New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Italian government have come to an agreement for the return to Italy of the Euphronios krater, a 6th century BC Greek vase which is regarded as one of the finest of its type known. The krater will be returned along with other pottery and a hoard of 3rd century Hellenistic silver, all of which were illegaly exported from Italy. In return the Met will recieve some other antiquities on long-term loan. The agreement highlights the ongoing disputes between many museums and the "countries of origin" of some of their art treasures about who owns them. Back in the 19th century many museums displayed expert copies of famous (or not so famous) antiquities and artifacts which, although not useful to scholars, allowed the public and art enthusiasts to see decent copies of great art they would not otherwise have been able to see at all. Mayhaps that was a better idea than we give it credit for...
Meanwhile, over in Hungary, the Hungarian government has agreed to pay the Russian government $400,000 in "storage fees" for a group of 134 rare books which Russian troops looted from a Hungarian library at the close of WWII and which are now being returned to the Hungarians. Huh. Usually when you "borrow" books from the library and don't return them for 50 years you're the one who owes a fine, not the library...
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