351 looted antiquities returning to Greece after 17-year legal battle, minister says

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A total of 351 antiquities in 25 groups dating from Neolithic to Byzantine times and in possession of Robin Symes Limited, under liquidation, will return to Greece following a long-term legal battle, the Ministry of Culture said on Friday.

In addition, an indeterminate large number of ceramic wares in pieces will also be sent back to Greece.

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said the legal battle to repatriate the antiquities looted from Greece took 17 years, starting in 2006, when Greek authorities started investigating Robin Symes Ltd. in the country and abroad.

Mendoni mentioned the efforts expended by Culture Ministry officials and archaeologists of several past governments, as well as the Greek police and judiciary, and the legal service of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The long catalogue of the findings includes a Neolithic-era statuette of white stone (4th millennium BC), an Early Cycladic (3200-2700 BC) figurine, a broken marble statue of an Archaic kore (550-500 BC), a broken bronze statue of Alexander the Great at a young age (2nd half of 2nd century AD), and an Archaic marble head of a kore or a sphinx (550-500 BC).

Source: ANA-MPA