Greek Antiquities: 3 Repatriated from Atlanta, USA (Photos)

On September 13th, three Greek antiquities that had been removed from Greece at an unknown time and were owned by an American citizen were repatriated from the USA. It is about:

1. Part of a marble tombstone, 0.55m high. and 0.60m wide. Depicted in flat relief is a frontal female figure, holding a jewel case with an open cover in both hands. Lower in the representation, the right hand of a smaller-scale figure, undoubtedly of a child, is preserved. This is the work of a provincial workshop, probably from Thessaly. It dates back to the beginning of the 4th century. B.C.
2. Part of an Attic sepulchral church made of Pentelian marble, 0.95m high. and 0.42m wide. with relief representation. Letters from a newer inscription are preserved in the architrave, which are due to the reuse of the monument in a later period of its construction. Depicts young girl represented standing, front with head slightly inclined to right. She wears a tunic with sleeves and an Attic veil tied under the breast. The garment is supported by armlets that cross criss-cross in front of the chest and are joined in the middle by a circular medallion. It is dated around 330-320 BC. The similarity of the girl’s pose with that of the young Agnostratis depicted on the tomb temple from Kallithea (National Archaeological Museum no. 1863) is striking. The stele is identical to one traded by the Italian art dealer in the late ̓̓1970s. A depiction of her is included in a catalog of an exhibition in Geneva in 1982, on which her publication in 1993 of his Attic epitaph reliefs is based, but the place where the relief was now located is not known.
3. Bronze statuette of a naked young man, probably an athlete, 0.24m high. The man is represented standing, facing. He steps firmly on the ground with his right leg. The short hair, fit for an athlete, is broken down into messy buns. It could be dated to the end of the 2nd century. B.C. The three ancient objects were handed over to the Greek Consulate in Atlanta, in order to be returned to Greece. This repatriation is indicative of the trend that has been taking shape worldwide in recent years, as a result of actions to raise awareness and inform citizens about the need to preserve cultural heritage and return antiquities to the countries where they belong.

The Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, said:

“The repatriation of antiquities that belong to Greece but are currently abroad is a matter of national importance and a high political priority for the Ministry of Culture. Today we welcome from Atlanta, United States of America, three more antiquities that belong to Greece and were removed at an unknown time. Once again, the effectiveness of the bilateral agreements to prevent and deal with the illegal trafficking of cultural goods that Greece has concluded with several states is highlighted. At the same time, it is proof of the impact of the actions implemented by the Ministry of Culture and the Archaeological Service, both at the national and international level, to raise the awareness of citizens on the issue of cultural heritage preservation. Warm thanks to all those who contributed to the repatriation, to our diplomatic authorities and to the competent Directorate of Documentation and Protection of Cultural Property, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs».

The contribution of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in achieving the repatriation of the three antiquities was significant. Thanks are expressed to the head of the Consulate of Greece in Atlanta, Theodoros Dimopoulos, for his assistance in completing the relevant procedures.

The three antiquities were handed over for safekeeping to the Sculpture Gallery of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Athens, at the Plato Academy.