The J. Paul Getty Museum is returning its Orpheus group of sculptures — a culturally significant group of nearly life-size terracotta figures known as “Orpheus and the Sirens”, some of the museum’s greatest antiquities — back to Italy. The objects, which have been determined to have been illegally excavated and exported, will be sent to Rome in September. The institution is coordinating with Italy’s Ministry of Culture to send four other objects back as well at a future date.
According to the museum, the Antiquities Trafficking Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office had first raised concerns about the terracotta sculptures, which are more than 2,000 years old.
Timothy Potts, director of the Getty, said in the release that the museum “determined that these objects should be returned” by working with officials from that unit.
Getty is currently working on “tailor-made equipment and procedures” to transport extremely fragile sculptures. In addition, the museum is coordinating the return of four other artifacts to Italy.
Potts added: “We value our strong and fruitful relationship with the Italian Ministry of Culture and with the many archaeological colleagues, conservators, curators and other scholars across Italy, with whom we share a mission to promote the preservation of ancient cultural heritage.”