Cleveland Museum of Art set for returning a 2,200-year-old statue to Libya
The Cleveland Museum of Art has made plans to return a plundered statue from Libya that was taken during the British occupation in World War II. They made this announcement on Wednesday. According to the museum, "Based on new information provided by the Department of Antiquities and research undertaken at the CMA, the museum voluntarily recognizes the statue as the property of Libya."
Mohamed Faraj Mohamed, head of Libya's Department of Antiquities, showed his gratitude for the museum's cooperation, saying, "We look forward to continued cooperation with the museum."
The statue, which stands at nearly two feet tall, is made from basalt - a "hard volcanic rock formed from lava." The bearded, T-shirt-wearing man wearing a wraparound skirt and shawl is believed to represent someone from ancient Cyrenaica, now part of eastern Libya.
During the 1937-1938 excavations at Ptolemais in Cyrenaica, the statue was found in a large storage jar at the Columned Palace. After being discovered, it ended up at the Ptolemais Museum in Libya, which was destroyed during the British occupation of the region in 1941. The museum's statement to CNN clarifies, "The sculpture was likely lost in 1941."
After being lost for many years, the statue eventually found its way to Lucerne, Switzerland, and was later housed in the private collection of New York art collectors Lawrence and Barbara Fleischman. It was then donated to the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1991. However, the museum, recognizing the discrepancies and the history behind the theft, has decided to return the statue to its original home.
As the museum explains, "Given the rarity of the sculpture type – carved of stone, with precise replicas very unlikely – and the extremely close resemblance between the sculpture given to the CMA in 1991 and the sculpture described and illustrated in 1950, together with the wartime events that took place in Libya, the CMA has concluded that the sculpture rightfully belongs to Libya."
Read also:
The Cleveland Museum of Art's decision to return the ancient statue is a testament to their commitment to respecting the style and historical context of art pieces. The return of the statue will likely inspire a new appreciation for Libyan art and culture within the museum's exhibits.
