In a landmark cultural victory, Greece has launched an exhibit showcasing three ancient treasures "illicitly exported" to a leading US museum, according to the Culture Ministry.
The Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University in Atlanta returned the pieces to Greece earlier this year, agreeing also to a culture cooperation deal with authorities here.
The treasures include a clay Minoan larnax, a marble seated male figure, and a marble statue of the goddess Artemis – all items traced by Greece’s Culture ministry in its long-running hunt to retrieve looted antiquities.
The museum was asked to return the pieces in 2007, but it did not act on the request until faced with evidence of their looted provenance earlier this year.
The artifacts are now being showcased in the Fetihie Mosque at the Roman Agora in Athens.
“This return not only symbolizes a restoration of heritage but also serves as a powerful statement against cultural theft and smuggling,” authorities said at the launch of the exhibit title “Stories with a Happy Ending: The Return of Three Antiquities from Atlanta.”
The display narrates the intricate journey of the artifacts from their illegal excavation to their homecoming.