tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34255072721572870742024-03-19T09:47:41.903+01:00ARCAblogThe Association for Research into Crimes against Art (ARCA) blog covers issues related to art and heritage crimes.
Edgar Tijhuishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06122194472344222217noreply@blogger.comBlogger2001125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-15203893759583007032024-03-17T12:48:00.008+01:002024-03-18T19:12:17.196+01:00Girolamini Library Theft - Convictions and acquittals in the network of every bookworm's antichrist<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdU4CRf8BvkCS0w7n5b862mVkafIY9KITPVHO82qOx3ri2pfEfKkCNmkP6GuwE3bnyraEIlHLplLu94kk1Xu5P6Bvv9rAVkh8S2Gr0GWohyIIrlwrR1s7hyphenhyphenJcwcZ08QjNicE5Qr1_vBd9q81XWZGo2H7qhTkKlltvTnPkJd3x4cDp4LDid6DKbV09JmCY/s770/giro.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="770" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdU4CRf8BvkCS0w7n5b862mVkafIY9KITPVHO82qOx3ri2pfEfKkCNmkP6GuwE3bnyraEIlHLplLu94kk1Xu5P6Bvv9rAVkh8S2Gr0GWohyIIrlwrR1s7hyphenhyphenJcwcZ08QjNicE5Qr1_vBd9q81XWZGo2H7qhTkKlltvTnPkJd3x4cDp4LDid6DKbV09JmCY/w400-h268/giro.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Last week, after some eleven years and over one hundred and twenty hearings, the Court of Naples, presided over by Maurizio Conte, announced some lengthy sentences and penalties in the pursuit of justice with regards to the 1,500 volumes of historical interest and textual treasures that were pilfered from the <b><a href="http://www.bibliotecadeigirolamini.beniculturali.it/?fbclid=IwAR1U_f1zAnpQh0Bpiw-tiePZBrrz4vc47LigBojOxHUot2AOgvS9Vzx0uuw" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Biblioteca e Complesso monumentale dei Girolamini</span></a>. </b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Sentencing la banda degli (dis)onesti</b><div><p>On 12 March 2024 the first criminal section of the Naples court sentenced six defendants (in the first degree) for a series of episodes of embezzlement. Those convicted were:</p><p><b>Massimo Marino De Caro,</b> the former director of the Girolamini library until 1992 was sentenced to an additional 5 years and 3 months for his primary role in the theft of thousands of volumes from the historic Girolamini library, on top of the 7 years assigned in 2013;</p><p><b>Maurizio Bifolco,</b> of Libreria Antiquaria Calligrammes srl was sentenced to five years and six months; </p><p><b>Mirko Camuri, </b> a Verona dance teacher involved in numerous suspicious sales of ancient books, was sentenced to an additional 1 year on top of the 4 years and eight months previously announced.</p><p><b>Luca Cableri,</b> of Theatrum Mundi and Studio Bibliografico Wunderkammer was sentenced to four years and six months;</p><p><b>Stéphane Alexandre Delsalle, </b>of Librairie De Ce Paysci Di Delsalle Stephane (also operating as Livre Rare Books (LRB), was sentenced to four years in prison; </p><p><b>Stefano Ceccantoni, </b>an Orvieto antiquarian was sentenced to two years and six months</p><p>Of these, Bifolco is a familiar figure in the London book world and is said to have acted as agent to Italian booksellers handling material from the Girolamini. He is not a member of ALAI (the Italian ABA), but Cableri and Solni were, until they were suspended. </p><p>Ceccantoni, who eventually collaborated with the magistrates and revealed many details of the case gave statements about some of the activities of the group. </p><p><i>"I went to Naples to the Girolamini library at least six times." </i>– stated Ceccantoni in the report filed in the investigation documents. He also admitted to loading boxes of books into De Caro's car in the middle of the night. </p><p>Others swept up in the investigation, including Don Sandro Marsano, the priest in charge of the Congregation of the Oratorians of Naples (defended by lawyers Manlio Pennino and Bruno von Arx), Alejandro Eloy Cabello, Cesar Abel Cabello, Viktoriya Pavloskiy, Federico Roncoletta and Lorena Paola Weigant were acquitted of all charges. This despite requests from the prosecutor, who during the indictment had asked for 10 years of imprisonment for all the accused.</p><p>In terms of financial penalties, the Court ordered property confiscations from De Caro, Delsalle, Cableri and Bifolco, as well as the confiscation of rare books in De Caro's possession. The Court also ordered the confiscation of liquid assets in the form of money held in accounts and securities registered in Bifolco's name which were frozen by the investigating judge on 22 April 2012 and on 28 May 2014 and which totalled 8 and a half million euros. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8NxV594JzXV-CP7Ng_I6zr0BhKWzzeQ8UpVDXam8xWHwm3rOtubl_guPFVoC5HxeXS8GlEhUpOaW54joGVECh18_Jg2JLkHkP4dvbMzEYvJ8l7lg48WhYoqinqmnJmuE6yENJbPqO2r88uChS43usyaFCvcljiCWdrRg2lzYR4c1ErhYqaf_H6H3iJ3s/s978/Screenshot%202024-03-17%20at%2011.55.29.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="978" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8NxV594JzXV-CP7Ng_I6zr0BhKWzzeQ8UpVDXam8xWHwm3rOtubl_guPFVoC5HxeXS8GlEhUpOaW54joGVECh18_Jg2JLkHkP4dvbMzEYvJ8l7lg48WhYoqinqmnJmuE6yENJbPqO2r88uChS43usyaFCvcljiCWdrRg2lzYR4c1ErhYqaf_H6H3iJ3s/w400-h214/Screenshot%202024-03-17%20at%2011.55.29.png" width="400" /></a></div><p><b>Background of the Library:</b></p><p>The extraordinary Girolamini Library of Naples is home to almost 160,000 ancient manuscripts and books and opened its doors to the public in 1586. Built alongside the Church and Convent of the Girolamini, the library served as the convent’s Oratory and is believed to be one of the richest libraries in Southern Italy.