This week, the British Museum in London launched legal proceedings against one of its former curators, Peter Higgs, accused of stealing up to 2,000 objects from its collection. The archaeologist who first saw the stolen items, however, described the legal action as “locking the stable door after locking the horse”.
Higgs was curator of the museum’s Ancient Greek collections and acting head of the Greece and Rome department. It was released last year after revelations that scores of objects had been damaged or disappeared, and this week the museum sued Higgs for the return of the remaining artworks in its possession.
In 2020 Martin Henig, an expert on engraved gems, identified a fragment of a Roman ring for sale as belonging to the British Museum. After returning the item, Henig, along with scholar and art dealer Ittai Gradel, found evidence of other items stolen from the collection for sale. Although they tried to point this out to the museum, warnings to the directors were ignored.
Henig said: “Legal action is a case of locking the barn door after the horse has been locked up, even though it might uncover some more of the stolen items. It leaves me very sad and depressed. Part of the problem must be underfunding. bears a share of the blame for carelessness. Gems should be given the same attention, care and cataloging skill as ancient coins in the museum, and much more care.”
Some of the stolen items were put up for sale on the online auction site eBay, often at prices well below their true value. In 2002, Higgs said The times newspaper, he said some of the museum’s extensive Greek and Roman collections had been uncatalogued for more than a century, describing its fortifications as “chaos here”. An undercover reporter The times Posing as a work experience trainee under Higgs’ supervision, Ka walked out of the museum with the foot of a third-century statue valued at £20,000.
Jason Felch, an author and investigative journalist who has spent a decade investigating the illegal antiquities trade, said. The times the research should have been a call to the museum. He suggests that the impact of the museum sector’s lack of funding on wages is also a cause for concern: “A clear sign of the museum’s deeper problems is prominently displayed on its website: a job listing for Higgs, curator. Greek and Roman collection. He pays just £33,803 a year. Ironically, it was the current chairman of the British Museum, George Osborne, who, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, advocated austerity measures that reduced UK cultural spending.’
In court filings, museum attorney Daniel Burgess said Higgs used false names, created false documents and manipulated museum records to cover his tracks. The police are investigating the case and no charges have been filed. Higgs denies the allegations.
Aisling Prior, curator at the Dublin art office, said: “Throughout history, artists and curators have been thought to be particularly ethical, possibly because of the professional and sometimes selfless characterization of the professions. Therefore, it is surprising when so many precious things disappear from such a prestigious institution and when an esteemed curator like Peter Higgs is accused of theft. This legal action by the British Museum is a stark admission that none of its superiors knew of his alleged criminal activity in the ten years before he was sacked. The British Museum should be ashamed of its care record.”
The British Museum said it had no further comment when contacted Art Newspaper. Higgs has been asked for a statement.
