More on the Loans to the Met’s Greek and Roman Galleries

Apparently my highlights tour, posted Friday—images of important works in the Metropolitan Museum’s “permanent” display of Greek and Roman art that are not there permanently—created confusion in some readers’ minds:
The Modern Kicks blog expressed uncertainty the next day over whether I was “trying to imply that there’s something unusual or not proper about their presence there.”
I applaud high quality loans that enhance the Met’s galleries. I was merely trying clue in my readers to some fine works that they might otherwise overlook: They are non-objects in the Met’s publicity and catalogue, and have been largely ignored in articles about the show (which generally publish Met-provided photos as illustrations). The Met has chosen to emphasize the works that belong to the Met.
The controversies surrounding some of the loaned objects or the lenders is also newsworthy: Some objects were successfully claimed by Italy; some are owned by Shelby White, who herself owns objects being claimed by Italy; some by Michael Steinhardt, who some years ago was ordered to forfeit an ancient Sicilian gold phiale (platter) because he had misstated its country of origin and value on the Customs declaration.
Just letting you know.