ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece (AP) — The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has returned a stolen ancient bronze griffin head to a museum in southern Greece after nearly a century. This marks a broader shift in the museum world towards repatriating significant artifacts. The 7th century B.C. artifact is now being displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, the birthplace of the ancient games that inspired the modern Olympic Games. Greece’s culture minister, Lina Mendoni, hailed the return of the griffin head as a momentous occasion during a ceremony at the museum. The joint effort by the Culture Ministry and the Met to trace the artifact’s history was praised.
Meanwhile, members of the International Olympic Committee were in Greece to elect a new president, with Kirsty Coventry becoming the first woman and first African to lead the global body. The griffin, a mythical creature symbolizing strength and divine protection in ancient Greece, will now join a similar griffin head already on display at the Olympia museum. The Met has been actively reviewing the origins of its holdings and has expressed gratitude for its partnership with the Greek government for continued cultural exchange.
In recent years, institutions worldwide have emphasized the importance of returning cultural items while ensuring global access to heritage. In line with this, Greece has agreed to loan the griffin head back to the Met for future exhibitions. This new approach aims to support Greece’s ongoing efforts to reclaim the Parthenon Sculptures from the British Museum, taken from the Acropolis in the 19th century. The government hopes these negotiations will progress as it highlights the sculptures’ cultural significance and the circumstances of their removal.