</p><p>The collection, which includes many rare editions dating from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, is centred on Christian theology, philosophy, sacred music, and the history of Europe and the Catholic Church. After the massive Irpinia earthquake, which struck Campania in 1980 the Biblioteca e Complesso monumentale dei Girolamini remained closed for an extended period. The library's collection, off limits to anyone except specific scholars with collection permissions, suffered from a lengthy period of neglect, only to then be plundered by a network of individuals tasked with its very protection.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRrVW3N5eqIz2jD772t1tlSDOM7yBY9zVZoVegYcVuXGFKFUJKgqTUboTiSwG3YCabqywD6-0n3XQYcymHzgkRDN_gL1m2qSpvirSPh5EbvOCQVxPBoDoUZMl1aXud9t3qNdgQfJxhym1gkAqwzbMVXPzjcONDxzIPyXJ__v_xwvocVRqu7lpWiVLgyxs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRrVW3N5eqIz2jD772t1tlSDOM7yBY9zVZoVegYcVuXGFKFUJKgqTUboTiSwG3YCabqywD6-0n3XQYcymHzgkRDN_gL1m2qSpvirSPh5EbvOCQVxPBoDoUZMl1aXud9t3qNdgQfJxhym1gkAqwzbMVXPzjcONDxzIPyXJ__v_xwvocVRqu7lpWiVLgyxs" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><b>Details on the thefts:</b></p><p>In April 2012 it was discovered that as many as 1500 important texts were missing from the library. At the epicentre of the scandal was the library's appointed director, Marino Massimo de Caro, who was swiftly suspended and subsequently charged with embezzlement. Alongside him, other accomplices from Italy, Argentina, and the Ukraine would also be implicated and later prosecuted as a result of the scandal.</p><p>On 19 April 2012 the Biblioteca de Girolamini was formally impounded by the judicial authorities as Naples prosecutor, Giovanni Melillo oversaw an investigation into the library's thefts. This months ruling concludes that impoundment. </p><p>As part of this investigation, the prosecutor authorised the tapping of De Caro's phone, through which Melillo and investigators learned that the library's former director had been stashing looted books in his home, in a storage unit in Verona, and in the basement of an accomplice’s aunt residence, as well as arranging to sell many others onward through various channels. </p><p>Some stolen volumes were fenced through major Italian dealers as well as private collectors. An additional 543 books travelled on to Germany where they were to be auctioned on May 9, 2012 at the Bavarian auction house Zisska & Schauer in Munich after accomplices to the Girolamini library thefts stripped the institution's markings from the titles before their upcoming sale.</p><p>While under questioning, De Caro would claim that the books sent to Munich were from his own personal collection. Despite this, investigations determined that many of the consigned texts in fact came from both the Girolamini Library and the priests’ convent library and that the auction house Zisska & Schauer had paid an emissary of De Caro’s nine hundred thousand euros in advance of the texts' auction date, with De Caro expecting to receive a million euros more after the bidding closed.</p><p>With requests for assistance in hand, the German authorities halted the sale at Zisska & Schauer, and later arrested the company’s executive director, Herbert Schauer.</p><p>Although this trial focused on the embezzlement of hundreds of volumes from the Girolamini Library, De Caro has been connected to thefts from additional targeted institutions. </p><p>Herbert Schauer was arrested by German authorities on 2 August 2013, following the execution of a European arrest warrant. He was subsequently sentenced in the first degree by the Court of Naples to 5 years of imprisonment for his involvement in receiving stolen property, however his sentence was overturned by the Italian Court of Cassation.</p><p><b>Call for Collaboration:</b></p><p>ARCA would like to remind book and manuscript collectors that the market for archival literary heritage might be a niche market, but it is still a flourishing one, and one that often overlaps with fine art crimes, driven by the high prices some collectors are willing to pay for the rarest of rare publications. </p><p>Acknowledging that some good faith purchases may be in possession of these stolen items without knowledge of their illicit origin, the Italian authorities are now stressing the need for help from the general public, as well as antiquarian book dealers, and professionals worldwide who are more likely to come in contact with the library's rare material. </p><p>In furtherance to this, the Italian Ministry of Culture has released a 31-page list of the most important stolen texts documented as having been stolen which are known to have been circulated at some point after their theft in Naples. <a href="https://www.artcrimeresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/361-beni-librari-trafugati-dalla-biblioteca-e-complesso-monumentale-dei-girolamini.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">This list can be reviewed here.