Kathimerini Greece Newsroom
By Nikolas Zois
Eleven ancient Greek artifacts, including a marble funerary relief and a Roman-era ring depicting Poseidon are set to return to Greece after a repatriation ceremony in Manhattan on February 25, officials said.
The collection, valued at approximately $1 million, was recovered by the New York District Attorney’s Office, which has been a leader in recent years in identifying and returning illegally trafficked antiquities.
The oldest item, a Mycenaean votive figurine from 1300-1200 BC, stands just 10 centimeters tall and depicts a woman in a prayerful pose. The most valuable piece is a marble funerary relief from the 4th-3rd century BC, estimated to be worth $500,000.
According to art historian at the University of Maryland Holly Marie Miller, the relief – crafted in an Athenian workshop – depicts a banquet scene and was once connected to a museum in Tennessee.
Other artifacts include a Hellenistic statuette of the mythical heroine Atalanta, an aryballos depicting a battle scene from 600-500 BC, and a Dionysian kantharos from the 4th century BC.
