Fifteen ancient Greek artifacts from the private Cycladic art collection of a U.S. billionaire went on display for the first time on Wednesday in Athens, under an agreement which has stirred controversy in Greece.
The Cycladic antiquities, which Greece says are "masterpieces of unique archaeological value," traveled to Athens following a deal between Greece and New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art for the repatriation of 161 artifacts collected over the years by Leonard N. Stern, a businessman and philanthropist.
After being displayed for a year at the Cycladic Museum in Athens, the 15 works - the most significant of the collection - will be displayed in New York from early 2024 for 25 years. They will gradually be returned to Greece. The deal between Greece and The Met, which was ratified by Greek lawmakers in September, has stirred controversy in Greece, where the opposition as well as many archaeologists and conservators have called for their immediate, permanent return.
"These objects have not been checked legally as to whether they are authentic or fake, nor how they got from the Cyclades to the collection of a multimillionaire in New York," they said in the statement.
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