The Dallas Museum of Art return of looted antiquities was announced back in Dec 2012. Here's the post from the Chasing Aphrodite blog on it. Peter Simek ('After Returning Looted Antiquities, Dallas Museum of Art Scores Long Term Loan of Etruscan Treasures', Front Row, October 31st, 2013) discusses the cases and the consequences of Dallas' recent policy of returning dodgy acquisitions.
This isn’t all about being a good cultural neighbor, however. Just as with the Turkey agreement, the DMA will benefit with high-profile art loans as a kind of quid pro quo for the restoration of the looted objects. Beginning tomorrow and continuing through 2017, the DMA will be the first institution in the world to exhibit items excavated from an Etruscan tomb in Spina. It is a coup for the museum and one that underscores the shrewdness of the strategy. At today’s auction house prices, the DMA could never hope to acquire objects of this significance for their permanent collection. However a series of long-term loans acquired through the building up of relationships between various counties means that the DMA will expand its offerings without needing to expand the coffers necessary for growing collections.It is worth noting this in connection with the moans of US collectors' and dealers' lobbyists that Italy has failed to loan US museums as much gawpworthy stuff as everybody (US collectors and dealers' lobbyists) were 'expecting'.
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