Getty Museum returns ancient bronze head to Turkey: A Restitution Story
The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles will be returning an ancient bronze sculpture of a young man’s head to Turkey after an investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office revealed that it had been looted in the 1960s. The sculpture, known as “Head from a Statue of a Youth” (1st century BC-1st century AD), will be repatriated to Turkey. The bronze head is believed to have been part of a larger, now-lost statue and has been in the Getty Villa Museum’s collection since 1971. The sculpture came from the Bubon archaeological site in Turkey and was illegally excavated in the 1960s. The Getty credits the Antiquities Trafficking Unit at the Manhattan DA’s office with providing evidence of the sculpture’s unlawful origin. This repatriation comes after a decade-long request from Turkey for the return of the sculpture. The Getty’s director, Timothy Potts, expressed a desire to continue building a positive relationship with the Turkish Ministry of Culture.
In addition to this repatriation, the Getty has recently made notable acquisitions, including a Bartolomeo Manfredi painting and the first Sophie Frémiet painting acquired by any US museum.
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Elara Voss, graduated from the Royal College of Art in London with a Master’s in Fine Art. She specializes in contemporary sculpture and installation art, exploring themes of nature and human interaction. Elara’s works have been featured in several group exhibitions across Europe, and she is currently working on her first solo show.