</span></a></p><p>Please note that this listing does not appear to have been uploaded to ILAB's stolen book database which is often the first place most book collectors turn to when checking the legal status of books, manuscripts, and maps that may have been the subject of thefts which have occurred from June 15, 2010 onward. </p><p>Given these items have not been uploaded to the ILAB database (yet), the linked list should be downloaded so that buyers can check for themselves to see if any text they have been offered or may have already purchased has been documented as stolen from this Naples library. <br /></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-55384473249524393592024-03-17T10:46:00.005+01:002024-03-17T10:47:09.831+01:00Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Marks 34th Anniversary of Infamous Art Theft<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6sNz6oatY0Ttd9I86rl-qdHQyX2L5bjIvX1IopfLBIGhAiZX8F5Ublgs1eZBc2tTMLHgwvmEpIYNjFgqFl2s66NGtNpGixmCrMTYO_-oQdIZK41LHWkO5x8GRXc6PuKUT1krMvSM3nw7WAbViDCYIw4NPaHBMhGidziwDUUismDxPOr8k9vh0YvmkPvI/s271/ISGM%20-%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="271" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6sNz6oatY0Ttd9I86rl-qdHQyX2L5bjIvX1IopfLBIGhAiZX8F5Ublgs1eZBc2tTMLHgwvmEpIYNjFgqFl2s66NGtNpGixmCrMTYO_-oQdIZK41LHWkO5x8GRXc6PuKUT1krMvSM3nw7WAbViDCYIw4NPaHBMhGidziwDUUismDxPOr8k9vh0YvmkPvI/w320-h320/ISGM%20-%201.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self-Portrait – Rembrandt van Rijn</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>As the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum prepares to mark the 34th anniversary of of one of the most infamous art heists in history, the enduring mystery surrounding the disappearance of thirteen invaluable artworks continues to captivate the public imagination. Despite the passage of time, the mystery surrounding the stolen masterpieces, which include works by Rembrandt van Rijn, Édouard Manet, Johannes Vermeer, Edgar Degas, and Govert Flinck continues to endure, leaving investigators, art enthusiasts, and the museum itself still searching for answers, as well as the artworks. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXdSDjABBuUhQeTcVQL82DD2-8BVxOTAGHbO6AQQQk5CgcyZg8_qn7NLUU375D8UAFYapirfMDW7flmvUSAnbNXdpn7bMAGUSs3IoEdcUhbk2tCqTId25YahjV1y-Ud_CnZksYkZCmfQaybmJ1eR2S9gy1WC4D032x-hwQHS824EdFmNkNqU3SH6waQuo/s271/ISGM%20-%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="271" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXdSDjABBuUhQeTcVQL82DD2-8BVxOTAGHbO6AQQQk5CgcyZg8_qn7NLUU375D8UAFYapirfMDW7flmvUSAnbNXdpn7bMAGUSs3IoEdcUhbk2tCqTId25YahjV1y-Ud_CnZksYkZCmfQaybmJ1eR2S9gy1WC4D032x-hwQHS824EdFmNkNqU3SH6waQuo/w320-h320/ISGM%20-%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chez Tortoni – Édouard Manet</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>In the early hours of March 18, 1990, two thieves disguised as police officers gained entry to the renowned museum located in Boston's Fenway-Kenmore neighbourhood. Over the course of 81 minutes, they brazenly stole a select group of paintings and and other valuable artifacts, including works by renowned artists such as Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Degas. The stolen pieces are estimated to be worth over $500 million in total.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9MGQFEkp6QQl_nUUBe_7SorE1IgbNzEUt4HRXE_YwpWt3IT-k29QDmnalHrKtRsgmCi4xZ6_6nrZPhw4_qI1lZqlKGSKgni7hyphenhyphenznQOFDSBTGJVnNYmX-FrnB41wMfrlutYQSFrTk-22HClXQxOr8Ui0Il52aWVRY8sycEYcbCy1lZ_8y9nvDQEa7RlI/s271/ISGM%20-%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="271" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9MGQFEkp6QQl_nUUBe_7SorE1IgbNzEUt4HRXE_YwpWt3IT-k29QDmnalHrKtRsgmCi4xZ6_6nrZPhw4_qI1lZqlKGSKgni7hyphenhyphenznQOFDSBTGJVnNYmX-FrnB41wMfrlutYQSFrTk-22HClXQxOr8Ui0Il52aWVRY8sycEYcbCy1lZ_8y9nvDQEa7RlI/w320-h320/ISGM%20-%203.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Concert – Johannes Vermeer</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>The heist not only resulted in significant financial losses but also left an irreplaceable void in the museum's collection and the art world at large. Despite exhaustive investigations and numerous leads over the past three decades, the whereabouts of the stolen artworks still remain unknown.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPG1vfXHWERCwhbm-Fbr06WZthjBkrEG09yYZturowgh0c-JzBi8bvPbdURAkgm7_tmhipl6oa_vdPnVaLHCpzARheE53kQZ711DpjBvnsCh4HdoY6pveW9BXJTTzzkXwNRlwEtE2ULgvaAfwnbSDaiKZqxPmvk7OcGFYf_n-0gcLa8Dz6Fb3rHzELFBM/s271/ISGM%20-%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="271" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPG1vfXHWERCwhbm-Fbr06WZthjBkrEG09yYZturowgh0c-JzBi8bvPbdURAkgm7_tmhipl6oa_vdPnVaLHCpzARheE53kQZ711DpjBvnsCh4HdoY6pveW9BXJTTzzkXwNRlwEtE2ULgvaAfwnbSDaiKZqxPmvk7OcGFYf_n-0gcLa8Dz6Fb3rHzELFBM/s1600/ISGM%20-%204.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storm on the Sea of Galilee – Rembrandt van Rijn</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>In an effort to keep the memory of the stolen artworks alive and to encourage any new leads, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum has been actively engaging with the public. The museum continues to offer a substantial <a href="https://www.gardnermuseum.org/organization/theft" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">reward of $10 million dollars for information leading directly to the safe return of the stolen works. </span></a> In addition to a proportionary share of the reward given in exchange for information leading to the restitution of any portion of the works. There is also a separate reward of $100,000 being offered for the return of the Napoleonic eagle finial. