Nearly $100,000 in ancient artifacts that were stolen from Italy — and discovered in a Midtown art gallery — have been returned to the European nation, authorities said Thursday.
Last April, investigators seized six items, including a 4-inch-tall, 2,800-year-old Sardinian bronze warrior valued at $30,000, from the unnamed gallery, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
The $90,000 haul also included a drinking cup emblazoned with two goats butting heads from the late 4th century B.C. worth $8,500 and a wine jug decorated with panthers valued at $22,500, officials said.
The items were looted from archaeological sites in Italy, including tombs, in the 1990s then smuggled into the US, according to the DA’s office.
The gallery, which had listed the antiquities for sale, was unaware that they were stolen and fully cooperated with investigators, authorities said.
“Art galleries, auction houses, academic institutions and collectors must be vigilant about recognizing and identifying signs of theft and trafficking,” said DA Cyrus Vance Jr. in a statement.
The Consul General of Italy in New York, Francesco Genuardi, thanked the DA for “achieving another important result in the fight against the international smuggling of antique artifacts.”