The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has completed the return of an ancient Sumerian sculpture to Iraq. The restitution ceremony for the Sumerian sculpture took place in Washington D.C., as announced by the Met in a statement. This return coincides with the imminent appointment of Lucian Simmons, formerly head of Sotheby’s restitution department, who will assume leadership of the museum’s provenance research team in May. Simmons, with extensive experience in restitution and provenance matters since 1997, will now oversee a team of researchers operating across the museum’s 19 collecting areas.
The copper alloy figure, dating back to 2900–2600 B.C.E., portrays a nude man carrying a box on his head, as detailed in the museum’s documentation of the piece—now updated to reflect its return. Described by the museum as a “fine example” of Sumerian sculpture in metal, this restitution underscores a commitment to ethical practices and cultural heritage preservation.
“In the Early Dynastic period, only certain categories of people were represented as nude: priests, athletes, mythological heroes, and prisoners of war,” noted the museum. “This figure, reminiscent of scenes depicting priests carrying offerings, carries an object that might be a temple foundation deposit or offering related to its building.”
Acquired by the museum in 1955 from dealer Elias S. David, a specialist in Near Eastern art until his death in 1969, the sculpture underwent scrutiny for possible restitution following an internal review conducted by museum researchers. Subsequently, museum officials held discussions with Nizar Al-Khairallah, the Iraqi ambassador to the United States, to facilitate its return.
Max Hollein, the museum’s director, emphasized their commitment to responsible antiquities collecting and the shared stewardship of global cultural heritage. “We are honored to collaborate with the Republic of Iraq on the return of this sculpture,” he stated, “and we value the important relationships we have fostered with our colleagues there.”
Last year witnessed the Met returning artifacts to Italy, Greece, Turkey, China, and Cambodia—some of which were seized by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office as part of ongoing investigations.
