A marble head of a man dated from 150 CE has been repatriated to Greece by the Archaeological Museum of the University of Münster in Germany. The museum voluntarily returned the artifact after concerns were raised over its ownership records by researchers.
During a repatriation ceremony, Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni lauded the deal as fair resolution between the two museums, with repatriation cases between different countries often resulting in legal battles.
The artifact, which was gifted to the Münster museum in 1989 by a private German donor, had an unclear ownership history before coming into the collection permanently. Tests conducted by researchers confirmed the marble originated from Thasos, an island in the northern Aegean, leading to the conclusion that the head originated from Greek.
Achim Lichtenberger, director of the Münster museum, said the piece is considered valuable and that its return to Greece will allow it to be studied alongside other objects like it. The exact circumstances of its removal from its original site is unknown.
The sculpture will now go on display at the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki.
In a statement, Lichtenberger maintained that despite the researcher’s findings, the museum adheres to ethical standards around its acquisitions process, saying that the institution reviews its collection to comply with the UNESCO 1970 Convention.
