Antiquities: How Hot Is Aphrodite?

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When the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, Calif., unveiled its latest acquisition two weeks ago, scholars applauded the work as a masterpiece. Dating from the 5th century B.C. and believed to represent Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, the marble and limestone figure drew praise for its unusually good condition and majestic beauty. But Getty officials, who reportedly paid $20 million for the piece, may have got more than they bargained for.

The Italian police last week began investigating rumors that the statue was taken from an illegal excavation in Sicily. Getty officials countered that they had attempted to check the same rumors last year -- to no avail. The case grew hotter when Thomas Hoving, former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, claimed that the statue had been taken from the Sicily site to Geneva, then sold to the Getty by an English dealer. Museum officials called Hoving's allegations "purely speculative."