Cypriot antiquity returned from the United Kingdom

On March 7, 2026, a Cypriot antiquity was returned to the High Commission of the Republic of Cyprus in London. The item, identified by officials from the Department of Antiquities monitoring online auctions, is a Black on Red III (IV) type pitcher from the Cypro-Archaic I period, dating between 750 and 600 BC. The vessel features a spherical body, a short cylindrical neck, and a vertical handle, with black-colored decorative concentric circles and bands on a reddish background. The artifact's rim is not preserved. Following intervention by the Department of Antiquities, the item was withdrawn from a Watsons Auctioneers sale. The auction house and the donors agreed to a voluntary return of the object to its country of origin. The Cultural Section of the Cypriot High Commission in London coordinated the repatriation process. The Department of Antiquities expressed its gratitude to all parties involved for their cooperation in the recovery of the artifact.