Part of the Greek antiquities that are repatriated from New York. Credit: Greece’s Ministry of CultureFifty-five Greek antiquities valued at over $20 million are to be repatriated after the announcement of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Tuesday.
The return of the stolen antiquities took place at the District Attorney’s office with a repatriation ceremony that was attended by Greece’s Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni.
This was after a long multinational investigation into billionaire Michael Steinhardt, and owner of one of the world’s largest private ancient art collections.
Among the 55 Greek antiquities, there are eight prehistoric artifacts from Thessaly drawn from another investigation that is still ongoing.
“It is a day of great happiness for Greece”
The Kouros statue from the Steinhardt Collection. Credit: Manhattan DA’s Office
The Greek archaeologist who uncovered the stolen antiquities
Greek forensic archaeologist Christos Tsirogiannis had an important role in tracking the stolen antiquities in the collection of Steinhardt.
Tsirogiannis is an Associate Professor and Fellow at the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Aarhus, Denmark. He was in the team of researchers for the origin of the artifacts in the Steinhardt case.
The Greek antiquities decorated the billionaire’s homes and offices and were often loaned to museums. Tsirogiannis identified 36 items in the Steinhardt collection.
Steinhardt denies knowledge of wrongdoing
For his part, the financier denied any criminal wrongdoing and agreed to return the Greek antiquities and other artifacts as part of a deal meant to resolve the criminal probe into his collection.
He argued that he purchased the antiquities without knowing that they were looted, putting at fault the dealers.
The billionaire’s attorneys stated that their client was pleased that the investigation has ended, adding that “items wrongfully taken by others will be returned to their native countries.”
The lawyers also said that Steinhardt may seek compensation from dealers who allegedly misled him regarding the provenance of the artifacts.