An ancient Cypriot antiquity dating back nearly three millennia has been returned after being identified for sale in an online auction, according to an antiquities department press release issued on Wednesday.
The antiquity, a stemmed bowl or ‘kylix’ dated between 900 and 750 BCE, was handed over on December 19 to the Cypriot embassy in Paris.
The repatriation followed its identification by officers of the antiquities department who monitor the illegal trafficking of Cypriot cultural heritage online.
After the object was spotted in an online auction, the department contacted the auction house, leading to the withdrawal of the item from sale.
The artefact’s exterior features vertical lines framing a meander motif on each side, while the interior is decorated with concentric bands.
The antiquities department expressed its appreciation to the auction house Nabécor Enchères and the private donors for their voluntary return of the object.
