[CPProt.net] The MFA is approaching Italian authorities Museum looking into reports of possible stolen art

[MSN CPPnet (Ton Cremers)]

The MFA is approaching Italian authorities Museum looking into reports of
possible stolen art 

By Geoff Edgers, Globe Staff  |  November 5, 2005

A day after the Globe reported evidence that antiquities in the collection
of the Museum of Fine Arts could be stolen, the MFA said it will not wait
for Italian authorities to approach it with questions.

In a statement, the museum said it ''is in the process of contacting Italian
authorities" to get more information about evidence that links the MFA with
the upcoming, high-profile trial of art dealer Robert E. Hecht Jr. and
former J. Paul Getty Museum curator Marion True, who are accused of
participating in an art-smuggling ring. Though the trial in Rome centers on
works acquired by the Getty, Hecht also sold or gave 116 works to the MFA
over the years, excluding coins. Hecht and True have maintained their
innocence.

The MFA's statement signals a change in approach. On Thursday, the Globe
informed the MFA that it had obtained information on potentially damning
photographs seized in raids at Hecht's Paris home and at the Swiss warehouse
of convicted art smuggler Giacomo Medici of an ancient vase, jar, and statue
now in the MFA collection. Italian authorities suspect the objects were
looted from ancient sites. MFA deputy director Katherine Getchell responded
by saying that she could not discuss the specific objects because the museum
had not been contacted by Italian authorities. She added that the MFA would
not contact those authorities.

''I really don't think it's the right way to approach it," she said. ''We
can't start going to every government in the world."

The change comes, says MFA spokeswoman Dawn Griffin, because MFA officials
feel there are conflicts in the information being collected on the case by
various publications, including the Globe, the Los Angeles Times, and
Bloomberg News.

''Basically, we felt that the press was spiraling out of control," said
Griffin. ''We decided to take matters into our own hands and take a
different approach. This is not the standard way you deal with claims. But
under the circumstances, we decided to take a different approach."

In its statement yesterday, the MFA said that if, by discussing matters with
Italian authorities directly, ''we were to discover that an object in our
collection had been stolen, we would return it to its rightful owner,
consistent with the policy and practice of the Museum."

In the past, the MFA has waited for claims to be made. That's what happened
last year, when, after a claim made by Polish authorities, the MFA returned
a painting determined to have been stolen by the Nazis during World War II.

No more details of the museum's plans to contact the Italian authorities
were available, according to Griffin.

''We're going to work directly with them," she said. ''We have been hearing
everything third-party. The communication right now is going to be between
us."

Geoff Edgers can be reached at gedgers at globe.com.