An ancient Greek amphora has been withdrawn from sale at a London gallery after evidence emerged linking it to a notorious Italian antiquities trafficker.
The Kallos Gallery, located in London’s exclusive Mayfair district, pulled the black-figure amphora—measuring approximately 25 centimeters and dating back to around 550 BCE—after being alerted by The Observer, which had consulted a leading expert in the illegal antiquities trade.
An expert in looted antiquities found photo that appears to show this Greek amphora in the hands of Giacomo Medici, a convicted smuggler.
Photograph: Courtesy of Dr Christos Tsirogiannis
That expert, Dr. Christos Tsirogiannis, is a respected archaeologist and one of the world’s foremost authorities on illicit antiquities trafficking. After a thorough investigation, he concluded that the amphora had most likely been illegally excavated in Italy.
A Polaroid Clue and a Suspicious Past
Dr. Tsirogiannis first spotted the artifact last month at TEFAF Maastricht, one of the world’s most prestigious art and antiquities fairs. Upon closer examination, he matched the amphora to one seen in a Polaroid photo once held by Giacomo Medici, an infamous Italian antiquities dealer who was convicted in 2004 for trafficking ancient objects.
That photo, part of Medici’s personal archive, later came into the possession of the Italian Carabinieri’s art crimes unit. Based on this connection, the estimated £50,000 piece was flagged, and Dutch authorities were promptly notified.
A Gallery with Prestigious Ties
Kallos Gallery, which specializes in ancient art, was founded in 2014 by Baron Lorne Thyssen-Bornemisza, the son of the late Baron Hans Heinrich von Thyssen-Bornemisza—a Swiss billionaire known for amassing one of the largest private art collections in the world.
A Legacy of Repatriation
Over the past two decades, Dr. Tsirogiannis, now a lecturer in archaeology at Cambridge University, has helped recover more than 1,700 looted antiquities, working closely with law enforcement agencies and contributing significantly to their repatriation to 15 different countries.
Among his past findings is a bronze Greek horse that Sotheby’s New York planned to auction in 2018. Tsirogiannis linked the artifact to Robin Symes, a British antiquities dealer tied to numerous illegal transactions, prompting intervention by the authorities.
His investigations have also led to the return of numerous items previously trafficked by Medici, including many looted from ancient Etruscan tombs in Italy.
“Medici was known for handling artifacts looted from tombs across Italy,” said Tsirogiannis, adding that the recently withdrawn amphora likely originated from Etruscan burial sites.
This case serves as another reminder of the ongoing challenges in the world of art and antiquities—and the importance of vigilance, research, and ethical standards in the protection of cultural heritage.
