Monday, February 20, 2023

Shelby White's antiquities collection under investigation

MORE PROBLEM ARTIFACTS: American patron of Israeli archaeology becomes focus of New York’s antiquities trafficking unit. Shelby White has already relinquished two dozen items worth at least $20 million due to investigations (Asaf Elia-Shalev, JTA via Times of Israel).
JTA — The crusading New York prosecutor who has been exposing illicit trafficking in the antiquities market through a succession of high-profile raids has zeroed in on his next big target: the private collection of Shelby White, the widow of a Wall Street legend and philanthropist known for donating to Jewish museums in New York and to the Israeli government agency charged with policing the antiquities trade.

As a result of the ongoing investigation into looted artifacts by Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos, White has already relinquished at least two dozen items worth at least $20 million, according to reporting by New York magazine.

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For more on Shelby White, see here and here and links. For more on Matthew Bogdanos, see here and here and links. And for the investigation of Michael Steinhardt's collection, see here and here.

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