The museum dropped a legal effort to block the seizure of the statue by investigators who said the bronze, thought by some to be of Marcus Aurelius, had been stolen.

The Cleveland Museum of Art will return a headless bronze sculpture to Turkey after the Manhattan D.A. identified it as having been looted.

Towering bronzes depicting emperors once graced an ancient shrine in a region of what is now Turkey that was once part of Rome's extended empire. Now, a headless bronze believed by some to depict famed statesman Marcus Aurelius and by others to be an unnamed philosopher is returning to Turkey.

The Cleveland Museum of Art on Friday agreed return to Turkey an ancient statue worth $20 million that the New York District Attorney’s Office said was looted. The museum came to an agreement with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office to return the statue “Draped Male Figure.