Orthodox icon: Zurich is Cyprus disappeared work of art back
Released
Orthodox iconZurich returns missing work of art to Cyprus
The Zurich canton police and public prosecutor hand over a valuable icon to the Cypriot authorities. The painting was confiscated from a Zurich auction house in 2014.
The 15th-century work «Pantokrator Enthroned» returns to Cyprus. According to a statement from the Zurich cantonal police, the handover took place on July 7th. The picture, which is considered an important national cultural asset in Cyprus, was confiscated in September 2014 by the Zurich public prosecutor’s office in response to a request for legal assistance from the Republic of Cyprus in a Zurich auction house. A private individual wanted to sell the holy image at the time.
The painting is a so-called icon, a cult image of the Orthodox Church in which a holy person WILL be depicted. According to Cypriot authorities, the icon was part of a Byzantine church in the north of the country when it disappeared during the 1974 Cyprus conflict.
No wrongdoing by the owner
As part of the request for legal assistance, the Zurich cantonal police, on behalf of the public prosecutor, identified the owner of the icon, who offered it for sale through a Zurich auction house. At the same time, clarifications were made on the origin of the icon, the background to the American import and its transfer to the Swiss auction house. However, the investigations did not reveal any evidence of criminal misconduct on the part of the owner. The woman acquired the painting as part of an inheritance and was able to credibly demonstrate that she was not aware of the criminal origin of the icon. An agreement was finally reached between the woman and the Church of Cyprus regarding the return of the picture.
Various national laws and European conventions in the field of mutual legal assistance and the international transfer of cultural property as well as UNESCO conventions and bilateral agreements between Switzerland and Cyprus form the basis for the actions of the Zurich law enforcement authorities. The Zurich law enforcement authorities are working closely with the Federal Office of Justice, the Federal Office of Culture and the Cypriot authorities as part of the investigation.