Stolen Byzantine items from Ankara seized in Moscow

Russia’s state cultural watchdog said Wednesday it had seized precious Byzantine-era items offered to Russian museums by an art dealer on suspicion they may have been stolen from a museum in Turkey more than four decades ago . . .

A silver cross, an ornamented gold bracelet and a silver box for holding a saint’s remains had been offered to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg and Moscow’s Kremlin Museums by a U.S. art dealer several weeks ago, said Anatoly Vilkov, a deputy head of the agency Rosokhrankultura.

He said the items came from private collections in Britain and Austria, but refused to name any owners or the dealer.

Posted by David on February 2, 2007 12:15 PM