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBqvhp7IeOrpfDVGj7kD4TNcozSxfrxK8Dj9W65F9_NsgDNcVt3vZoM1Vy8q9PkzCJkdFI_UbFSTKvISTN8XmY4GHqACtxfYEjkNcLodRljwEE6-MePPvhQ4KfPiLTYdsdYxP7J9rMKpbVlNu3365JAUoH0gX_E6fz0u4bM78qbynem6ctbprliO4YU0/s271/ISGM%20-%205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="271" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBqvhp7IeOrpfDVGj7kD4TNcozSxfrxK8Dj9W65F9_NsgDNcVt3vZoM1Vy8q9PkzCJkdFI_UbFSTKvISTN8XmY4GHqACtxfYEjkNcLodRljwEE6-MePPvhQ4KfPiLTYdsdYxP7J9rMKpbVlNu3365JAUoH0gX_E6fz0u4bM78qbynem6ctbprliO4YU0/w320-h320/ISGM%20-%205.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Lady and Gentleman in Black – Rembrandt van Rijn</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Despite remaining unsolved, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum remains committed to its mission of fostering appreciation for art and maintaining the legacy of its founder, Isabella Stewart Gardner. The museum continues to showcase its extensive collection, which includes works spanning various periods and styles, (as well as the empty frames, and serving as a hub for cultural and educational programs.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXhCMKHUvoYKRsaQScgl7V_YGxAXzk_4s7_f8ARXluhC6f3anDO6cwboAU0HwATMwZeeQOTqjXA-9-m-vtdECogvmLbKh8TuqbGhcjBUJDSvDq_AOaO96xR1M1Qp3gqB7aVQhAcRsXCOWfr6lmWVa6l8VkemfMS8JXr-lJ1unPhNAQjPPcefN28fxDoI/s1278/ISGM%20-%20Three%20Mounted%20Jockeys%20%E2%80%93%20Edgar%20Degas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1278" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXhCMKHUvoYKRsaQScgl7V_YGxAXzk_4s7_f8ARXluhC6f3anDO6cwboAU0HwATMwZeeQOTqjXA-9-m-vtdECogvmLbKh8TuqbGhcjBUJDSvDq_AOaO96xR1M1Qp3gqB7aVQhAcRsXCOWfr6lmWVa6l8VkemfMS8JXr-lJ1unPhNAQjPPcefN28fxDoI/s320/ISGM%20-%20Three%20Mounted%20Jockeys%20%E2%80%93%20Edgar%20Degas.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Mounted Jockeys – Edgar Degas</td></tr></tbody></table><p>As the investigation into the 1990 art heist enters its 34th year, authorities and art enthusiasts alike remain hopeful that renewed attention to the case may finally bring closure to one of the most perplexing mysteries in the art world's history. The FBI believes it has determined where the stolen art was transported in the years after the theft as well as the identity of the thieves. In a March 18, 2013 press release the Bureau stated <a href="https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/boston/press-releases/2013/fbi-provides-new-information-regarding-the-1990-isabella-stewart-gardner-museum-art-heist" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">“The FBI believes with a high degree of confidence that in the years after the theft, the art was transported to Connecticut and the Philadelphia region, and some of the art was taken to Philadelphia, where it was offered for sale by those responsible for the theft.”</span></a></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTodwshJCZxMQgexAkvcNwhshEKK7oJ8MWgQVxTm2Cy6MuOut3duytLq-kbMIlbsnH6GSMNfvNV5XCKkcg8pQr6JNH1huEXXswJEw0A5PNVWQGuefC6GL7Y7L2O08JLgwV4GHlXCQZOjuBmplfbQHMSM4RDFGIuY11SLnGzPdOgDUZCemIl8O7jq0KIjw/s271/ISGM%20-%207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="271" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTodwshJCZxMQgexAkvcNwhshEKK7oJ8MWgQVxTm2Cy6MuOut3duytLq-kbMIlbsnH6GSMNfvNV5XCKkcg8pQr6JNH1huEXXswJEw0A5PNVWQGuefC6GL7Y7L2O08JLgwV4GHlXCQZOjuBmplfbQHMSM4RDFGIuY11SLnGzPdOgDUZCemIl8O7jq0KIjw/w320-h320/ISGM%20-%207.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cortege aux Environs de Florence – Edgar Degas<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>For now, the artworks remain elusive. However the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and its supporters will continue to hold onto hope, awaiting the day when the stolen treasures are finally returned to their rightful home. So be on the lookout for these, and if you see them, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the museum directly or through a third party. <a href="https://tips.fbi.gov" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Tips may also be submitted online here.</span></a></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySTSM5qRbsEzqimcCMo_Zo0pilamsX7LWvQPdcnLRIOyc7NdHsc7RlNlCupQtCVvDsMR8CVjO6xwPyn7wc5G-MvxwjZzco7dKk9j1cYJMRLWo12xiHCx49OS-jc-bV6ZOoIz9JgkuxnLkRNecFVXQYeNGHeSjfmFm34CFzc_NY5Ds-hA53TzC2ueOKms/s271/ISGM%20-%2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="271" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySTSM5qRbsEzqimcCMo_Zo0pilamsX7LWvQPdcnLRIOyc7NdHsc7RlNlCupQtCVvDsMR8CVjO6xwPyn7wc5G-MvxwjZzco7dKk9j1cYJMRLWo12xiHCx49OS-jc-bV6ZOoIz9JgkuxnLkRNecFVXQYeNGHeSjfmFm34CFzc_NY5Ds-hA53TzC2ueOKms/w320-h320/ISGM%20-%2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landscape with Obelisk – Govert Flinck</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>For now, ARCA reminds its readers of the enormous impact of this theft on the museum's collection, even as we remain optimistic that one day soon the paintings will be returned to their rightful place in the Fenway.