Worcester Art Museum handed over a nearly 2,000-year-old bronze bust in its collection after officials in New York presented evidence that the piece of artwork had been stolen from its country of origin.
The bust, called “Portrait of a Lady (A Daughter of Marcus Aurelius?),” dates back to 160-180 AD and is thought to have come from a large family shrine in Turkey, according to a statement from the museum.
The museum bought the bust in 1966 and was “provided limited information about the object’s history,” the statement read.
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“The Museum was involved by the vendor that it had been found in southwestern Anatolia (the Roman Province of Lycia) that same year,” the statement said. “Although the Museum conducted its own research at that time, it now acquires objects with greater diligence.”
Earlier this year, officials with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office provided new information to the museum, which led the museum to cooperate with the office’s investigation of the object’s history of ownership.
“Based on the new evidence that was provided, the Museum determined that the bronze was likely stolen and improperly imported, and has carried out the process of safely transferring the object,” the statement read.
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The statement continued that the bust has been studied as a “fascinating example of ancient Roman craft.” The head and shoulders of the bust were found together, but not attached, though the museum speculated that they would have been during antiquity.
“We are very thankful for new information provided to us,” said Matthias Waschek, the Worcester Art Museum’s Jean and Myles McDonough director. “The ethical standards applicable to museums are much changed since the 1960s, and the Museum is committed to managing its collection consistent with modern ethical standards.”
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“We are honored to play a part in the return of this Roman bust, which has been enjoyed by visitors to the Museum for over five decades,” added Claire C. Whitner, the Worcester Art Museum’s director of curatorial affairs and the James A. Welu curator of European art.
The museum was in the news earlier this summer after former curator Rachel Parikh filed a lawsuit against the museum and its officers, claiming discrimination on racial and sexual grounds, as well as retaliation.
Parikh, a woman of Indian descent, claimed Waschek subjected her to mocking, retaliation and a hostile work environment, including performing stereotyped Indian accents on multiple occasions.
