Year of Object(s) Creation: 750 C.E. (approximate)
Estimated Value ($USD): 200,000
Object Type(s): Statue
Object Material(s): bronze, metal
Provenience Nation: Greece
Provenience Location: Allegedly Greece
Year Removed from Findspot:

Provenance
Start Year: 2020
End Year:
Circumstance of Acquisition: US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled in favor of Greece but the statue still remains with Sotheby’s
Nation: United States
Location: New York
Start Year: 1973
End Year:
Circumstance of Acquisition: Bought at a New York auction by Howard and Saretta Barnet
Nation: United States
Location: New York
Start Year:
End Year: 1973
Circumstance of Acquisition: Owned by London dealer Robin Symes
Nation: United Kingdom
Location: London

Greek Equestrian Statue


Description:
The equestrian statue was about to be sold at a May 2018 Sotheby’s auction but, beforehand, the Greek ministry contacted the auction house to claim the item. The Greek ministry claimed it was of dubious provenance and should be returned to Greece. Sotheby's believed there was no evidence to support Greece's claim to ownership and so pursued a court case in New York against Greece to clarify the rights of legitimate owners, but in 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled in favor of Greece.

Case Status: Unresolved
Year Claim Initiated: 2018
Year Claim Resolved:
Means of Resolution:

Complainant Name: Greek Ministry of Culture
Complainant Nation: Greece
Complainant Nation Economy: Developed
Complainant Type: Public: Government

Respondent Name: Sotheby’s
Respondent Nation: United States
Respondent Nation Economy: Developed
Respondent Type: Private: Company

Reference Links:

Files:

Editor's Notes:
Edited by Keli Fisher