Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has successfully repatriated eight life-sized Roman sculptures that were illegally removed from Bubon, Turkey, 60 years ago. The sculptures, part of a shrine honoring Roman emperors, were sold to Americans by Turkish villagers in the 1960s without required permits. After a two-year legal battle involving two lawsuits and an arrest warrant, the final sculpture—a headless bronze piece—was surrendered by collector Aaron Mendelsohn, who had acquired it for $1.33 million. The sculpture was returned to Turkish officials at a ceremony hosted by Bragg's office, alongside dozens of other looted Turkish antiquities, including a marble head of Demosthenes seized from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This case matters because it demonstrates the increasing effectiveness of legal tools—including criminal proceedings and arrest warrants—in combating the illicit antiquities trade. The Manhattan D.A.'s Antiquities Trafficking Unit has established a model for pursuing looted artworks across state lines, even when owners resist through lawsuits. The repatriation also highlights ongoing efforts by Turkey to reclaim its cultural heritage from major U.S. institutions and private collectors, reinforcing the principle that looted artifacts must be returned to their countries of origin regardless of how long they have been in foreign hands.