<div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_t_SYZMhr7gF-7i724OZl3Cc9IlCIo8jaU7V6l69Ih0WHMXtl4XZr8sEWNu0xgT2Bddp0JAQtNsLKjcdJq8MzP3hRwLiLDI6Cr81WXH4obNdM4twhQ3h92vDXGRM9pqovk4nFOcNrQ6KsxTdqvV18ZdJTyKPnhn0_1PAZc2ONrw44JlmRy4Wn6OARg4/s271/ISGM%20-%2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="271" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_t_SYZMhr7gF-7i724OZl3Cc9IlCIo8jaU7V6l69Ih0WHMXtl4XZr8sEWNu0xgT2Bddp0JAQtNsLKjcdJq8MzP3hRwLiLDI6Cr81WXH4obNdM4twhQ3h92vDXGRM9pqovk4nFOcNrQ6KsxTdqvV18ZdJTyKPnhn0_1PAZc2ONrw44JlmRy4Wn6OARg4/w320-h320/ISGM%20-%2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Sortie de Pesage – Edgar Degas</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKp_xjVbujsPBEZNmIzhbsrj8ueDe-iRVX2KV1JJ2lDKCpnYte0jXOWbe4YQDRVTXzJ27IcX7jI2gYWgZTCeYX1W0eYADiIdKLjofRheqNfsF4q-LJw7cOI7uukNnNtfEhoKEcGsVaEtJ02IftoBfIpwaHuXCaX6cmP0eaTCcpitqLPcUjVz2Kq2R10BI/s271/ISGM%20-%2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="271" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKp_xjVbujsPBEZNmIzhbsrj8ueDe-iRVX2KV1JJ2lDKCpnYte0jXOWbe4YQDRVTXzJ27IcX7jI2gYWgZTCeYX1W0eYADiIdKLjofRheqNfsF4q-LJw7cOI7uukNnNtfEhoKEcGsVaEtJ02IftoBfIpwaHuXCaX6cmP0eaTCcpitqLPcUjVz2Kq2R10BI/w320-h320/ISGM%20-%2010.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An ancient Chinese Gru</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvga5d0qLFRIgAbQwhcd4L6YgaY1k9qk-iR1QIJNIn8Wc2QkoYpPMZSjJ-QAzSH6V_58Uw417Qbuu7D_2hyAUjjNmv0DtJLP3OwI3yO3ktVb2BbDPd1NkMMfFdF-4i_G6eNulV-1-plXhBqGSGr6pD6I6XX9LN9ghyFGHmaXvzw8ZAXbrvJ7UfYtn3jvc/s371/ISGM%20-%20A%20French%20Imperial%20Eagle%20Finial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="267" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvga5d0qLFRIgAbQwhcd4L6YgaY1k9qk-iR1QIJNIn8Wc2QkoYpPMZSjJ-QAzSH6V_58Uw417Qbuu7D_2hyAUjjNmv0DtJLP3OwI3yO3ktVb2BbDPd1NkMMfFdF-4i_G6eNulV-1-plXhBqGSGr6pD6I6XX9LN9ghyFGHmaXvzw8ZAXbrvJ7UfYtn3jvc/w230-h320/ISGM%20-%20A%20French%20Imperial%20Eagle%20Finial.jpg" width="230" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A French Imperial Eagle Finial </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcV-PzWQj_2kQkDtJrMEh2XrrgTlIxUJTSoS5wAnR6mHttgMjsAX2YgGlV-3jsXLcAHa0-SQpn0ZinNOjpG3Fs5eopbCsIYbFTqu9T8lQAy-nxG4zsquSeWAm2Ohfj8uWQwguhwKmEHds3q4U9r1x9IU10MbTPYK06TIOCZEytqqY41ZSQMQjCZF4Ufg/s1630/ISGM%20-%2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="1630" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcV-PzWQj_2kQkDtJrMEh2XrrgTlIxUJTSoS5wAnR6mHttgMjsAX2YgGlV-3jsXLcAHa0-SQpn0ZinNOjpG3Fs5eopbCsIYbFTqu9T8lQAy-nxG4zsquSeWAm2Ohfj8uWQwguhwKmEHds3q4U9r1x9IU10MbTPYK06TIOCZEytqqY41ZSQMQjCZF4Ufg/w320-h241/ISGM%20-%2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Program for an Artistic Soirée 1 – Edgar Degas</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YutzBdNbPURexRQ4SMrRMNciGY4XjlPlC4xGhZmaV2XiJx-x4cB1eZBRTrrYsgRDV5vlwz-XJMmfy0DtgBHel1sOk3YkDOKZfS2CgR5qHfb-VDxnuUoZ5W655m_CxDX_53Y93QRc375Cc65TFAAzITPrFvPBIeKTipUy283e8s42F8pyGSdLrEfyJ4g/s1494/ISGM%20-%20Program%20for%20an%20Artistic%20Soire%CC%81e%202%20%E2%80%93%20Edgar%20Degas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1146" data-original-width="1494" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YutzBdNbPURexRQ4SMrRMNciGY4XjlPlC4xGhZmaV2XiJx-x4cB1eZBRTrrYsgRDV5vlwz-XJMmfy0DtgBHel1sOk3YkDOKZfS2CgR5qHfb-VDxnuUoZ5W655m_CxDX_53Y93QRc375Cc65TFAAzITPrFvPBIeKTipUy283e8s42F8pyGSdLrEfyJ4g/s320/ISGM%20-%20Program%20for%20an%20Artistic%20Soire%CC%81e%202%20%E2%80%93%20Edgar%20Degas.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Program for an Artistic Soirée 2 – Edgar Degas</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-64102271802990663852024-03-11T19:05:00.018+01:002024-03-12T08:40:56.690+01:00The wacky illicit world of one Ushabti of the Pharaoh Taharqa <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFY8k6OWthEyrV5pmUGDFllh7ela5UiTyK8dRCvjRQcr_1MoW-tJO2ETgyYBnYPDbXzTSP0_q7TZVxcYgDpJoa5IyjzP6zmbS_DSf9MtttsWx_-RwjFsv1yLaVonqIPT2MTOi7f_5rBsYJ8CEWhygvvEJHiX28BBR-WuM85hjxSWYJ03v9vxJYx23UkU/s1060/Screenshot%202024-03-11%20at%2016.51.28.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1018" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFY8k6OWthEyrV5pmUGDFllh7ela5UiTyK8dRCvjRQcr_1MoW-tJO2ETgyYBnYPDbXzTSP0_q7TZVxcYgDpJoa5IyjzP6zmbS_DSf9MtttsWx_-RwjFsv1yLaVonqIPT2MTOi7f_5rBsYJ8CEWhygvvEJHiX28BBR-WuM85hjxSWYJ03v9vxJYx23UkU/w192-h200/Screenshot%202024-03-11%20at%2016.51.28.png" width="192" /></a></div><div>The Cultural Heritage Brigade of Spain's Policía Nacional have completed an investigation into a rare, illicitly trafficked, ushabti. The statuette, holding traditional Egyptian agricultural implements, reproduces the text of Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead and would have been placed in the tomb of the deceased. Property of the Republic of the Sudan, the funerary figurine was sold to the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in the Netherlands by <i><a href="https://www.interior.gob.es/opencms/es/detalle/articulo/La-Policia-Nacional-identifica-a-un-anticuario-por-vender-una-escultura-del-faraon-egipcio-Taharqa-procedente-de-expolio/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">"a