A Twin Cities museum may be housing a stolen artifact

Italian authorities found photos of stolen artifacts that they believe are now in museums across the United States.

One of those pieces, a 4th Century Greek vase, may be at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

The vase is valued around $100,000, but proving it was or wasn't stolen may be difficult.

Mark Stansbury O'Donnell, an Art History Professor at the University of St. Thomas said, "The looting of ancient art has been going on since antiquity. There's no clean way of telling this piece was not looted or anything."

In a statement Friday, The Institute of Arts said, if "it is established that the Italian government has a legitimate claim, we will respond in an appropriate and responsible fashion."

The Institute of Arts said Italian investigators haven't contacted the museum yet.

Authorities have called the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, Calif. That museum is returning some artwork.