Shelby White and Greece: Antiquities in Athens

There were reports in the Greek press yesterday (August 26, 2008) that the two items from the Shelby White collection were now in the National Museum in Athens. (As I write there is no press statement on the Hellenic Ministry of Culture website.) The items are confirmed as:

• a bronze calyx-krater said to be from Pieria
• a fragmentary funerary stele from eastern Attica

The krater is described as being 70 cms high, with a silver wreath on the walls, and maenads under the handles. It looks as if this is the calyx-krater that featured in Greek Bronze Vessels from the Collection of Shelby White & Leon Levy (2005), 24-25, no 9 [further details]; indeed one of the maenads graces the cover. The newspaper report suggests that it came from a "royal tomb" (βασιλικό τάφο).

The funerary stele carries the personal names of Menon and Kleobolos. The link between the Shelby White fragment and the lower part excavated near Porto Rafti was made by George Despinis.

There is no further comment about the sources for the two pieces though the report does hint that the due diligence process was lacking (χωρίς να έχει ελεγχθεί η νομιμότητα της προέλευσής τους).

From September 23, 2008 the pieces will feature in the "Nostoi" exhibition at the New Akropolis Museum.