperate with any inquiry."
icij.org/investigations…

14) But they didn't, apparently, call 🇰🇭, whose attorney Brad Gordon told @ICIJorg: "The amazing thing is these 🏛 say they’re researching [the relics’ origins] but they haven't contacted us.. .How can they say they’re researching when they aren’t calling the country of origin?"

15) What will happen now?One thing is clear: thanks to the Met's laudable actions in 2012, it had an unparalleled opportunity to build a strong relationship with Cambodia, centered on mutual respect and cultural exchange. Why didn't that happen?

16) And why, back in 2012, knowing there was "dispositive evidence" two pieces in its collection were blood antiquities in every sense of the name, did the museum not do a full accounting THEN AND THERE?

17) As @CombatLooting said, "It is critical that the Met take steps to regain public trust. The museum is now setting the standard for what not to do on the U.S. art market, when it should be the gold standard for due diligence and transparency." theantiquitiescoalition.org/antiquities-co…

18) Unfortunately the challenges with the collection go far beyond Cambodia. For more on this, and other scandals that raise questions regarding the Met, check out @ChasingAphrodit here: chasingaphrodite.com/tag/metropolit…