Overview

• Heirs of a German civilian owner recognized the mosaic’s origins and notified Italy’s Carabinieri cultural heritage protection unit to arrange its handover.
• Italy’s Carabinieri Art Squad and the Italian Consulate in Stuttgart coordinated diplomatic efforts that culminated in the panel’s repatriation this July.
• The travertine mosaic dates from the late 1st century BCE to the 1st century CE and portrays a reclining man and standing woman in a scene of domestic intimacy.
• Pompeii Archaeological Park director Gabriel Zuchtriegel said the return heals an open wound and signals shifting attitudes toward restitution of looted antiquities.
• The artifact has been catalogued at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii and will undergo scientific analysis before being made available for research and display.