Child Custody Italian Style

LOS ANGELES—An Italian government official on Monday offered to end a long legal fight with the J. Paul Getty Museum by proposing shared custody of a 2,300-year-old bronze statue known as "Victorious Youth."

Italy claims the Getty procured the statue from illicit art dealers, which museum officials deny. Now, however, the governor of Italy's Marche Region—near where the statue was found—is trying both to resolve the matter and boost his home's profile among American tourists by proposing a "cultural exchange" between the Getty and his region.

"We have not come to declare war on the Getty," Gov. Gian Mario Spacca said at a hotel here Monday. "We are here to try to resolve the dispute in a way that will benefit this great museum, the people of Italy and, most important, art lovers around the world."

Getty officials said the object wasn't up for discussion because of the legal process. An Italian judge is expected to issue a decision in a few weeks.

"We want to stress…that we continue to be completely confident of our ownership of the Getty bronze, and we will vigorously defend our position," said Ron Hartwig, spokesman for the J. Paul Getty Trust, which oversees the J. Paul Getty Museum.

The dispute has been simmering for years. In 2005, Italy brought criminal charges against Marion True, the Getty's former antiquities curator, accusing her of procuring looted works. The charges were dropped last year.

In 2007, the Getty agreed to return 40 objects to Italy. The bronze, displayed at the Getty Villa Museum in Pacific Palisades, wasn't part of that deal.

Mr. Spacca and an Italian delegation met with Getty officials and viewed the statue last week. He said in an interview Monday that he has "the authority to offer the exchange" and "the support of the Italian government."

A deal would help raise the Marche's profile as it prepares to launch a tourism campaign featuring the actor Dustin Hoffman.

By Tamara Audi, The Wall Street Journal

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