Orpheus Mosaic
Object or Group Name
Orpheus Mosaic
Case Summary
The Orpheus Mosaic was looted in 1990 from a site named Edessa, in southeastern Türkiye.
Images of the looting of the mosaic were discovered when looters took photographs documenting the excavation to be developed in a local photo shop in Şanlıurfa, the modern name for Edessa. The images were intended to be shipped alongside the mosaic to the United States, where they could be inspected before purchase. The images showed that the mosaic had a frieze border that had been removed by the looters, and included a canister of glue that would have been used to make hasty repairs.
The Orpheus Mosaic remained hidden until it was presented for auction on December 9, 1999 at Christie's in New York. It was sold for USD 85,000 to the Dallas Museum of Art under the curatorial leadership of John R. Lane. According to the archived auction page, the Aramaic inscription on the mosaic was translated by Michael Rand and Adam Becker, neither of whom appear to have raised concerns about the provenance of the artifact . In 2006, another Aramaic scholar, John Healey, also published a translation of the mosaic, noting that it was of the Syriac dialect. This confirmed that the mosaic came from a known series from Edessa.
The mosaic remained in the Dallas Museum of Art's collection until December 2012, when the newly hired director of the museum, Maxwell Anderson, contacted the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism, saying the museum had recently discovered evidence suggesting the trafficking of the mosaic "from an archaeological site in Turkey." Turkish officials sent the DMA the two photos of the in situ mosaic that had been posted to a website with images of illicitly removed objects.
During the return of the mosaic, the Dallas Museum of Art also announced that they had discovered five objects in their collection that were obtained from infamous dealer, Edoardo Almagià, who was under Italian investigation in local courts. These too were returned.
As part of the mosaic's repatriation, the DMA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Turkish General Director for Cultural Heritage and Museums promising an exchange of artwork and expertise. Anderson also stated that the mosaic and its photographic evidence would be used in an ongoing criminal investigation carried out by Şanlıurfa's Chief Public Prosecutor, to arrest all parties involved in the trafficking of the artifact.
Images of the looting of the mosaic were discovered when looters took photographs documenting the excavation to be developed in a local photo shop in Şanlıurfa, the modern name for Edessa. The images were intended to be shipped alongside the mosaic to the United States, where they could be inspected before purchase. The images showed that the mosaic had a frieze border that had been removed by the looters, and included a canister of glue that would have been used to make hasty repairs.
The Orpheus Mosaic remained hidden until it was presented for auction on December 9, 1999 at Christie's in New York. It was sold for USD 85,000 to the Dallas Museum of Art under the curatorial leadership of John R. Lane. According to the archived auction page, the Aramaic inscription on the mosaic was translated by Michael Rand and Adam Becker, neither of whom appear to have raised concerns about the provenance of the artifact . In 2006, another Aramaic scholar, John Healey, also published a translation of the mosaic, noting that it was of the Syriac dialect. This confirmed that the mosaic came from a known series from Edessa.
The mosaic remained in the Dallas Museum of Art's collection until December 2012, when the newly hired director of the museum, Maxwell Anderson, contacted the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism, saying the museum had recently discovered evidence suggesting the trafficking of the mosaic "from an archaeological site in Turkey." Turkish officials sent the DMA the two photos of the in situ mosaic that had been posted to a website with images of illicitly removed objects.
During the return of the mosaic, the Dallas Museum of Art also announced that they had discovered five objects in their collection that were obtained from infamous dealer, Edoardo Almagià, who was under Italian investigation in local courts. These too were returned.
As part of the mosaic's repatriation, the DMA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Turkish General Director for Cultural Heritage and Museums promising an exchange of artwork and expertise. Anderson also stated that the mosaic and its photographic evidence would be used in an ongoing criminal investigation carried out by Şanlıurfa's Chief Public Prosecutor, to arrest all parties involved in the trafficking of the artifact.
Number of Objects
1
Object Type
Visual Work
Culture
Roman
Auction House
Christie's
Museum Name
Dallas Museum of Art
Museum Accession Number
DEACC.1999.305
Receiving Country
Türkiye
Sources
Looting Matters: Dallas and the Orpheus Mosaic
http://lootingmatters.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/dallas-and-orpheus-mosaic.html
http://lootingmatters.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/dallas-and-orpheus-mosaic.html
A ROMAN MARBLE MOSAIC: EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN, 204 A.D.
https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-1635342
https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-1635342
DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART: DEACCESSIONED ARTWORKS
https://www.dma.org/art/deaccessioned-artworks
https://www.dma.org/art/deaccessioned-artworks
Dallas Museum of Art Returns Orpheus Mosaic, Five Other Looted Treasures in Announcing New Art Loans Initiative
https://chasingaphrodite.com/2012/12/03/dallas-museum-of-art-returns-orpheus-mosaic-five-other-looted-treasures-in-announcing-new-art-loans-initiative/
https://chasingaphrodite.com/2012/12/03/dallas-museum-of-art-returns-orpheus-mosaic-five-other-looted-treasures-in-announcing-new-art-loans-initiative/
Dallas Museum of Art Returns Rare Work of Roman Art, Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Turkish Government for International Exchange
https://web.archive.org/web/20141120054442/http://artsblog.dallasnews.com/2012/12/dallas-museum-of-art-returns-rare-work-of-turkish-art-signs-memorandum-of-understanding-with-turkish-government-for-international-exchange.html/
https://web.archive.org/web/20141120054442/http://artsblog.dallasnews.com/2012/12/dallas-museum-of-art-returns-rare-work-of-turkish-art-signs-memorandum-of-understanding-with-turkish-government-for-international-exchange.html/
MOLA Contributor(s)
Jason Felch
Peer Reviewed By
Liv Siefert
Citation
“Orpheus Mosaic,” Museum of Looted Antiquities, accessed November 17, 2025, https://mola.omeka.net/items/show/1034.