[MSN] Greece may focus on other museums as Getty agrees to return antiquities

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Greece may focus on other museums as Getty agrees to return antiquities 
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Nicholas Paphitis
Associated Press 
Athens, Greece- After months of intense pressure, the director of Los
Angeles' J. Paul Getty Museum agreed to recommend to the museum's board to
return ancient artifacts in its collections that Greece claims were
illegally spirited out of the country. 

The agreement announced Tuesday was struck as museums come under increasing
pressure from countries with rich archaeological pasts to return artifacts
of potentially dubious provenance. 

It also raised the possibility that Greece may now go after other U.S.
museums that own ancient Greek artifacts. 

Under the agreement, Getty Museum Director Michael Brand will recommend
returning some of the four antiquities wanted by Greece. 

"Talks are ongoing and representatives will be appointed to seek resolution
of the matter within the next two or three months," Brand said, reading a
joint statement with Greek Culture Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis. 

The statement did not specify which of the artifacts - a gold wreath dating
to about 400 B.C., a sixth-century B.C. marble statue of a young woman, a
votive relief and a funerary slab - would be considered for return. 

A Culture Ministry official said the antiquities expected to be returned
were those for which Greece has the strongest documentation. 

"But I cannot say whether these will be two, three, or even four," she said,
speaking on condition of anonymity, because she was not authorized to talk
to the press. 

Greece claims the four objects are among thousands of antiquities believed
to have been illegally exported as part of a booming trade in the country's
priceless archaeological heritage. 

Brand and Voulgarakis' statement indicated that Greece would be prepared to
offer the U.S. museum long-term loans of Greek antiquities as part of the
deal. 

Asked whether Greece would now go after other U.S. museums, Culture Ministry
Secretary-General Christos Zachopoulos told The Associated Press: "We are
examining all cases, we have our files, and we are now following a policy
with specific steps, setting targets." 

Greek police have launched a crackdown on antiquities smuggling, with
high-profile raids in the past three months on two island villas whose
owners are linked with the international art trade. 

More than 300 unregistered artifacts were seized on the properties on Paros
and Schoinoussa - both in the antiquities-rich Cyclades island chain. 

One villa belonged to the Getty's former antiquities curator, Marion True,
who is standing trial in Rome for allegedly having knowingly purchased
stolen artifacts for the museum from Italy. True, who was out of Greece
during the raids, has denied any wrongdoing. 

The Getty said it has no connection with the seizures. Greek law stipulates
that all antiquities found in the country are state property. 

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