Date: Fri 12-Feb-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: LIZAM

Quick Words:

Getty-stolen-Italy

Full Text:

Getty Museum Returns Three Stolen Ancient Artworks

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (AP) -- The J. Paul Getty Museum has returned three

ancient works of art to Italy after determining they were stolen.

One sculpture sat in its collection for 17 years. The objects were flown to

Italy last week, along with pieces that were loaned to the museum for an

antiquities exhibit, according to a statement issued by the museum on February

1.

The stolen items are a terra cotta drinking cup from 480 BC, found to have

been illegally excavated from an archaeological site; a torso of the god

Mithras from the Second Century, found to have been stolen from a private

Italian collection; and the sculpted head of a victorious athlete, a Second

Century Roman copy of an earlier Greek work, which was apparently taken from

the storeroom of a scientific excavation.

For security reasons, the museum did not say how much the pieces are worth.

Although nobody claimed the works, Getty decided to return them based on

information supplied by experts in the field and in consultation with Italian

officials.

International concern has been growing about rampant thefts of priceless art

from collections and the looting of archaeological sites.

The billion-dollar museum, located on a hill in the Brentwood area, opened in

1997.