ATHENS, Greece (AP) – A man has been arrested on suspicion of antiquities smuggling for attempting to sell an ancient marble statue of “exceptional works of art” that probably once graced a temple on the famous Acropolis of Athens or the slopes surrounding it, the report said. Greek authorities. Friday.
Police said the 5th century BC statue was recovered after months of police operation involving an investigation by the Department of Cultural Heritage and Antiquities.
The statue is only about 37 centimeters high and represents a seated young man leaning back slightly to the right. The head, arms and most of both legs are missing, and two small holes are visible behind the left shoulder, from which the statue would likely have been attached to a pediment – the triangular gabled above the short sides of an ancient temple.
“It is an exceptional work of art, of the kind that is not easy to find, even in systematic excavations,” archaeologist Dimitris Sourlas said Friday during a presentation at police headquarters in Athens. The image, he said, could have been part of a larger composition, but more research was needed.
The authorities did not say why they linked it to the Acropolis area, and why they suspected it came from a temple – which would limit the search for its origin.
The work was found in the possession of a man in the southern city of Corinth who was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of seeking a buyer for the statue at the price of 100,000 euros ($ 119,000), police said.
It is investigated how the piece came into his hands and whether he managed to reach potential buyers for it.
Photos released by the police showed that the statue appeared to have been buried for a long time and showed signs of damage from digging tools.
It is illegal to own, buy, sell or excavate antiquities in Greece without a permit.