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LOS ANGELES, Dec 11, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- The J. Paul Getty Museum in California will return two ancient works of art to Greece after a dispute spanning 10 years.
Greece said the artworks were illegally removed from the country.
The museum made a joint announcement with Greek officials Monday, declaring a rare funerary wreath and a marble statue of a woman will be returned.
Dating to about 400 B.C., the objects were acquired by the Getty in 1993 for $4.45 million. The works have been displayed in a second floor gallery at the museum's Getty Villa in Malibu.
In the last month, the Getty has committed to return 28 ancient objects, among them some "prized items" according to the Los Angeles Times. Greek authorities have argued with the museum over four other objects.
A Greek prosecutor wants to file criminal charges against Marion True, the Getty's former antiquities curator, for her role in the acquisition of the wreath. True is already on trial in Rome for conspiracy to purchase artifacts excavated illegally and smuggled out of Italy.
The statue of a woman, a torso, was once claimed by both Greece and Italy.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
