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| Museums Begin Returning Artifacts to India in Response to Investigation | Museums Begin Returning Artifacts to India in Response to Investigation |
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| Several American museums have begun returning possibly stolen artifacts to India in response to a major federal investigation into the activities of Subhash Kapoor, a dealer identified by authorities as having once run the largest antiquities smuggling operation on American soil. | Several American museums have begun returning possibly stolen artifacts to India in response to a major federal investigation into the activities of Subhash Kapoor, a dealer identified by authorities as having once run the largest antiquities smuggling operation on American soil. |
| Last week, museums in Hawaii and Massachusetts handed federal officials a total of eight items bought from Mr. Kapoor’s defunct business, Art of the Past, which was on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. | Last week, museums in Hawaii and Massachusetts handed federal officials a total of eight items bought from Mr. Kapoor’s defunct business, Art of the Past, which was on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. |
| In October, the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio returned a $245,000 statue that was bought from Mr. Kapoor in 2006. The museum’s director, Brian Kennedy, said the institution was in talks with federal investigators about giving up another 63 objects. | In October, the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio returned a $245,000 statue that was bought from Mr. Kapoor in 2006. The museum’s director, Brian Kennedy, said the institution was in talks with federal investigators about giving up another 63 objects. |
| “He certainly conned a lot of people,” Mr. Kennedy said of Mr. Kapoor, who is awaiting trial in India on charges of trafficking in $100 million worth of stolen artifacts. Mr. Kapoor, 65, has pleaded not guilty. | “He certainly conned a lot of people,” Mr. Kennedy said of Mr. Kapoor, who is awaiting trial in India on charges of trafficking in $100 million worth of stolen artifacts. Mr. Kapoor, 65, has pleaded not guilty. |
| Another 15 American museums have been identified as holding items obtained from Mr. Kapoor, but many said in the interviews this week that they had researched their Kapoor holdings and were satisfied that their items were not stolen or that they wanted to see proof of illegality before returning the 500 or so objects in question. Among those museums are the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. | Another 15 American museums have been identified as holding items obtained from Mr. Kapoor, but many said in the interviews this week that they had researched their Kapoor holdings and were satisfied that their items were not stolen or that they wanted to see proof of illegality before returning the 500 or so objects in question. Among those museums are the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. |
| “The ones that could be suspect were looked into and at the moment we are convinced that they are O.K.,” said Miranda Carroll, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles museum, which has 62 objects connected to Mr. Kapoor. | “The ones that could be suspect were looked into and at the moment we are convinced that they are O.K.,” said Miranda Carroll, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles museum, which has 62 objects connected to Mr. Kapoor. |
| Tim Hallman, spokesman for the San Francisco museum, which has four Kapoor items, said, “We don’t believe any of the objects are a particular problem and no official claims have been made on any of them.” | Tim Hallman, spokesman for the San Francisco museum, which has four Kapoor items, said, “We don’t believe any of the objects are a particular problem and no official claims have been made on any of them.” |
| The federal investigation, Operation Hidden Idol, began in 2012 with raids on Mr. Kapoor’s gallery and on several warehouses and other locations where he stored Indian antiquities. Officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations, which are jointly directing the investigation, said they had seized tens of millions of dollars worth of objects that they believed were looted from ancient temples in India. | The federal investigation, Operation Hidden Idol, began in 2012 with raids on Mr. Kapoor’s gallery and on several warehouses and other locations where he stored Indian antiquities. Officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations, which are jointly directing the investigation, said they had seized tens of millions of dollars worth of objects that they believed were looted from ancient temples in India. |
| In addition, the Manhattan district attorney’s office, working with the investigators, has prosecuted Mr. Kapoor’s sister; a woman identified as his girlfriend; and the longtime manager of his gallery on charges related to the artifacts. The manager, Aaron Freedman, pleaded guilty in December 2013 to six criminal charges and is said to be cooperating with the authorities. | In addition, the Manhattan district attorney’s office, working with the investigators, has prosecuted Mr. Kapoor’s sister; a woman identified as his girlfriend; and the longtime manager of his gallery on charges related to the artifacts. The manager, Aaron Freedman, pleaded guilty in December 2013 to six criminal charges and is said to be cooperating with the authorities. |
| Investigators are still searching for four intricate bronze sculptures representing Hindu deities, together valued at $14.5 million, that investigators believe, according to court papers, were hidden by Mr. Kapoor’s sister and girlfriend after federal agents began raiding sites associated with the gallery owner in Manhattan and Queens in 2012. | Investigators are still searching for four intricate bronze sculptures representing Hindu deities, together valued at $14.5 million, that investigators believe, according to court papers, were hidden by Mr. Kapoor’s sister and girlfriend after federal agents began raiding sites associated with the gallery owner in Manhattan and Queens in 2012. |
