A Cypriot antiquity was handed over to the Cyprus Embassy in Paris on 19 December, the Department of Antiquities announced.
The artefact was discovered being sold in an online auction by Department of Antiquities officials monitoring illegal trafficking of Cypriot antiquities on the internet. It was withdrawn after communication with the auction house.
The item is a Bichrome III pottery cup from the Cypro-Geometric III period (900-750 BC) with two handles and black decoration. The external decoration includes vertical lines framing a swastika on each side, whilst the interior features bands.
The Department of Antiquities thanked auction house Nabécor Enchères and the donors for voluntarily handing over the antiquity to its country of origin. It also thanked the Cyprus Embassy in Paris for its cooperation and coordination of the repatriation process.