Homecoming and the Stern Collection

New York MMA inv. L.2022.38.22

The Keros Haul is considered to be a notorious example of looting in the Cyclades and in the publication—co-published with the Museum of Cycladic Art—is a figure formerly  in the New York collection of Ian Woodner and now in the collection of Leonard Stern (New York MMA inv. L.2022.38.22). The Stern figure appears in the Keros catalogue (no. 170), and while this publication is referenced in the Homecoming catalogue published by the Museum of Cycladic Art (no. 11) there is no explicit mention that the figure came from the haul. One wonders why this part of the object's history has been suppressed. It is, in fact, one of several pieces in the Stern collection that was derived from Keros.

The figure is attributed by Getz-Preziosi/Getz-Gentle to the Kalrsruhe/Woodner sculptor (/master). The Stern/Woodner figure was paired in Early Cycladic Sculpture (1985) with a figure in the Badisches Landesmuseum in Karlsruhe:

Nearly identical in length and exceptionally large, the two figures share a number of characteristics whose combined presence cannot have been fortuitous even though they differ in obvious ways.

The Karlsruhe figure was subsequently returned to Greece. What is stopping the Greek authorities from requesting the return of the Stern/Woodner figure? Instead they have accepted it as a temporary loan and recognise the validity of the long-term loan to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

The third figure attributed to this sculptor is in the Museum of Cycladic Art (inv. 724) and is reported to have been found 'in a cave' on Keros. Not one of the three figures has a secure archaeological context.

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Karlsrhe and the Returning Cycladic Figure

Cycladic figure returned from Karlsruhe.
Source: Hellenic Ministry of Culture.

The marble figure returned from Karlsruhe to Greece can be identified as:

• Marble figure, Early Spedos type. Inv. 75/49. Findspot: "unknown". ACC no. 151. H. 88.8 cm.

It is one of three figures attributed to the Karlsruhe/Woodner Sculptor by Pat Getz-Gentle (Personal Styles, Checklist no. 2). The other two figures attributed to this sculptor do not come from secure archaeological contexts. One formed part of the Goulandris collection (no. 724; "Keros, in a cave"; Doumas, Early Cycladic Culture no. 222, "Possible provenance Keros"), and the other is in the Harmon collection (NAC no. 39; Keros Hoard no. 170) reportedly from the Keros Haul.

Is this one of the "sculptors" who could fall into the "inadequate" category because of the lack of secure information?

Karlruhe Returns Cycladic Objects

Cycladic figure returned to Greece from Karlsruhe.
Source: Hellenic Ministry of Culture.

Karlsruhe returned two Cycladic objects today: a Spedos marble female figure, and a ceramic 'frying pan' (Press release, Greek). Both were acquired in the 1970s. The objects will be displayed in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

This is a visual reminder of the major looting of Cycladic cemeteries especially since the Second World War. Only a tiny percentage of the figures in the corpus have secure archaeological contexts.

It is significant that Greece is once again seeking to repatriate material.

Will the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University be responding to requests to return their three items identified from the seized photographic archives?

Cycladic 'frying-pan' returned from Karlsruhe.
Source: Hellenic Ministry of Culture.

Karlsruhe to return Cycladic material to Greece

The Badisches Landesmuseum in Karlsruhe will be returning two Cycladic objects, a figure and a bowl, to Greece, The ceremony is apparently due to take place in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens tomorrow, Friday June 6, 2014.

The claim was first made in October 2011.

If this return is confirmed, it will hint that the Badisches Landesmuseum has now accepted that it was buying recently surfaced material.

News story here (Επαναπατρισμός αρχαιοτήτων από τη Γερμανία).