"Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday brought home a
2,700-year-old Persian artifact the US administration gave him as "a
special gift" to Iranians, media reports said. "The Americans
contacted us on Thursday and said 'we have a gift for you'," Rouhani told
reporters upon arrival at the airport in Tehran, the ILNA news agency reported.
Rouhani was speaking of a 7th century BC silver Persian drinking cup in the
shape of a winged Griffin, a legendary creature with the head of an eagle and
body of a lion. After being looted from a cave in Iran, the cup was seized by
US custom officials in 2003 when an arts dealer attempted to smuggle it into
the country, according to a State Department tweet." (thanks Basim)