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The Pandora Papers have revealed The Met as one of several major institutions to have displayed looted items linked to indicted art dealer Douglas Latchford
Tom Anstey | Planet Attractions | 04 Oct 2021
The Pandora Papers are made up of more than 12 million documents linked to offshore bank accounts Credit: ICIJ
The controversial ‘Pandora Papers’ are having an impact on the art world, with difficult questions raised for a number of museums over the legitimacy of certain acquisitions.
The more than 12 million leaked documents have revealed systematic tax evasion from fourteen firms utilising offshore bank accounts to hide the assets of hundreds of wealthy clients. The documents also highlight the wealthy corporations and individuals using shell companies to hide assets including art and antiquities.
According to a report from The Washington Post, the leak shows that antiquities dealer Douglas Latchford had falsified invoices and other records, using offshore companies to conceal wrongdoing in the global art trade.
This poses a problem for a number of major museums, including New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum in London, who had purchased works from Latchford’s vast art collection. Both museums are among a number who have displayed what appear to be looted Cambodian antiquities.
In a statement, the British Museum stated that it takes many precautions to ensure the items it acquires aren’t stolen and that standards for provenance have changed over the years.
Latchford was indicted by the Justice Department in 2019 over allegations that he trafficked in looted Cambodian antiquities. He denied these claims until his death in 2020.
Since the allegations against Latchford came to light, some museums, such as the Smithsonian, have returned a number of items. There are however “dozens” of looted artefacts that remain in “prominent collections” across the world.
Latchford's daughter, Nawapan Kriangsak, also led an effort following her father's death to return US$50m worth of antiquities to Cambodia.
Museums and galleries
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