| At the time of the raids, investigators appealed to American museums to review the provenance of any objects sold or donated to them by Mr. Kapoor. Until last week, only one item from an American museum, a bronze sculpture of the Hindu god Ganesha from the Toledo museum, had been turned over. | At the time of the raids, investigators appealed to American museums to review the provenance of any objects sold or donated to them by Mr. Kapoor. Until last week, only one item from an American museum, a bronze sculpture of the Hindu god Ganesha from the Toledo museum, had been turned over. |
| But last week the Honolulu Museum of Art and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass., returned eight items. The Peabody Essex handed over a mid-19th-century portrait bought from Mr. Kapoor in 2006. The Honolulu museum gave back seven objects, including Buddhist relics and figurines obtained from Mr. Kapoor between 1991 and 2003. | But last week the Honolulu Museum of Art and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass., returned eight items. The Peabody Essex handed over a mid-19th-century portrait bought from Mr. Kapoor in 2006. The Honolulu museum gave back seven objects, including Buddhist relics and figurines obtained from Mr. Kapoor between 1991 and 2003. |
| “Having Kapoor’s name on an item means it smells bad enough for us to get rid of it,” said Stephan Jost, director of the Honolulu museum. “We wanted to send a really clear signal that owning tainted art is not part of our mission.” | “Having Kapoor’s name on an item means it smells bad enough for us to get rid of it,” said Stephan Jost, director of the Honolulu museum. “We wanted to send a really clear signal that owning tainted art is not part of our mission.” |
| Some experts said the returns illustrated the kind of rigorous review all institutions with Kapoor items should be undertaking. | Some experts said the returns illustrated the kind of rigorous review all institutions with Kapoor items should be undertaking. |
| Maxwell L. Anderson, director of the Dallas Museum of Art and chairman of the Association of Art Museum Directors’ task force on archaeological materials and ancient art, said museums “have a special research burden” with regard to any Kapoor acquisitions, “and should redouble their efforts to establish whether they have clear titles.” | Maxwell L. Anderson, director of the Dallas Museum of Art and chairman of the Association of Art Museum Directors’ task force on archaeological materials and ancient art, said museums “have a special research burden” with regard to any Kapoor acquisitions, “and should redouble their efforts to establish whether they have clear titles.” |
| Mr. Kapoor also dealt with museums in Australia, the Far East and Europe, and in September the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales returned two items acquired from Mr. Kapoor valued at more than $5 million, as first reported by Chasing Aphrodite, a website that monitors the Kapoor case. | Mr. Kapoor also dealt with museums in Australia, the Far East and Europe, and in September the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales returned two items acquired from Mr. Kapoor valued at more than $5 million, as first reported by Chasing Aphrodite, a website that monitors the Kapoor case. |
| Stephen K. Urice, a professor at the University of Miami School of Law and an expert on museums, said the recent return of Kapoor-related items — even those that might have legitimate paperwork — “sends a powerful message” to other museums. Such institutions, he said, are under increasing pressure to clear their collections of antiquities obtained from dubious dealers or that lack proof that they were neither looted nor funneled through the black market. | Stephen K. Urice, a professor at the University of Miami School of Law and an expert on museums, said the recent return of Kapoor-related items — even those that might have legitimate paperwork — “sends a powerful message” to other museums. Such institutions, he said, are under increasing pressure to clear their collections of antiquities obtained from dubious dealers or that lack proof that they were neither looted nor funneled through the black market. |
| “It is conceivable that they obtained pieces that are not troubled,” he said. “But the other museums have set a great example of what leadership is all about.” | “It is conceivable that they obtained pieces that are not troubled,” he said. “But the other museums have set a great example of what leadership is all about.” |
| Rebecca Baldwin, a spokeswoman for the Chicago museum, which has two items purchased from Mr. Kapoor, said her museum contacted federal officials last year but has not heard back. | Rebecca Baldwin, a spokeswoman for the Chicago museum, which has two items purchased from Mr. Kapoor, said her museum contacted federal officials last year but has not heard back. |
| “The events swirling around Mr. Kapoor leave a lot of questions about him,” she said, but added that her museum could not simply rid itself of the objects. “What would we do with it?” she asked. “Who would we give it to?” | “The events swirling around Mr. Kapoor leave a lot of questions about him,” she said, but added that her museum could not simply rid itself of the objects. “What would we do with it?” she asked. “Who would we give it to?” |
| Brenton M. Easter, the special agent in charge of Operation Hidden Idol for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said museums should understand that the investigation was continuing. “Just because they haven’t been contacted yet doesn’t mean they should not anticipate being contacted down the road,” he said. |