The British Museum went to court Tuesday against a former curator alleged to have stolen hundreds of artifacts from its collections and offered them for sale online. The museum is suing Peter Higgs, who was fired in July 2023 after more than 1,800 items were discovered to be missing. Lawyers for the museum say Higgs "abused his position of trust" to steal ancient gems, gold jewelry, and other pieces from storerooms over the course of a decade, the AP reports. High Court judge Heather Williams ordered Higgs to list or return any items in his possession within four weeks. She also ordered the disclosure of his eBay and PayPal records.
The museum says it has recovered 356 of the missing items so far and hopes to get more back. "The items that have been stolen from the museum are of cultural and historical significance," museum lawyer Daniel Burgess said in written legal arguments. Burgess said the defendant tried to "cover his tracks" by using fake names, creating false documents, manipulating the museum's records, and selling artifacts at less than their value. A separate police investigation into the case is ongoing, and Higgs has not been charged with a crime.
Higgs worked for the museum for more than 30 years. He was promoted to acting keeper of its Greek and Roman department in 2021, the same year an art dealer and historian contacted the museum with his suspicions about items being sold on eBay. In court papers, lawyers for the museum said Higgs is "suffering from severe mental strain" and was "unable to respond effectively to the proceedings," the New York Times reports. Museum director Hartwig Fischer resigned after the loss of the items was revealed in August, apologizing for failing to take the warning from the art historian seriously enough. (More British Museum stories.)
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