A Cypriot antiquity was recently handed over to the High Commission of the Republic of Cyprus in London.
The antiquity had been identified in an online auction by the Archaeological Officers of the Department of Antiquities responsible for monitoring the illegal trafficking of Cypriot antiquities on the internet and was withdrawn following consultation with the auction house.
The Department of Antiquities said in a press release on Tuesday that the antiquity consists of a Jug of Black-on-Red III (IV) ware dating to the Cypro-Archaic I period (750 - 600 BC), featuring a globular body, a short cylindrical neck, and a slightly elevated vertical handle from neck to shoulder. The rim is not preserved. Decoration in black paint on a reddish lustrous slip with groups of concentric circles on each side and bands around the neck.
The Department of Antiquities expressed its gratitude to Watsons Auctioneers and the possessors for their voluntary return of the antiquity to its country of origin, as well as to the Cultural Section of the Cyprus High Commission in London for their cooperation and the coordination of the repatriation procedures.
The antiquity was handed over to the High Commission on March 7.
Source: CNA