(New York) Two hundred archaeological pieces estimated at $ 10 million have been returned to Italy, a New York prosecutor announced on Wednesday, the latest stolen works to be recovered by American investigators.
Among them is a ceramic vessel from the 7e century BC J. -C., Called Pithos with Ulysses, and the terracotta face of a goddess, dating from the 4e century BC J. -C ..
“The repatriation of this dazzling collection of ancient art […] shows the need for all collectors and gallery owners to […] make sure that the parts they bought were legally acquired, ”said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance.
Mr. Vance said 150 of the objects were related to his services investigation of Edoardo Almagia, an Italian antique dealer who was based in New York City before leaving the United States in 2003.
According to Mr. Vance, Edoardo Almagia has been investigated in Italy for trafficking and selling stolen antiques to American buyers but remains at large.
The prosecutor added that 100 of the found pieces were seized from the Fordham Museum of Greek, Etruscan and Roman Art in New York.
The New York attorney’s office has returned more than 700 archaeological pieces to 14 countries since August 2020, including around 30 in Cambodia, more than 100 in Pakistan and almost 250 in India.
In early December, Mr Vance announced that famous American collector Michael Steinhardt had returned 180 works of art and antiques stolen from around the world in recent decades – some from ancient Greece – worth $ 70 million.
This has allowed Mr. Steinhardt, 80, to escape indictment and trial for the time being, but bans him for life from acquiring antiques on the legal art market.