The J. Paul Getty Museum will consider Greece's request to return four antiquities to the country after its new director takes up his position next year.

Greece has received a letter from Michael Brand, who becomes museum director in January, the Culture Ministry said in an e-mailed statement yesterday. The letter said the possible return of the four antiquities would be discussed after he took over as head of the museum.

``There wasn't a positive response to our request that the artifacts, which are at the museum illegally, be returned,'' said the statement. ``The ministry will retract its case only when the Getty truly decides to return the artifacts in their possession, which belong to us.''

Greece's Culture Ministry said on Nov. 21 that it would take legal action to recover the four antiquities, which include a gold funerary wreath, an inscribed tombstone and a marble sculpture of a woman's torso dating to 400 B.C. Greece claims the items were illegally smuggled from the country.

Three pieces were bought by the Getty in 1993 for $5.2 million and J. Paul Getty himself purchased the fourth item, a votive relief, in 1955, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Marion True, the former chief antiquities curator for the museum, is on trial in Rome on charges she acquired looted artifacts for the Los Angeles museum. She denies any wrongdoing.

The Getty Museum handed over three antiquities that the Italian government says were stolen, days before True's trial began, the Italian Culture Ministry said Nov. 10.