New York will return three antiquities worth $725,000 to the people of Yemen, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced on Friday, as part of a criminal investigation into a Manhattan-based private collector.
The antiquities — including an alabaster ram from the 5th century BC, which was looted during the Yemeni Civil War in 1994 — were seized from the Manhattan apartment of Shelby White, a board of trustees member of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
The investigation into Ms White by the Manhattan Antiquities Trafficking Unit “has allowed dozens of antiquities that were ripped from their countries of origin to finally return home”, Mr Bragg said.
“These are just three of nearly 1,000 antiquities we have repatriated over the past 16 months.”
The district attorney's office thanked Ms Shelby for co-operating in the investigation.
In December, the Art Newspaper, a trade publication, reported that the Manhattan district attorney's office had seized $24 million worth of antiquities from Ms White's apartment.
The Yemeni pieces will be on temporary display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington until Yemeni authorities can safely repatriate them.
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
