Lawsuit Battle Ensues: Cleveland Museum Fights to Safeguard Rare $20M Headless Statue

The Cleveland Museum of Art is seeking to prevent the confiscation of a headless bronze statue that US investigators suspect was previously stolen from Turkey. Contesting the matter in a recent legal action, the Ohio establishment claimed that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had not presented enough evidence to demonstrate that the artwork was looted or clarify its true origin.

A family's struggle to reclaim artwork looted by the Nazis has led to a lawsuit. The legal action arises following a New York judge's issuance of a search warrant, which stated there is "reasonable cause" to suspect that the museum's statue, obtained legally almost forty years ago, is actually stolen property. Consequently, the artifact has been detained in Cleveland while investigations persist.

The bronze statue, which stands 6 foot 4 inches tall, was believed for a long time to have come from Bubon, an ancient city in present-day Turkey. In 2012, Turkey requested the return of several items, including the statue, from various US institutions, such as the Cleveland Museum of Art, alleging that they had been looted from the country during the 20th century.

describes the statue as a "draped male figure" on their website, without mentioning the perspective of certain scholars who suggest it represents Marcus Aurelius and comes from the ancient city of Bubon, located in modern-day Turkey.

Investigators estimate the value of the statue to be $20 million and believe it was created in the late 2nd century, representing the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. Previously, the museum's website catalog agreed with this assessment, describing the statue as of Roman origin and "probably" depicting Marcus Aurelius.

However, the current catalog entry describes the item simply as a "draped male figure" of Roman "or possibly Greek Hellenistic" origin. Additionally, the website has been modified to exclude any mention of Bubon and to propose that the object could potentially date back to 150 B.C.

Scholars' recent findings have raised doubts about the identity and origins of the content fragment submitted by The Cleveland Museum of Art. The museum's former curator of ancient art, Arielle Kozloff, has conducted research that questions the statue's association with Bubon, stating that any previous claims regarding the ancient city were mere speculation. Furthermore, the museum suggests that the statue may not depict Marcus Aurelius but could potentially represent individuals like Lucius Verus or Sophocles, a philosopher or statesman. Due to the absence of the head, the identification process becomes virtually impossible, according to the museum's court filing.

The British Museum requests assistance from the public in recovering stolen treasures. This particular statue holds immense importance, being one of the most remarkable pieces within the museum's collection. Acquired in 1986 from a New York art gallery, the museum invested $1.85 million in its purchase.

The Ohio museum stated in its court filing that Turkish authorities had contacted them in 2009 and 2010, requesting information and documentation. The museum acknowledged the seriousness of allegations regarding stolen art and antiquities, but argued that the evidence provided by Bragg was not convincing enough to prove that the statue had been stolen.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office released a statement to CNN, stating that they are reviewing the museum's filing and will respond in court papers. The statement did not provide further details on their investigation but mentioned that the office has successfully recovered over 4,600 illegally trafficked antiquities from various individuals and institutions.