Five ancient Greek artefacts spanning from the 6th century BC to the Roman period have been returned to Greece by a family from Chicago, in a move hailed by Greek authorities as an important contribution to the protection of cultural heritage, according to tovima.com
The antiquities, originally collected by Richard and Mary L. Gray during the 1970s and 1980s, were officially handed over during a ceremony at the Greek Consulate General in Chicago. Their children, Harry, Jennifer and Paul Gray, contacted Greek authorities earlier this year to arrange the voluntary return of the objects.
Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni described the gesture as “an act of generosity, responsibility and a high sense of justice”.
“The Gray family’s initiative demonstrates the decisive role citizens can play in protecting cultural heritage,” Mendoni said, adding that Greece has intensified repatriation efforts in recent years, recovering more than 200 antiquities from 17 countries.
“Those who return Greek antiquities are rightly regarded as friends of Greek culture and allies in our fight against antiquities trafficking,” she added.
The returned collection includes two black-figure vases from the 6th century BC, a bronze mirror dating to the Late Archaic and Classical periods, a headless marble statue of Hermes from the 1st century BC to 1st century AD, and a fragment of a 2nd-century AD relief depicting the goddess Athena.
Source: tovima.com
