On Friday evening, October 23, 2009 from 6:30- 8:00 pm, Dr. Oscar White Muscarella will lead a “SAFE Tour” of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. SAFE tours provide an “insider's look” at a museum collection and focus on artworks and artifacts that have dubious provenance or are presumed to be illicit. Also highlighted are objects that have been excavated properly.

A specialist in the art and archaeology of the ancient Near East, Dr. Muscarella was on staff at the Metropolitan Museum of Art from 1964 until his recent retirement. Among his many scholarly publications are: "Ancient Art: The Norbert Schimmel Collection, Bronze & Iron: Ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art", and "The Catalogue of Ivories from Hasanlu Iran". An outspoken critic of the antiquities trade and the plunder of artifacts, he is the author of The Lie Became Great: The Forgery of Near Eastern Cultures, The Veracity of “Scientific” Testing by Conservators, and the recent The Fifth Column Within the Archaeological Realm: The Great Divide and a review of Rogues’ Gallery: The Secret History of the Moguls and the Money That Made the Metropolitan Museum.

Reservations are required as space is limited. The cost is $40; $10 for full-time students with valid ID. The ticket price includes admission to the Museum. For reservations, go to http://savingantiquities.org/whatwedosafetoursMuscarella.php

SAFE/Saving Antiquities for Everyone [www.savingantiquities.org] is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving cultural heritage worldwide.