Manhattan DA Announces Return of Over 100 Antiquities to Italy
February 19, 2025
The Antiquities Coalition commends Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., his office, and investigative partners for announcing the return of 107 antiquities collectively valued at $1.2 million to the people of Italy.
The Manhattan DA’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit recovered the antiquities pursuant to multiple ongoing criminal investigations led by the unit. The pieces, including a Terracotta Kylix Band-Cup, an Apulian Volute Krater, and a Bronze Patera, represent centuries of Italian history and culture.
The United States is the largest market for art—both licit, and unfortunately, illicit—in the world. The Manhattan DA’s office, alongside Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), continues to combat the illicit antiquities trade, protecting American consumers from financing criminal networks. Since its founding, the ATU has recovered almost 6,000 antiquities valued at over $460 million and has returned nearly 5,400 of them so far to 29 countries.
We applaud the ongoing efforts of DA Bragg, the Antiquities Trafficking Unit, and their partners in protecting global heritage and ensuring that stolen artifacts are rightfully returned.
Learn more about the return, here.