1 20 1 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/77763/archive/files/537e609967930ada25ec48e79bdb461f.jpg?Expires=1784764800&Signature=BK6du%7EoCDVc6sPzJ3gu51OBiioFlpXGhNGfEzy-jc2aYr03hgdPXQCRSan57HP4NDQRBvRAAOfgeebAWF5cemkG%7EfL8WpMJSDVxBxAv3NLgbdia8%7EQgYTeXkWApRSLCdLtHfIDkUdv2N-f5vn25lWN1vW4mq9byenDTA0k-ZZgUFGKP1HyChmOCN-USS2ToxpjGcngBiwHmsMDnf%7Ek7fN1%7EUNRjmDzjpUjpBPXnmwJafifqcxmXn%7ElNn612LIpklAWaCrnYJFDtKxWzB6gV-zBGTz8HLIwHLsXTYtj9KVi%7EsHWCrEJf4ZoUB8-UWquakcavuyLdUsSniF3AWpbMlPA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM c79217d67ed31cb3540fa7bb02249ecb Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Alleged Looter Person(s) who removed the object from the findspot or original location. Unknown Alleged Smuggler Person(s) who moved the object out of its country of origin. Unknown Auction Details Include details about the auction, such as: Location of the auction house branch (i.e. London, New York). Date of auction(s). Lot number used to offer the object at auction. Estimated value or value range in the auction listing, displayed in USD alongside price in original currency. Dr. Martin C.J. Miller, a former Associate Professor of History at Metropolitan State College of Denver, consigned the Head of Alexander as lot 9 for the December 8, 2011, "Egyptian, Classical, and Western Asiatic Antiquities Auction.'' Sold to Mr. Saad Abdulla Shartub Al-Dehaimi of Doha, Qatar, for USD $75,000. In 1974 it was consigned by Hagop Kevorkian Fund to Sotheby Parke Bernet, known now as Sotheby's New York, as lot 317 for the November 22, 1974 Antiquities Auction. On May 24, 2017, the Al Thani Foundation consigned the Head of Alexander to Classical Galleries Limited, United Kingdom. Auction House Auction house(s) that offered the object for auction. Sotheby's Sotheby Parke Bernet Classical Galleries Limited, United Kingdom Case Summary Narrative summary of the object’s looting, identification by authorities and repatriation. The Head of Alexander was discovered during Italian excavations at the Basilica Emilia in the Roman Forum after 1909. It was reported as stolen from the Museo Forense in 1958 after it was identified as missing during an inventory conducted by the Department for the Archaeological Heritage, Rome. In 1974, it reappeared in New York City, consigned to Sotheby Parke Bernet and sold to Alterrtum Ltd. for USD $650. No records for this sale or the export of the object from Italy have been identified. In 2011, the sculpture was consigned by Dr. Martin C.J. Miller to Sotheby's New York for the December 8 sale "Egyptian, Classical, and Western Asiatic Antiquities" with a new provenance. Miller claimed to have inherited it in 1988 from Chicago-based Professor Nikolaeos Oikonomides, who was said to have purchased it in Cairo between 1984 and 1986 believing that it originated from Türkiye. Saad Abdulla Shartub Al-Dehaimi of Doha later bought the object for USD $75,000, and in May 2017 it showed up in the United Kingdom with the Sheikh Saoud bin Mohammed Ali Al Thani Foundation. That Foundation subsequently consigned it to Classical Galleries Limited in the United Kingdom on May 24, 2017. Dealer Alan Safani of Safani Gallery Inc. purchased it from Classical Galleries Limited for USD $152,625 on June 20, 2017, having obtained an Art Loss Register certificate stating that the object had not been registered as stolen. Safani, after failing to sell it at The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) in New York in the fall 2017, advertised that it would be offered at TEFAF Maastricht in March 2018. However, a staff member of the Archaeological Site of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill recognized it as the missing head of Alexander and notified the Carabinieri. On February 22, 2018, the Manhattan District Attorney's office seized the object from the Safani Gallery on grounds that it had been stolen and illegally exported. Safani Gallery contested the seizure and filed a lawsuit, but the case was dismissed, and the bust was returned to Italy. Country of Origin The modern country of origin that this object came from (i.e. where it was found). Select from drop-down list. Italy Creation Date Year this object was created, in years BCE/CE; use circa if presenting a range. Use specific year, decade or century. 300 BCE Criminal Behaviors Alleged Criminal behavior associated with the case. Please select all that apply. Document falsification Culture Ancient culture associated with the object. Greek Date Looted Approximate year that the object or group of objects was excavated or stolen. after 1909 Dealer Person(s) who offered the object for sale. Alan Safani Description of Object(s) Provide a brief description of the object or objects in the record. Fragmented marble sculpture depicting Alexander as the god Helios; probably dates to 300 BCE. Documents Link to key records or publications related to the object that are not available online. <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24245886-head-of-alexander-turnover-jul-23-2018">https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24245886-head-of-alexander-turnover-jul-23-2018</a> <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26442518-dany-2025-06-02-stipulation-safani-gallery-head-of-alexander/">https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26442518-dany-2025-06-02-stipulation-safani-gallery-head-of-alexander/</a> Expert Review Person(s) who analyzed the object or wrote about its authenticity, value or significance. Include here credit to people who identified the object as