Greece managed, on Friday, to recover 55 stolen antiquities, estimated at more than 18 million euros, seized and returned by the American justice.
“It is a day of great joy for Greece to recover 47 antiquities from the collection of Mr. Steinhardt”, as well as eight works of the prehistoric era from Thessaly, in central Greece, rejoiced the Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni, quoted in a statement.
Of these 55 objects, 47 belonged to the collection of the famous American collector Michael Steinhardt, under investigation in the United States for possession of stolen works, the Ministry of Culture said.
The date of the public exhibition of these works “has not yet been determined,” said, on Friday, a ministerial source, quoted by international media.
The repatriation of these works is the culmination of a multi-year investigation for illegal trafficking in antiquities, concluded last December by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
The works returned to Greece are valued at $20 million, according to the same source.
Among the objects returned is the bust of a “Kouros” (typical ancient Greek statue of a naked young man) dating from the sixth century BC.
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