The MFA is approaching Italian authorities

A day after the Globe reported evidence that antiquities in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts could be stolen, the MFA said it will not wait for Italian authorities to approach it with questions.

In a statement, the museum said it ''is in the process of contacting Italian authorities" to get more information about evidence that links the MFA with the upcoming, high-profile trial of art dealer Robert E. Hecht Jr. and former J. Paul Getty Museum curator Marion True, who are accused of participating in an art-smuggling ring. Though the trial in Rome centers on works acquired by the Getty, Hecht also sold or gave 116 works to the MFA over the years, excluding coins. Hecht and True have maintained their innocence.

The MFA's statement signals a change in approach. On Thursday, the Globe informed the MFA that it had obtained information on potentially damning photographs seized in raids at Hecht's Paris home and at the Swiss warehouse of convicted art smuggler Giacomo Medici of an ancient vase, jar, and statue now in the MFA collection. Italian authorities suspect the objects were looted from ancient sites. MFA deputy director Katherine Getchell responded by saying that she could not discuss the specific objects because the museum had not been contacted by Italian authorities. She added that the MFA would not contact those authorities.

''I really don't think it's the right way to approach it," she said. ''We can't start going to every government in the world."

The change comes, says MFA spokeswoman Dawn Griffin, because MFA officials feel there are conflicts in the information being collected on the case by various publications, including the Globe, the Los Angeles Times, and Bloomberg News.

''Basically, we felt that the press was spiraling out of control," said Griffin. ''We decided to take matters into our own hands and take a different approach. This is not the standard way you deal with claims. But under the circumstances, we decided to take a different approach."

In its statement yesterday, the MFA said that if, by discussing matters with Italian authorities directly, ''we were to discover that an object in our collection had been stolen, we would return it to its rightful owner, consistent with the policy and practice of the Museum."

In the past, the MFA has waited for claims to be made. That's what happened last year, when, after a claim made by Polish authorities, the MFA returned a painting determined to have been stolen by the Nazis during World War II.

No more details of the museum's plans to contact the Italian authorities were available, according to Griffin.

''We're going to work directly with them," she said. ''We have been hearing everything third-party. The communication right now is going to be between us."

Geoff Edgers can be reached at gedgers@globe.com.