Ancient Greek griffin returns to New York for major exhibition
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Greece will loan a bronze griffin from the 7th century BCE, originally from ancient Olympia, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
The statue once adorned a tripod cauldron and was illegally trafficked out of Greece before being returned last year. The griffin is one of over 180 ancient artworks, borrowed from institutions in eleven countries, featured in a new exhibition titled “Crosscurrents: Art and Identity Beyond Ancient Greece”, which opens December 20.
The exhibition focuses on the period from the 8th to the early 5th century BCE, a time when Greek traders, artisans, and mercenaries traveled the Mediterranean Sea. These travelers brought back not only goods but also new ideas that influenced art. Alongside the griffin, the exhibition includes a statue of Zeus from Taranto, Italy, marking the spread of Greek metalworking across the Adriatic Sea.
A large Greek bronze station discovered in Susa, in ancient Persia, demonstrates the reach of trade networks eastward. Organizers also selected a kylix, a drinking cup, from the Vatican Museums depicting Hercules, to promote the exhibit. The exhibition will run until April 11, 2027, and is curated by Xin Hemingway, Alexis Belis, and Delphine Tonglet of the Metropolitan Museum.