Catalan antiques dealer". </span></a></i></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Although unnamed in today's press release, the Spanish police did provide some interesting details regarding the sales transaction for this illicit object, which, in turn, also help us to identify who the unnamed dealer in question is. </div><div><br /></div><div>Today's press statement indicates that the Spanish investigation began when the Dutch National Polite forwarded their colleagues in Spain a complaint for aggravated fraud that had been filed in the Netherlands by the director of the museum in Leiden regarding their purchase of a suspect ushabti for Pharaoh Taharqa, the 4th king of the 25th Dynasty of Egypt and the Qore of the Kingdom of Kush from 690 to 664 BCE. </div><div><br /></div><div>The press release went on to say that <i><span style="color: #660000;">"the complaint stated that an antiques dealer, responsible for an antiques establishment in Barcelona, had sold a sculpture of Sudanese origin to the Dutch museum for 100,000 euros"</span></i> and that the sales transaction was facilitated using false provenance documentation which was presented to provide a cover to the artefact's illicit origin. Based on the foregoing, the museum then filed their complaint with the Dutch national authorities and were seeking the return of their purchase price.</div><div><p>To facilitate the sale, the police confirmed that the dealer in question had provided the museum with a digital copy of a handwritten document purportedly dating to May 27, 1967 which, at face value, appeared to have been written by an employee of the Sudanese government. This document also appeared to attest to the fact that the artefact had left the Sudan for London sometime between 1930 and 1940. </p><p>After careful review of this document, which included follow-up examination involving individuals affiliated with the Embassy of the Republic of Sudan in Spain,, as well as with heritage experts specialising in the illicit trafficking of Egyptian material circulating within the ancient art market, the paperwork provided was determined to be a false attestation. This technique is sometimes used by sellers of illicit material to increase verisimilitude to a work of fiction through the invention and insertion of details into an object's documentation which are presented as factual, when they are not.</p><p>Reviewing this document it was determined that the paperwork presented by the dealer to legitimise this object's circulation contained several discrepancies. The most blatant error on the part of the fraudster(s) was that the forged document referenced Sudan's <i>"Ministry of Archeology"</i>, a departmental name that has never existed in this African country. </p><p>In 1967 the competent authority tasked with the protection of cultural heritage in the Sudan was the Sudanese Antiquities Service, abbreviated as the SAS (now the National Corporation for Antiquities & Museums - NCAM). In 1939 the SAS was linked to the Ministry of Education, and by 1953 to the Ministry of Al Maref. In addition to the above, the signatory of the falsified attestation referred to himself with the title of <i>"general director"</i> for the aforementioned nonexistent ministry. And while this named individual does match to a person previously affiliated with the government of Sudan, this person never held a position with this title. Likewise, their documented signature on official records differs from the one signed and given to the museum substantiating the objects departure from the country.</p><p>During this investigation it was also determined that the artefact was one of several artefacts believed to have been stolen from the Gebel Barkal Museum situated on the right (north) bank of the Nile on the SW edge of modern Karima, Sudan which occurred between 2000 and 2003.</p><p>The complaint filed by the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, concluded that based on the evidence of fraud they were seeking a refund of the purchase price from the Catalan dealer. The Spanish police press report indicates that the person under investigation, if found guilty, would be responsible for a crime of aggravated fraud by involving assets of artistic, historical and cultural heritage, as well as for exceeding the fraud of 50,000 euros for the object's sale to the Dutch museum. </p><p><b>But just who is the unnamed Catalan dealer? </b></p><p>Matching the partial photograph of the ushabti for Pharaoh Taharqa depicted on Spain's press release <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240311164430/https://www.rmo.nl/collectie/topstukken/mummievormig-shabti-van-farao-taharqa/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">lead me to a more complete rendering of the object on the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden's accession record. That record indicates that the Dutch museum purchased the sculpture in 2014 via Spain but not much else in the way of detail on its official collection history.</span></a> That same year, Jaume Bagot, of J. Bagot Arqueología, a problematic Catalan dealer <a href="https://art-crime.blogspot.com/search?q=bagot&max-results=20&by-date=true" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">who has been mentioned frequently on ARCA's blog,</span></a> was identified as having brought a 25th Dynasty ushabti of similar proportions to Brussels for the 2014 BRAFA art fair. Unfortunately, the first Pinterest photo of that event wasn't clear enough to confirm if Bagot's artefact was the one the museum had purchased. