NEW YORK, New York –
Thirty antiquities collectively valued at $3.7 million were returned to Greece during a repatriation ceremony Friday morning (12/15) at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. 19 of the pieces were voluntarily donated by New York gallery owner Michael Ward. Three of the pieces were seized from British art dealer Robin Symes.
The Hellenic Republic was represented by the Consul General of Greece in New York, Dinos Konstantinou.
Also present were Secretary General of Culture Georgios Didaskalou and Vasiliki Papageorgiou of the Department of Documentation and Protection of Cultural Property of the Greek Ministry of Culture, as well as Deputy Special Agent for US Homeland Security Investigations ( “HSI”), Thomas Acocella.
“This is an exquisite collection of 30 antiquities that represent the extraordinary depth and beauty of Greek cultural heritage. These cases are a team effort, and I am extremely grateful to each of the analysts and prosecutors in my Office who worked tirelessly to bring these pieces home. We will continue to aggressively investigate those who use Manhattan as a base to traffic in stolen antiquities,” said District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr.
“Cultural heritage is an integral part of our identity as a people and a nation. It is therefore essential, and today crucial, to protect and preserve cultural heritage for future generations. I express my gratitude for the continued and fruitful cooperation with the New York District Attorney’s Office and for the return of the 30 antiquities to Greece,” noted – in a written message – Minister of Culture, Dr. Lina Mendoni.
“I am truly grateful for the efforts undertaken by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and everyone who worked to make possible the return of these fabulous artifacts to where they rightfully belong! Thanks to the superb efforts of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, 30 incredibly preserved artifacts were finally repatriated. Their monetary value is millions of dollars, but their real value goes far beyond that. They are invaluable to the Greek people,” said the Consul General of Greece in New York, Dinos Konstantinou.
He then thanked Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Bogdanos for his tireless dedication. “His contribution to this joyous outcome is invaluable and much appreciated by our country. Investigating the trafficking of art objects and archaeological objects is not an easy task. Combating the smuggling of cultural property across the world requires thorough investigations and effective cooperation between law enforcement authorities. The return of these objects to our country demonstrates its unwavering commitment to the fight against the illegal trade in antiquities.”
“These 30 artifacts represent some of the most important remains of the past, playing a crucial role in shaping the vibrant Greek culture we see today. “A nation’s precious history should never be stolen, peddled, or marketed for sale, and yet for years these antiquities have been kept in collectors’ homes, prestigious institutions, and even storage lockers,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of Homeland Security Investigations, New York, thanking the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Greek government for “their continued collaboration to ensure that their assets are no longer put up for sale.”
According to the prosecutor’s office, some of the key items returned include:
- Marble Aphrodite: This marble statue is based on the famous Aphrodite of Cnidus and was recovered from a warehouse that belonged to convicted trafficker Robin Symes, where it had been hidden since at least 1999.
- Cycladic Marble Figure: Originally illegally quarried from the Cycladic Islands in the Aegean Sea, this four-thousand-year-old marble figurine was seized from a storage unit owned by a New York-based private collector by the ATU earlier this year.
- Corinthian Helmet: This bronze Corinthian helmet is an example of a popular helmet style for ancient Greek warriors, particularly in the Archaic and Classical periods (ca. 700 BCE-350 BCE). It was smuggled out of Greece, given false provenance from Germany, and placed on consignment with New York art dealer Michael Ward, who pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal facilitation and admitted to purchasing antiques stolen on consignment through his gallery as part of this affair. money laundering allegedly orchestrated by Eugene Alexander.
During Attorney Bragg’s tenure, the ATU recovered more than 1,000 stolen antiquities from more than two dozen countries valued at nearly $225 million. Since its inception, the ATU has recovered more than 4,700 antiquities worth nearly $450 million and has returned more than 4,250 to date in 25 countries.
Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Bogdanos, head of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit and lead trial attorney, oversaw the investigations, which were led by Assistant Prosecutors Christine DiDomenico and Yuval Simchi-Levi; supervising survey analyst Apsara Iyer, survey analysts Giuditta Giardini and Hilary Chassé; and Special Agents Robert Mancene, John Paul Labbat and Robert Fromkin of Homeland Security Investigations. Support for the investigation was provided by Elena Vlachogianni and Vasiliki Papageorgiou from the Department of Documentation and Protection of Cultural Property of the Greek Ministry of Culture.
The District Attorney’s Office, in a statement, also thanks Michael Ward and Joan Weberman for their assistance and cooperation in the investigation.
