Cleveland Museum of Art to Return 2200-Year-Old Statue to State of Libya

In a joint press release issued Wednesday, May 29, 2024 with the Department of Antiquities of the State of Libya, the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) announced an agreement on the voluntary transfer of ownership of a 2200-year-old Ptolemaic statue to the State of Libya. The work will remain at the CMA on loan for a currently unspecified period of time. Head of the Department of Antiquities of the State of Libya Dr. Mohamed Faraj Mohamed said, “We look forward to continued cooperation with the museum.”

The museum stated that this decision was informed by “new information” from the Department of Antiquities, as well as its own research. CMA Chief Marketing Officer Todd Mesek told Hyperallergic that Libyan officials reached out in 2023 requesting ownership acknowledgement of the statue, believed to have been looted from occupied Libya’s Ptolemais Museum during WWII. The CMA’s object listing currently notes that it was found at Ptolemais (Tolmeita, on the Libyan coast) in 1937-38, but was “doubtless originally from Egypt.” Following the war, it resurfaced in Switzerland and was acquired by private collector Lawrence A. Fleischman, who donated it to the CMA in 1991.

Carved between 200-100 BCE during Egypt’s Greco-Roman period, the “Statue of a Man” fuses traditional and contemporary Egyptian sculptural aesthetics. A bearded man stands in stride, a rigid, vertical stance reminiscent of older traditions. His naturalistic coiled hair and contemporary garments are typical of the period. The figure is cited in curator Tom Hinson’s 1991 journal article, “Notable Acquisitions,” which covers the CMA’s 75th anniversary exhibition focused on the breadth of its collections, ranging from ancient South Asian textiles to American minimalist work, on view for the public.

Seth Pevnick, curator of Greek and Roman art at the Cleveland museum, echoed the museum’s proclaimed commitment to its reach. “When confronting a situation like this we look at all the material and try to come to an agreement that is beneficial to all parties,” he told the New York Times. “It’s less about ownership and more about access” to the work.

The decision follows a pending lawsuit filed on October 19, 2023 by the CMA against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office seized an ancient Roman or Hellenistic bronze statue that summer. The statue was seized as part of a broader investigation into artifacts allegedly trafficked from Turkey to Manhattan; however, the CMA claims that it has rightful ownership. Such retaliation is rare among repatriation cases.

As for Libya, the return of “Statue of a Man” adds to its growing number of repatriation cases in recent years, including the Manhattan DA’s office’s return of two marble sculptures, looted from the ancient city of Cyrene, to the people of Libya in 2023. The state also recently celebrated International Museum Day, observed May 18, reaffirming institutional commitment to preserving national heritage and Libyan cultural identity.

(Cover Image: Statue of a Man, 200–100 BCE or later. Egypt, Greco-Roman period (332 BCE–395 CE), Ptolemaic dynasty (305–30 BCE). Black basalt; overall: 57.9 cm (22 13/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Seventy-fifth anniversary gift of Lawrence A. Fleischman in honor of Arielle P. Kozloff 1991.26, via The Cleveland Museum of Art)