The Deputy Minister of Culture of Cyprus Dr. Vasiliki Kassianidou and the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus in the United Kingdom, Ambassador Kyriacos Kouros received on Saturday at the Cyprus High Commission, a Cypriot antiquity from Costas Paraskevaides, Director of ArtAncient, London.
The antiquity is a zoomorphic askos (ritual pouring vessel) of Red Polished Ware, dated to the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 2000 BC).
The ancient vessel had been recorded and inventoried by the Department of Antiquities, in the town of Famagusta prior to the 1974 Turkish invasion and occupation of the island’s northern third.
The artefact was stolen and illegally exported and had been missing since, like many other cultural objects that were in the Turkish occupied areas of the island.
In statements to CNA, Paraskevaides said that he located the antiquity which was for sale at an auction in Germany in mid-2023. Together with a team of experts from his gallery he looked into the object’s provenance and realised it had been stolen from Cyprus in 1974. He then informed the Deputy Ministry of Culture and it was agreed that he would purchase the object and return it.
Kassianidou told CNA that this is yet another important return to Cyprus of an artefact with the much appreciated help of Paraskevaides.
“As you know, unfortunately after the 1974 invasion a large part of our cultural heritage was lost and distributed in the illicit antiquities market, so it is of great importance to us when such an object is located and returned,” she noted.
“The Antiquities Department in cooperation with Cyprus police, the Law Office, Customs and Interpol are making great efforts to repatriate such objects,” the Culture Minister added.
The artefact will be included in the exhibits of the Cyprus Museum in the coming months.
The Cypriot authorities wish to warmly thank Paraskevaides for his considerate and ethically correct decision to return the artefact to its country of origin.