ATHENS, Greece (AP) – A man was arrested on suspicion of smuggling antiques for trying to sell an ancient marble statue of “exceptional works of art” that probably adorned a temple on the famous Acropolis of Athens or on the slopes around it, they said Greek authorities Friday.
Police said the statue from the 5th century BC was recovered after a months-long police operation that involved an investigation by the Department of Cultural Heritage and Antiquities.
Measuring only about 37 centimeters (14.5 inches) in height, the statue depicts a seated young man who leans slightly to the right. The head, arms and most of both legs are missing, and two small holes are visible behind the left shoulder, from which rods would probably have attached the statue to a pediment – the triangular gable above the short sides of an ancient temple .
“It is an exceptional work of art, the kind that is not easily found, even in systematic excavations,” said archaeologist Dimitris Sourlas during a presentation on Friday at the police headquarters in Athens. The statue, he said, could have been part of a larger composition, but more research was needed.
The authorities did not say why they linked it to the Acropolis area, and what made them suspect it was a temple – which would restrict the search for its provenance.
The work was found in the possession of a man in the southern city of Corinth, who was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of looking for a buyer for the statue for the price of 100,000 euros ($ 119,000), police said.
An investigation is underway to find out how the piece got into his hands and whether he managed to contact potential buyers.
Photos released by police showed that the statue appeared to have been buried for a long time and showed signs of damage from excavation tools.
It is illegal to own, buy, sell or excavate antiques in Greece without a license.