Robin Symes, Returns from Geneva and the Medici Dossier

Source: Medici Dossier

Dr Christos Tsirogiannis has identified the Etruscan male and female heads from the two sarcophagi returned from Geneva to Italy. The two feature in the Medici Dossier.

This raises issues about how this material moved from Medici to Symes. Was the return based on positive photographic identification?

In addition, where was the sarcophagus conserved? Who was responsible for the restoration?

We look forward to the official Italian press release where further information is likely to be revealed.

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The Getty Kouros: "The moral is, never ever buy a piece without a provenance"

In the wake of the 1992 Athens conference to discuss the Getty kouros (85.AA.40), one of the delegates, a "distinguished" American museum curator, was quoted ("Greek sculpture; the age-old question", The Economist June 20, 1992):
The moral is, never ever buy a piece without a provenance.
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A similar statue surfacing in the 1930s
A decision was taken to acquire the kouros in 1985. The official Getty line at the time (and reported in Russell…

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