The antiquities, which had been removed from Greece at an unknown time and were in the possession of an American citizen, have been repatriated from Atlanta, USA.
The items are:
- A fragment of a marble funerary stele, measuring 0.55m in height and 0.60m in width. It features a high-relief depiction of a female figure holding a jewelry box with an open lid. Below this depiction is a smaller-scale figure, presumably a child, depicted with the right hand. This piece is attributed to a provincial workshop, likely from Thessaly, and dates back to the early 4th century BC.
- A fragment of an Attic funerary naiskos made of Pentelic marble, measuring 0.95m in height and 0.42m in width, with a high-relief scene. The epistyle bears letters from a later inscription, due to the reuse of the monument in a subsequent period. It depicts a young girl standing, facing forward with her head slightly tilted to the right. She wears a sleeved chiton and an Attic mantle tied under her chest, with straps crossing in an X-shape in front of her chest and meeting at a circular medallion. This piece dates around 330-320 BC.The posture of the girl closely resembles that of the young Agnostratis depicted on a funerary naiskos from Kallithea (National Archaeological Museum, No. 1863). The stele is identical to one circulated by Italian art dealer G. Becchina in the late 1970s and is included in an exhibition catalog from Geneva in 1982, which is also referenced in its 1993 publication in the corpus of Attic funerary reliefs by Chr. Claimont, though the current location of the relief is unknown.
- A bronze statuette of a young, nude male, possibly an athlete, measuring 0.24m in height. The figure is depicted standing upright and facing forward. He stands firmly on his right leg. His short hair is styled in a disheveled manner typical of an athlete. This piece could date to the late 2nd century BC.
The three antiquities were handed over to the Greek Consulate in Atlanta for their return to Greece. This repatriation reflects a global trend in recent years driven by awareness and educational efforts regarding the preservation of cultural heritage and the return of antiquities to their countries of origin.
Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni commented: “The repatriation of antiquities belonging to Greece but located abroad is a matter of national significance and high political priority for the Ministry of Culture. Today, we welcome three more antiquities from Atlanta, USA, that belong to Greece and were removed at an unknown time. This once again highlights the effectiveness of bilateral agreements that Greece has established with many countries to prevent and combat the illegal trafficking of cultural goods. It also demonstrates the impact of the actions carried out by the Ministry of Culture and the Archaeological Service, both nationally and internationally, in raising public awareness about the protection of cultural heritage. I extend my warm thanks to everyone who contributed to this repatriation, including our diplomatic authorities and the Directorate of Documentation and Protection of Cultural Goods at the Ministry of Culture.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs played a significant role in achieving the repatriation of the three antiquities.
The antiquities have been placed in the custody of the Sculpture Collection of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Athens, in Plato’s Academy.
