Not missing the opportunity to score points over the custodians of the Elgin Collection of Parthenon Marbles, Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos yesterday sought explanations from the British Museum regarding the theft, this week, of a Greek artifact from its collections.

The battered, 6th-century BC marble head of a woman was acquired by the museum in 1922, and Greece has never sought its return — unlike the architectural sculptures removed from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century.

The ministry yesterday said Venizelos has written to the museum’s new director, Neil MacGregor, “seeking information on the theft... given the historic and cultural interest Greece has in Greek antiquities, wherever they may be.”

The 12-centimeter high head was found to be missing on Tuesday, and is believed to have been stolen the same day.