A rare Attic marble votive relief from the second half of the 4th century B.C. and five small bronze human figurines have been repatriated from London, marking the latest success in Greece’s long-running effort to recover antiquities removed illegally from the country.
The objects had been held by the liquidated firm Robin Symes Limited, once controlled by British antiquities dealer Robin Symes.
Greek authorities began pursuing their return in 2006. The latest recovery adds to hundreds of artifacts repatriated from the same company in May 2023.
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said the return reflects a systematic and sustained campaign by the Ministry of Culture to protect and reclaim Greece’s cultural heritage.
“This is another important result of our organized and persistent effort,” Mendoni said in a statement. “With methodical work, legal documentation and consistency, a long process has been completed, proving that the Greek state never abandons any claim.
Every object is part of our identity and our history.”
Rare relief linked to Artemis sanctuary
The marble relief, measuring about 52 centimeters (20 inches) high and 92 centimeters (36 inches) wide, is shaped like a small temple façade and bears an inscription dedicating it to Artemis Mounichia, a local form of the goddess Artemis worshipped in ancient Piraeus.
The scene depicts Artemis standing prominently, holding two lit torches, with worshippers approaching in procession.
Archaeologists say the inscription securely links the relief to the sanctuary of Artemis Mounichia, located on the southern side of the ancient harbor of Mounichia — today’s Mikrolimano area in Piraeus.
Only a very small number of sculptures are known from that sanctuary, which was repeatedly damaged in antiquity.
Greek officials said the returned relief is the first known relief from this important site to come to light.
Photographs of the relief were found in the seized archive of Italian antiquities dealer Gianfranco Becchina, taken during a 2002 joint operation by Italian and Swiss authorities in Basel.
The images, dated June 8, 1988, are cited by Greek judicial authorities as evidence that the object was the product of illegal excavation and was trafficked out of Greece.
The five bronze figurines — three male and two female, each about 6 centimeters (2.5 inches) tall — depict worshippers with a raised right hand, a common gesture of supplication in ancient Greek religious practice.
Greek officials said the objects have been delivered to the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus, where they will be conserved and studied.
The repatriation comes as Greece continues to press for the return of illegally exported antiquities and, more broadly, for the reunification of major cultural treasures held abroad.
The government has intensified legal and diplomatic efforts in recent years, resulting in multiple high-profile returns from private collections and institutions in Europe and the United States.
“The ministry will continue, with the same persistence and seriousness, to identify, document and claim antiquities that have left the country illegally,” Mendoni said. “Each return is a step toward restoring our cultural memory.”