"That's something interesting — I don't know what that is," Pinchuk whispered, but any momentary desire to acquire the piece evaporated when, a little later, he learned from one of Murakami's associates that it was by another artist altogether.
"That's something interesting—I don't know what that is," Pinchuk whispered, but any momentary desire to acquire the piece evaporated when, a little later, he learned from one of Murakami's associates that it was by another artist altogether.
"I'm more emotionally attached to the experiences we had in acquiring the pieces that we owned than I am to the objects themselves," Mr. Kanter said.
Confusion over when the museum acquired the pieces was further compounded by conflicting statements made about them in Sotheby's catalog.
Mr. Rub said the museum acted in good faith when it acquired the pieces, but when presented with evidence of problems, it resolved to "honor our obligation to acquire in a manner that is ethical and transparent" and returned the works "to their rightful owner".
Frédéric Mitterrand, the French culture minister and a nephew of former President François Mitterrand, said he thought that the artifacts should be returned and that the Louvre acquired the pieces in good faith in 2000 and 2003, according to a statement from his office.
Mr. Anderson acquired the piece after seeing its 1996 premiere in the Netherlands.
The canny and (some say) underhanded manner in which they acquired the piece may spark a lawsuit.
The article and headline said Darryl Pitt, the man who had acquired the piece to be auctioned, needed the money.
