Terracotta fragment of a votive relief
Restituted
This artwork was restituted in March 2026. It is no longer in the museum’s collection.Hades abducting Persephone
When Hades, the god of the underworld, carried Persephone to his kingdom of the dead, Demeter, her mother, brought all growth on earth to a standstill until Persephone was allowed to return to the earth for part of each year. Since antiquity, this myth has been understood as an allegory for the seasonal cycle of vegetation.
This work was deaccessioned by The Metropolitan Museum of Art for return to the Italian Republic in 2026. The repatriation was done in collaboration with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, in connection to its investigation into dealer Gianfranco Becchina. More information about The Met’s provenance initiatives can be found here.
When Hades, the god of the underworld, carried Persephone to his kingdom of the dead, Demeter, her mother, brought all growth on earth to a standstill until Persephone was allowed to return to the earth for part of each year. Since antiquity, this myth has been understood as an allegory for the seasonal cycle of vegetation.
This work was deaccessioned by The Metropolitan Museum of Art for return to the Italian Republic in 2026. The repatriation was done in collaboration with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, in connection to its investigation into dealer Gianfranco Becchina. More information about The Met’s provenance initiatives can be found here.
Artwork Details
- Title: Terracotta fragment of a votive relief
- Period: Classical
- Date: ca. 470–460 BCE
- Culture: Greek, South Italian, Locrian
- Medium: Terracotta
- Dimensions: H. 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm)
- Classification: Terracottas
- Credit Line: Gift of Norbert Schimmel Trust, 1989
- Object Number: 1989.281.60
- Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art
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