[MSN] Italy to ask Japan to return antiquities allegedly looted (It is about time the MIHO is confronted with its museum full of looted antiquities! T.C.)

[Museum Security Network Mailinglist]

Italy to ask Japan to return antiquities allegedly looted

The Associated Press
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
TOKYO

Italian authorities suspect that some Roman antiquities in Japanese museums
may have been looted, a news report said Thursday amid efforts by Italy to
recover relics of its rich past it says were smuggled out of the country.

The Italian government plans to put together a catalog of about 100 ancient
treasures and ask the Japanese Cultural Affairs Agency to cooperate in
recovering them, Japan's largest daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported from Rome,
citing unnamed Italian prosecutors.

About 50 of the 100 allegedly smuggled items currently reside in the Miho
Museum, a private museum in Shiga, western Japan, that is renowned for its
collection of antique art, Yomiuri said. The antiquities in question at Miho
include a sculpture and fresco painting from ancient Rome.

The report did not say when the suspected items were taken to Japan.

Japanese officials, however, said Thursday they had not been contacted by
Italian authorities and had no idea whether any of the Roman artifacts in
Japanese museums had been looted.

Hiroaki Katayama, head of Miho's cultural department, told The Associated
Press the museum does not know which items are suspected of having been
looted, adding that the number of items believed to be from the Roman period
is less than 50.

"We believe our collection does not include anything that was dug up
illegally. We don't know what kind of proof they have. We would like to know
the details (of the allegations) as soon as possible," Katayama said.

Cultural Affairs Agency official Rio Higuchi said officials did not know if
any looted antiquities had been smuggled into Japan.

Italy has been cracking down on antiquities trafficking and campaigning to
recover artifacts it contends were stolen or illegally exported from the
country and sold to European and U.S. museums.

New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and Los
Angeles' J. Paul Getty Museum have agreed to return antiquities.

http://www.iht.com/