An ancient mosaic depicting an intimate bedroom scene, believed to have been stolen during World War II, has been repatriated to Italy and is now on public display in Pompeii, per artnews.com. The artwork, which likely originated from a villa near Mount Vesuvius, depicts a nearly nude woman reaching towards a reclining man.
The Pompeii Archaeological Park announced that the mosaic was taken by a Wehrmacht captain, responsible for military supply in Italy during WWII, who subsequently “donated” it to a German citizen. The exact circumstances of how the captain acquired the mosaic, which may have adorned the floor of a domus or villa, remain unclear.
The mosaic was officially returned to Italy on September 16, 2023, with assistance from the Italian consulate in Stuttgart, Germany. Its public unveiling nearly two years later marks a significant moment for cultural heritage.
Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, emphasized the importance of such repatriations.
“Every looted artifact that returns is a wound that heals,” he stated. “The wound lies not so much in the material value of the work, but in its historical value; a value that is severely compromised by the illicit trafficking of antiquities.”
Zuchtriegel acknowledged that the artifact’s precise origin remains unknown, and further studies and archaeometric analyses will be conducted to confirm its authenticity and reconstruct its history.
He concluded by highlighting that “The study, knowledge, and public enjoyment of this heritage are the lotus flowers that grow in the mud of thefts driven by the greed and selfishness of those who steal archaeological artifacts from the community.”
- Featured image: A mosaic depicting an erotic bedroom scene has made its way back to Pompeii/Eliano Imperato/Anadolu via Getty Images
