The victorious youth double dilemma: from heritage networks to origin and back

This paper investigates the multifaceted journey of the Statue of Victorious Youth, an extraordinary Hellenistic bronze sculpture with a contested modern legacy. The study adopts an interdisciplinary approach, combining art historical and archaeological analysis with private international law to explore both the statue’s origins and the complex legal disputes surrounding its ownership. Central to the analysis is the dual challenge of reconciling the legal doctrines of lex originis—the law of cultural origin—and lex rei sitae—the law of location—highlighting a “double dilemma” between juridical frameworks and evolving cultural-historical understandings. The research critically examines recent landmark rulings, especially the European Court of Human Rights decision affirming Italy’s claim, while engaging with current archaeological scholarship that advocates moving beyond fixed cultural containers toward a networked view of heritage. The paper underscores the need for nuanced, ethically grounded legal policies that respect the interconnected nature of ancient material culture, and it outlines the implications of these insights for heritage management, restitution processes, and museum ethics in a globalized world.