The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) has finalized an agreement to transfer ownership of its ancient “Statue of a Man” to Libya.
Officials from the CMA and the Libyan government held a signing ceremony at the museum last week.
“For now, the statue will be on loan to CMA in furtherance of the U.S.-Libya cultural property agreement and displayed as the property of Libya,” the two parties explained in a joint release.
As 3News media partner Cleveland.com previously reported, the 2,200-year-old Ptolemaic Dynasty-era statue of a man was believed to have been looted during World War II from a museum now located in eastern Libya.
The statue was acquired by CMA in 1991.
“We are pleased with the collaboration and open dialogue we have had with our colleagues in the Department of Antiquities and look forward to the opportunity this agreement presents for enhanced cultural exchange with Libya,” said Dr. William M. Griswold, director of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
The CMA is pleased to finalize our agreement with the Libyan Department of Antiquities to transfer of a Ptolemaic Statue…
“We appreciate the willingness of the Cleveland Museum of Art to work with the Department in accomplishing the transfer of this important work. We look forward to continued cooperation with the Museum,” added Dr. Mohammed Faraj Mohammed Al-Fallos, chair of the Department of Antiquities of Libya.
Credit: www.wkyc.com
