J Paul Getty Returns to Italy (2013)

Author: Neil Brodie

Last Modified: 18 Apr 2014

The Getty Museum returned a looted terracotta head of Hades to Italy.

On January 10, 2013, the J. Paul Getty Museum announced it was returning to the Museo Archeologico in Aidone, Sicily, a Terracotta Head of Hades (85.AD.105) (J.P. Getty 2013). Dating from about 400–300 BC, the head had been purchased in 1985 from Maurice Tempelsman for $530,000 USD. Tempelsman had in turn bought the head from British dealer Robin Symes (Ng and Felch 2013). Research at the Getty established that the head had been looted from the Morgantina sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone in the 1970s. 

References

Getty (2013), ‘The J.Paul Getty Museum announces the return of a head of Hades from about 400–300 BC’, press release, 10 January (J.Paul Getty Trust). http://news.getty.edu/press-materials/press-releases/hades-returns-to-sicily.htm, accessed 15 January 2013.

Ng, David and Felch, Jason (2013), ‘Getty Museum to return Hades terracotta head to Sicily’, Los Angeles Times, 10 January. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-getty-museum-hades-sculpture-sicily-20130110,0,2715069.story, accessed 15 January 2013.

Related Encyclopedia Entries

Getty Aphrodite

The Getty Aphrodite is a large (about 2.3 m tall) limestone and marble statue of a female deity, probably Aphrodite, Hera or Demeter, dating from 425–400 BC. It was acquired by the J. Paul Getty Museum in 1988 and returned to Italy in 2007.

J Paul Getty Museum Returns to Italy (2005)

The J. Paul Getty Museum returned three objects to Italy in 2005 that were stolen or illegally exported.

J Paul Getty Museum Returns to Italy (2007)

Artefacts returned to Italy in 2007 after Italian investigations into illicit trading.

Morgantina Silver

A silver hoard removed from the Sicilian site of Morgantina by looters around in 1979/80 which was eventually purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.