Object Description
Greek Geometric Oinochoe
The oinochoe is decorated with narrow and thicker black lines, as well as rows of meanders.
Identification Date
24 Aug 2018
Identification Location
Private collection of Michael Steinhardt, Manhattan, New York
Artefact History
1980s-1990s
One (1) Polaroid image, depicting the same oinochoe, was discovered in the archive confiscated from the antiquities dealer Gianfranco Becchina. The oinochoe was trafficked by Georgios Zenebisis, a Greek smuggler and the vase is depicted before restoration.
1980s-1990s
One (1) Professional image, depicting the same oinochoe, restored, in the archive of the antiquities dealers Robin Symes and Christos Michaelides. Symes and Michaelides are selling the oinochoe to Hecht, or they used Hecht as a front.
17 November 2000
The oinochoe was sold from Robert Hecht to Michael Steinhardt.
24 August 2018
On August 24, 2018, Tsirogiannis notifies the DA’s Office about the identification, sending the relevant Symes-Michaelides image and explaining Zenebisis’ symbols on the Polaroid discovered in the Becchina archive.
Artefact Status
December 2021
On December 2021, the Manhattan DA’s Office announced that the oinochoe will be repatriated to Greece. The repatriation took place in February 2022.