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Return of Greek statue

Return of Greek statue stolen during World War II

The case
On June 16th 2005 a British dealer in ancient art returned a 4.5 inch bronze statue of a smiling youth to the Aegean Sea island of Samos after realising the piece had been stolen during World War II. James Ede, chairman of the London-based International Association of Dealers in Ancient Art, bought the figure from the widow of a Greek art collector who lived in Switzerland.  The statue has been valued at about $55,000 and will be displayed at the archaeological museum of Samos.

Procedures followed
The kouros was bought as part of a collection. The widow had no documentary evidence of the date of purchase. She was sure it was acquired before 1970 and signed a statement to that effect. The condition of the piece made it clear to the dealer that the figure had been excavated for a considerable time. Charles Ede Ltd undertakes due diligence on all objects acquired. The Greek kouros was shown to Professer John Prag of the Manchester Museum, who found a publication showing that it had been in the Samos Museum in 1939. The dealer immediately approached the Greek Embassy for confirmation that the kouros had in fact been stolen. Having received such confirmation Ede turned it over to the Greek Embassy in London and accompanied the statue on its flight home.

Quote
‘I think the dispersal of our cultures helps us understand and respect each other and is a good thing but this must be a legal process. We will continue to fight the illegal trade. With war, civil strife, and upheavals around the world - not least in Baghdad - the duty that we have will become greater and greater. Support by governments and academics for the legal trade is essential for success in this struggle.' (James Ede)

Lessons learnt

Return of Greek statue

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