looted (relevant publications can be listed in Sources). Dr. Patrizia Fortini, Director and Coordinator of the Archaeological Site of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill False Provenance A false story about the object’s ownership history, used to hide the illicit activities through which the object was trafficked. Dr. Miller stated that he had inherited the Head of Alexander in 1988 from his late friend and former professor, Nikolaeos Oikonomides. Oikonomides had allegedly purchased the object in Cairo, Egypt, between 1984-1986, and believed it to have originally come from Türkiye. This later proved false. Findspot Approximate site or location where the object was found (i.e. the archaeological provenience). Basilica Emilia, northern portion of the Roman Forum on the Via Sacra. Gallery Name of the gallery, shop or dealership where the object was offered for sale, with the name of the city where the gallery was located in parentheses. Safani Gallery Images Source of the images uploaded to this record. Images should be labeled A, B, C, etc. For links, use a stable URL via Internet Archive. <a href="https://art-crime.blogspot.com/2019/11/revisiting-case-of-marble-head-of.html">https://art-crime.blogspot.com/2019/11/revisiting-case-of-marble-head-of.html</a> Last Known Price, Valuation or Estimate The most recent reported price, valuation or estimate of the object. Should be displayed in USD, alongside list price in original currency. USD $152,625 MOLA Contributor(s) Person(s) who contributed to the information in this record. Anonymous is an acceptable entry. Jason Felch Number of Objects Count of objects reflected in this record. 1 Object Materials Material(s) that the object or group of objects is made of. Select from drop-down list. Marble Object Type Type of object based on its function. Select from drop-down list. Sculpture Object or Group Name The common English name of the object or group of objects. Head of Alexander Peer Reviewed By Person who peer reviewed this record. VG Private Collector Person who acquired the object for their personal collection. Hagop Kervorkian Sheikh Saoud bin Mohammed Ali Al Thani Foundation Alterrtum Ltd. Prosecuting Entity The prosecutorial entity involved in the object’s repatriation. Manhattan District Attorney's Office Reason for Return Why the object was returned. Select from list: Law enforcement seizure; court ordered civil forfeiture; claim from country of origin; voluntary return absent a forfeiture or claim; or other. Law Enforcement Seizure Receiving Country Country that received the object during repatriation. Select from drop-down list. Italy Repatriated? Repatriation status of the object. Select from drop-down list. Yes Returning Entity Institution or individual that returned the object to its country of origin (not a law enforcement agency). Safani Gallery Sending Country Country from which the object was returned during repatriation. Select from drop-down list. USA Size General size of the object (numbered 1-5); 1 - small or fragmentary (e.g. coins or sherds) 2 - medium (e.g. most vases) 3 - large (e.g. between a bread box and an adult) 4 - extra large (i.e. adult human sized) 5 - monumental (larger than an adult human) 2 Sources Reliable sources of information related to the object and its repatriation. Preference to primary sources (court records, documents, archival sources) and authoritative secondary sources (media reports, blogs etc.). For links, use a stable URL via Internet Archive. In Pursuit of Alexander the Great: Establishing Ownership of Ancient Art <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/in-pursuit-of-alexander-the-great-establishing-ownership-of-ancient-art/">https://www.courthousenews.com/in-pursuit-of-alexander-the-great-establishing-ownership-of-ancient-art/</a> Sotheby's. Egyptian, Classical, And Western Asiatic Antiquities. Property From a Chicago Private Collection. A Fragmentary Roman Marble Head of a Young God or Ruler, circa 1st Century A.D. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180724124031/http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2011/antiquities-n08810/lot.9.html">https://web.archive.org/web/20180724124031/http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2011/antiquities-n08810/lot.9.html</a> A Dealer’s Attempt to Sue the Nation of Italy Over Its Claim on an Ancient Marble Head Has Been Quashed by a U.S. Judge <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/safani-gallery-alexander-bust-1994886">https://news.artnet.com/art-world/safani-gallery-alexander-bust-1994886</a> Revisiting the case of the marble head of Alexander the Great as Helios, the Sun God <a href="https://art-crime.blogspot.com/search/label/cultural%20repatriation?m=0">https://art-crime.blogspot.com/search/label/cultural%20repatriation?m=0</a> Status Completion status of MOLA record. Select from drop-down list: Stub (Needs basic research), Incomplete (Missing key fields), In progress (Has been assigned), Ready for review (Complete; awaiting peer review) and Completed (Ready to publish). Only Completed records are made Public. Completed Value in 2024 US Dollars Value in 2024 US Dollars, adjusted for inflation. Use inflation calculator here: https://www.oanda.com/currency-converter/en/?from=EUR&to=USD&amount=1 189,739 Year Returned Year of the return of the object to its country of origin. 2019 Year of Last Price Year of the most recent reported price, valuation or estimate of the object. 2017 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Head of Alexander Italy Safani Gallery Inc.