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkTOKL4k-BM2CIPqPd0MJtm0t8M0TRVC22Z72g2MDM757HRm1xKWWDRr7hRHJP6eV0SbAu2ACxha0DFaFG3WcL18cGl8u6nxJFJgBSwBd-5jAuRzLx5_RqpK0AbqwzBniEzHxDEpAMDmko0zLf6S_8y6FO5C39L-UH92weqa-gIwuPo-QF0dY6mdqJgU/s500/Brafa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="500" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkTOKL4k-BM2CIPqPd0MJtm0t8M0TRVC22Z72g2MDM757HRm1xKWWDRr7hRHJP6eV0SbAu2ACxha0DFaFG3WcL18cGl8u6nxJFJgBSwBd-5jAuRzLx5_RqpK0AbqwzBniEzHxDEpAMDmko0zLf6S_8y6FO5C39L-UH92weqa-gIwuPo-QF0dY6mdqJgU/w400-h272/Brafa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Going back to Bagot's website we can find a "sold" notice for a <i><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160110175009/http://www.jbagot.com/obra/ushabti-of-the-pharaoh-taharqa" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Ushabti of the Pharaoh Taharqa. </span></a></i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCdkUYMtHtUjBWPm3dJQclyWa4AWBfjzq099U22irKzl5ehQEBKoeEswXdWbvgnr5AwNmxP-PB9flelD1Vkt86EL_dtaUbw0rydBJRA9thnAa4i5-8CjdtuowvgHpeIX9mUxoSphlCpYiWNKhwOlyEtF9UIM5ycKvPKaJq9vB3Fy97etcuZf7MYJhe1Mw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2323" data-original-width="2140" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCdkUYMtHtUjBWPm3dJQclyWa4AWBfjzq099U22irKzl5ehQEBKoeEswXdWbvgnr5AwNmxP-PB9flelD1Vkt86EL_dtaUbw0rydBJRA9thnAa4i5-8CjdtuowvgHpeIX9mUxoSphlCpYiWNKhwOlyEtF9UIM5ycKvPKaJq9vB3Fy97etcuZf7MYJhe1Mw=w368-h400" width="368" /></a></div><br />The provenance for this piece is listed as follows:<p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: inherit;">‘Family Babeker, Sudan. In Europe since 1930. Family C., Barcelona, prior 1970.’ </em></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">This seemed to match to the export date on paperwork the Spanish authorities had, but I still wanted to ensure that I had the right artefact and the right doggy documents presenting dealer, before naming him, so I dug a bit deeper. I then came across an article by Alain Truong which tells us more regarding the provenance of Bagot's 2014 ushabti. That article listed the collection history for the Spanish dealer's ushabti as:</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="color: #660000;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171011163025/http://www.alaintruong.com/archives/2017/01/17/34817391.html" target="_blank">Provenance: The family of M. Mustafa Abdalla Babeker, Khartoum, Sudan, 1917 - 1930. Collection of Don C. Bes, 1930. Private European collection, 1940. From the archaeological work at the pyramid of Taharqa, the royal necropolis of Nuri, Nubia.</a></span></i></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">To be 100 percent certain the objects were a match, I then took the image from<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160110175009/http://www.jbagot.com/obra/ushabti-of-the-pharaoh-taharqa" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;"> J. Bagot Arqueología sales record with the black background</span></a> and overlayed it with the one attached to the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden accession record. Without a doubt, the two images reflect an object of the same size and proportion and depict the same object. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='394' height='327' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxlx0_9C4k6ZA2rdLC5gdUdszQJnild5Nkew0ohgYsC0m1eYzJ0MpXGzdaCKa3jHNfpsUB0Yy8FvCOaYICX2w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p>It should be noted that this is not the only "Babeker" provenance artefact sold by Bagot. In 2017 the Catalan dealer brought another ushabti to Brafa, this one of the King Senkamanisken, the third successor of Taharqa, who likewise was a king buried at Nuri (Sudan) and low and behold it too had the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171011155839/http://www.alaintruong.com/archives/2017/01/17/34817370.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">same purported provenance.</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> </span>Did Bagot use the same attestation letter provided to the Dutch museum? </p><p>So with that, I leave you with a pressing question. To those of you out there who have handled other objects with Mr. Babeker as your assumed touch stone of pristine provenance, what say you? Any comments from <a href="https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5157856" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Christie's,</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> </span>or <a href="https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-a-nubian-serpentine-shabti-for-the-king-4505423/?" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Christie's again</span></a> or <a href="https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/a-serpentine-ushabti-of-king-senkamenisken-nubia--114-c-vme1hzb3hi" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Sotheby's </span></a>or <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240311173329/http://www.alaintruong.com/archives/2014/03/17/29457037.