The British Museum has fired longtime curator Peter John Higgs for allegedly stealing rare artifacts from the institution’s collection.
First reported by The Daily Telegraph, Higgs, who had been employed for over 30 years and was known internally as one of the museum’s “monuments men” for his expertise in antiquity, is suspected to have looted uncategorized objects, such as gold jewelry, gemstones, and relics that date as far back as ancient Rome. Higgs would proceed to selling these items under a pseudonym on eBay dating back to 2016, some of which are worth millions. The report goes on to state that an unnamed expert had informed the institution back in 2020, but the museum only made the decision to let Higgs go earlier this year.
Alternatively, and in a bit of irony, the British Museum is one of many global institutions that have been under scrutiny for carrying artworks and antiques that have been allegedly looted, such as the hotly contested Parthenon Marbles. Law firm Art Recovery International took to X (formerly Twitter) to state: “Perhaps the Parthenon Marbles are not safe in the UK after all. They should be moved to a museum in Athens where they can be well cared for…”
While no arrests have been made yet, the museum plans to launch a full investigation into how the curator was able to initially steal these items unnoticed and will push for legal action against Higgs.
Elsewhere, KITH’s X-Men campaign criticized for allegedly ‘Ripping Off’ a Felix Gonzalez-Torres installation.
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