LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Moving on from controversy over looted antiquities, the J. Paul Getty Museum has entered into a cultural collaboration with Italy’s National Archaeological Museum of Florence, allowing the Los Angeles museum to exhibit rare Etruscan treasures.

The Getty said Monday that the partnership with Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Firenze will commence with The Chimaera of Arezzo, a special exhibition of ancient Etruscan bronzework from the Italian museum.

The exhibit is scheduled to run at the Getty Villa in Malibu from July 16, 2009, through Feb. 8, 2010.

“We are delighted that our 2007 agreement with the Italian Ministry of Culture has opened new doors for the Getty Museum to collaborate with important cultural institutions throughout Italy,” said Getty museum director Michael Brand. “The Museo Archeologico in Florence contains one of the most important collections of Etruscan art in the world and this new partnership will bring several of its greatest treasures to Los Angeles for the first time.”

Since 2007, Italy has secured the return of dozens of Roman, Greek and Etruscan artifacts in deals with museums including the Getty and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Italy claimed artifacts were dug up and smuggled out of the country and sold to top museums worldwide. Getty’s deal included no admission of guilt and the museum returned 39 ancient treasures. Italian art officials, in exchange, agreed to give long-term loans of other artifacts.
Italian Culture Minister Sandro Bondi, in a statement, called the Getty’s partnership with the Florence museum “proof that cultural collaboration agreements continue to have positive results.”

The upcoming exhibition will feature a life-sized sculpture from 4th century B.C. known as the Chimaera of Arezzo: a triple-headed monster that is part lion, part fire-breathing goat and part serpent.

The two museums are also collaborating on an exhibition of bronze sculptures including significant Greek, Roman, and Etruscan works. An exhibition date has not yet been determined.

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