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Wednesday, 24th January 2007 (2251 views)

Greek authorities are attempting to prevent an antiques auction from going ahead at Christie's auction house in London this week, claiming the items up for sale, some of which are gold, were illegally exported from their country.

The Greek culture minister Giorgos Voulgarakis is urging Christie's to withdraw the items, which once belonged to the Greek royal family, from sale and is requesting proof of their origin.

The antiques include a gold Faberge egg worth up to $100,000 (£50,700), giant silver flasks and a range of jewellery items and works of art. Voulgarakis claims the items all form important parts of Greece's history.

But despite the appeals Christie's auction house says it intends to proceed with the sale, which is scheduled to take place on January 24th and 25th in London, because it has not been directly contacted by the Greek authorities.

Greece has made enormous efforts to repatriate other antiques it claims have been exported illegally. It recently struck a deal with the Getty Museum in Los Angeles to have a fourth century gold funerary wreath from Macedonia sent back to its country.

 

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