Vance made the announcement in a ceremony in which three statues dating to the 3rd, 4th and 6th centuries B.C. In some cases, the seized artifacts were purchased legally long ago by people who had no inkling they had essentially been stolen by treasure hunters. The sale was brokered by an Italian art historian known for his work recovering art stolen by the Nazis. that had been displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and a fish plate made about the same time being auctioned at Christie’s. The objects were both forfeited willingly once the owners were presented with the evidence that they had been stolen from Italy.

Source: National Post December 17, 2017 15:19 UTC