The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) in Richmond has repatriated 41 terracotta relief fragments valued at approximately $400,000 to Turkey. The works, acquired by the museum in the 1970s from Summa Galleries and antiquities dealer Harlan J. Berk, were determined to have been illegally excavated from a 6th-century B.C.E. Phrygian temple. The repatriation followed an investigation by the Antiquities Trafficking Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which presented evidence of illicit excavation and illegal export to the museum.
This restitution underscores the growing accountability of major U.S. museums in addressing looted antiquities in their collections. The VMFA’s swift cooperation with law enforcement—sharing extensive acquisition records and agreeing to return the objects—reflects a broader institutional shift toward ethical stewardship. The case also highlights the critical role of specialized investigative units in uncovering provenance gaps and securing the return of cultural heritage to source countries.