Many versions of this one landed in my box yesterday ... this one's from a dispatch from the Athenian News Agency:

A bronze kouros belonging to the Museum of Samos in Vathi was returned to the Culture Ministry on Thursday.

The sculpture had been bought by James Ed, a British antique dealer and president of the international antique dealers' association, who was later informed by a friend that the sculpture belonged to the Museum of Samos.

The dealer contacted the Greek embassy in London and after verifying the information turned it over to the embassy.

The sculpture, which measures 11 cm high and is valued today at 30,000 British pounds, had been stolen from the museum during World War II.

The Cultural Attache of the Greek embassy in London, Victoria Solomonidou, gave the sculpture to Alternate Culture Minister Fani Palli-Petralia during a ceremony on Thursday.

Among those present at the ceremony were Ed and Secretary General of the Culture Ministry Christos Zahopoulos.

Solomonidou referred to the continuous efforts the Greek embassy in London is making regarding the return of stolen antiquities.

On her part, Petralia linked the return of the sculpture to the return of the Parthenon marbles, noting that a new museum is under construction which will hopefully showcase the marbles as part of its exhibit.

There's a tiny photo accompanying the web version of the tale (the kouros itself is probably not what you think of when you think of a kouros) ... more in this Sunday's Explorator ...