Meanwhile, in a heralded pact, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York agreed in February to relinquish title to 21 objects that Italy asserts were looted.
Like the Ring itself, it had become a difficult object to relinquish.
Among the objects relinquished by the Met, the Hellenistic silver, which is known as the Morgantina silver, was subject to a continuing loan arrangement and is supposed to return to the Met for four years in 2014.
It would be a bold move for any government to willingly relinquish ownership of potentially thousands of objects, but such an act would be a potent symbol that we have rejected our imperial values once and for all.
They object to the refusal of Fujimori loyalists to relinquish control of the legislature, a stand that analysts say is likely to play into the president's hands.
Checkmated, the Met announced last week that it would relinquish title, probably by early 2008, but was negotiating with Italy to have objects of equivalent importance made available on long-term loan -- including, possibly, the Euphronios vase.
Just as Dowd asks men to abandon the idea that only females who are kittenish, nonsarcastic and decked out like "bright, shiny objects" with "lots of curls" are attractive, women might have to relinquish the notion that only men with serious "master of the universe" tendencies are worth pursuing.
The Syrian president, who has described the increasingly bloody political uprising against him as the work of foreign-backed terrorists, has shown no indication that he is prepared to relinquish power, in part because of backing from Russia and China, which have so far objected to any resolution that could lead to foreign military intervention in Syria.
"He must relinquish power.
It was a difficult fantasy to relinquish.
He also plans to relinquish directorial control.
