The FBI is investigating the sale of a whole lot of things bought on eBay suspected to be stolen and lacking artifacts from the British Museum, in response to a brand new report revealed by BBC Information.
The regulation enforcement company assisted the Metropolitan Police with the latest return of 268 objects from a collector in Washington, DC. The FBI additionally contacted a purchaser in New Orleans by requesting info by way of e mail about two objects bought on eBay.
The e-mail from the FBI agent mentioned they had been aiding the Metropolitan Police in its investigation over the British Museum’s lacking, stolen, and broken objects. The client, Tonio Birbiglia, instructed the BBC that he purchased the 2 gems from the identical eBay account later recognized by whistleblower Ittai Gradel as promoting objects from the British Museum’s assortment for as little as $51.
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Birbiglia instructed the BBC that he paid £42 for an amethyst gem depicting Cupid in Could 2016, and later bought an orange scarab-beetle gem for £170.
The BBC reported that neither the FBI, the British Museum, nor British police request additional info from Birbiglia, and he’s not in possession of this stuff.
The British Museum introduced final August that historical gems, jewellery, and different objects from its assortment had been lacking or broken. Most of the objects had not been catalogued or photographed by the museum.
The establishment’s press launch didn’t point out the identify of the staffer that was fired, however the person was quickly recognized by media as senior curator Peter Higgs. The museum is at the moment suing Higgs in a civil case. In keeping with courtroom paperwork, the British Museum alleges the thefts from its storerooms befell over a decade and gross sales of the traditional gems to “at the least” 45 patrons generated an estimated £100,000 in complete.
Higgs has not been charged or arrested and his household has denied the allegations.
The influence of the thefts on the British Museum has been immense, with resignations, testimonies at parliamentary committees, an impartial evaluate, as as effectively renewed calls for the repatriation of high-profile objects. These embody director Hartwig Fischer instantly stepping down as a substitute of departing early in 2024 as beforehand introduced; the next departure of deputy director Jonathan Williams; the impartial evaluate’s 36 suggestions for the museum’s safety, governance, and record-keeping operations; in addition to plans for an entire documentation of the museum’s assortment in 5 years at a value of $12.1 million.
The dearth of cataloguing of the museum’s assortment additionally prompted the creation of an online web page requesting the general public’s help in finding a few of the lacking and stolen objects. The BBC additionally reported that in some circumstances, collectors have agreed to donate objects to the British Museum in order that employees can assess in the event that they got here from its assortment.
Out of the 1,500 lacking, stolen and broken objects, the British Museum introduced earlier this month it had recovered 626 items in addition to positioned 100 extra that had not but returned to the establishment.
The British Museum and the FBI didn’t reply to a request for remark from ARTnews.