Source: SFGate
“New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned an ancient bronze griffin head stolen nearly a century ago to a museum in southern Greece, the latest repatriation marking a broader shift in the museum world to return significant artifacts. The 7th century B.C. artifact was on display at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, the city that in ancient times was the birthplace of the games that later inspired the modern Olympic Games. Greece’s culture minister, Lina Mendoni, attended a ceremony Friday at the museum, calling the return a significant moment. ‘After decades of absence, the griffin returns from the Metropolitan Museum in New York to the place it belongs,’ she said, praising the joint effort by the Culture Ministry and the Met to trace the artifact’s past. The ceremony coincided with a visit to Greece by members of the International Olympic Committee to elect a new president.” (03/21/25)