The Possible Repatriation of the Flavian Monument Fragments at the Kelsey Museum (20 min)

Presenters

Nicola Terrenato, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Abstract

In the early 1900s, Francis Kelsey, on behalf of the University of Michigan, bought in Rome several marble fragments. Unusually for him, the purchase was not made with an established antiquarian or collector, but with a construction worker that he had been introduced to by an employee of the hotel where he was staying. The fragments were later identified as belonging to a monument built by the Flavians on the Quirinal. It was then realized that one of the Kelsey pieces joined with one in the Museo Nazionale Romano. The connection was studied in detail by Elaine Gazda and Rita Paris, and resulted in exhibitions held in Rome and Ann Arbor. As the circumstances of the finding were clarified, it became apparent that all the pieces had been stolen from a construction site on the Quirinal. As part of a broader review of the ethics of the Kelsey collections (which does not always overlap with their legality), the option of repatriation for the Flavian fragments started being internally discussed. It is important to stress that this was not in response to any request coming from Italy. The Kelsey spontaneously approached the Direzione Generale Musei at the Ministero della Cultura in Italy to explore the possibility of reuniting the fragments, perhaps as part of the new overhaul of the Museo Nazionale Romano that is scheduled to begin in 2024. The paper reports on the background and the current status of the process.

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