ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece—The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has officially returned an ancient bronzed griffin head, stolen almost a century ago, to its rightful home in southern Greece. This gesture symbolizes a broader movement within the museum community to repatriate significant cultural artifacts.
The artifact, dated to the 7th century B.C., had been showcased at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia. This city holds historic importance as the site of the ancient Olympic Games, which served as the inspiration for the contemporary Olympics.
During a ceremony at the museum, Greece’s culture minister, Lina Mendoni, expressed deep appreciation for the item’s return. She remarked on the profoundness of the griffin’s homecoming from the Metropolitan Museum and applauded the concerted efforts of both the Greek Culture Ministry and the Met to track the artifact’s journey. The event coincided with the visit of International Olympic Committee members in Greece for the election of a new president—Kirsty Coventry made history as the first woman and African to lead the organization.
The griffin, a mythical creature combining the strength of a lion with the head and wings of an eagle, was emblematic of strength and divine protection in ancient Greek culture. The bronze head is now positioned alongside a similar artifact at the Olympia museum.
The Met is actively revisiting its collection history, enhancing its capability by hiring more experts dedicated to tracing the origins of objects within its collection. The museum director, Max Hollein, acknowledged the longstanding collaboration with the Greek government and anticipates further cultural engagements and exchanges.
Globally, cultural institutions are increasingly recognizing the significance of reverting key cultural objects to their countries of origin, balancing this against the drive to maintain global access to heritage. As part of this evolving philosophy, Greece has arranged for the griffin head to be temporarily displayed at the Met for future exhibitions. Athens hopes this openness aids its long-standing efforts to reclaim the Parthenon Sculptures. These were extracted from Athens’s Acropolis in the 19th century and are currently housed at the British Museum. Despite their cultural significance and the contentious circumstances of their extraction, negotiations for their return from the London institution are progressing slowly.