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Axel Vervoordt</span></a> or anyone else who has bought or sold a Taharqa or a Senkamanisken ushabti since the early 2000s? </p><p>Care to share your details with the Spanish authorities? </p><p>By: Lynda Albertson</p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-88179299305801296222024-03-08T10:13:00.011+01:002024-03-09T08:24:19.346+01:00Museum Theft: One million euros worth of jewellery stolen from a temporary exhibit at the Vittoriale degli Italiani Museum in Italy<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiC8M35VIuyJJWGE1VixGvkvuiZuBkig4CxD-q1hD39NZKUQB7w-BxoghaUP5qHXkzDD2ZS-Qm6LlwjhBsLkcYSvuag-BF3bNt_YGMma-LZl0bFdQ5qZCEoephyfyXSgbFj7laZ3Hd9t5jG-_Mh6QWuUyOSJ9wo1b6VniVgNevuXWCP94creuMFuxRTKV4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1306" data-original-width="1067" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiC8M35VIuyJJWGE1VixGvkvuiZuBkig4CxD-q1hD39NZKUQB7w-BxoghaUP5qHXkzDD2ZS-Qm6LlwjhBsLkcYSvuag-BF3bNt_YGMma-LZl0bFdQ5qZCEoephyfyXSgbFj7laZ3Hd9t5jG-_Mh6QWuUyOSJ9wo1b6VniVgNevuXWCP94creuMFuxRTKV4" width="196" /></a></div>Forty-nine jewellery pieces, created by twentieth century sculptor, painter, and Italian partisan, Umberto Mastroianni have disappeared during a burglary between Tuesday and Wednesday night at the house-museum, Vittoriale degli Italiani in Gardone Riviera, which was once home to Italian poet and novelist Gabriele D'Annunzio. One object was dropped when the thief or thieves departed. All of the pieces had been on temporary loan, as part of an exhibition titled: <i><a href="https://www.artribune.com/mostre-evento-arte/umberto-mastroianni-come-un-oro-caldo-e-fluido/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Come un oro caldo e fluido. Gli ori di Umberto Mastroianni,</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> </span></i>curated by Alberto Dambruoso, which featured bracelets, pendants, rings, brooches, plates and sculptures created by the artist between the 1950s and 1990s using the 'lost wax' method. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Set up in an underground portion of the villa, the jewellery had been on display since December 30th. Stolen just days before the exhibition was scheduled to conclude, and is initially believed to have perhaps been a theft to order, as the gang only stole objects from the Mastroianni exhibition and not pieces attributable to Gabriele d'Annunzio, for whom the museum is named, or other jewellery pieces another master goldsmith, Mario Buccellati (a friend of D'Annunzio), which were also on display. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDCjwnBbSmhC60MmYoPy0F-t5rlQ8gwejfVd3RMZWie1sP8Ea7_7zPGfUtjeacxwyjMO5yEQNBq0bJswNQPYkpBEYlhL9GAsEwLlGEf8GSHY9GILFPfn-D9zzkLYSYPzqY3pKKhz3cWOjAEVgzQpnjParHWZCfmwI3BnqV8Lzrc-Unft6sGl5HRkcRd4E" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="2563" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDCjwnBbSmhC60MmYoPy0F-t5rlQ8gwejfVd3RMZWie1sP8Ea7_7zPGfUtjeacxwyjMO5yEQNBq0bJswNQPYkpBEYlhL9GAsEwLlGEf8GSHY9GILFPfn-D9zzkLYSYPzqY3pKKhz3cWOjAEVgzQpnjParHWZCfmwI3BnqV8Lzrc-Unft6sGl5HRkcRd4E=w333-h400" width="333" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The theft was discovered yesterday by the Vittoriale's custodians who arrived at the museum only to discover the showcases empty. The theft was reported immediately to the local Carabinieri barracks and is being conducted with the support of the provincial command of Brescia as well as specialists from the Carabinieri TPC Nucleo in Monza. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All 49 of the missing objects which were part of this exhibition are depicted within this blog post.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>The artist Mastroianni, was the uncle of Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni and was born in Fontana Liri on 21 September 1910. His first solo exhibition took place in 1931 in Genoa and by 1935 he had already participated in the National Art Quadrennial in Rome. In 1936 he achieved notoriety at the XX Venice Biennale before joining the Italian Resistance, fighting in the partisan formations of the Canavese during World War II. Highlights of his career also included the International Grand Prize for Sculpture at the Venice Biennale in 1958 and the Tokyo Imperial Prize in 1989. That same year he was appointed a Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, the highest honour granted by the President of the Republic.<p></p><p>Up until the 1940s the artist was a classical sculptor in the traditional sense, only later creating the contemporary styles stolen in this heist. With losses currently estimated to be at one million euros, a press conference is scheduled for tomorrow to provide further details regarding the burglary. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bgRKydP9RJdnIMTuNlmEDk-T9uRBpU6Jm7pCKjlOBPHr78uULIdxYybaYn5tNfcS7mzwW4wHSFCnfL4iF83hjQzYCRo7P8w9VGEUXUQibJpTgu0fAY7O9FKHbGfx5qtez2hQby-aKYAbOa-vmNUEX_t_u9w5FzXOFSDIp7fKAFpjqOtugWfXWAthg34/s1170/3-6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="1170" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bgRKydP9RJdnIMTuNlmEDk-T9uRBpU6Jm7pCKjlOBPHr78uULIdxYybaYn5tNfcS7mzwW4wHSFCnfL4iF83hjQzYCRo7P8w9VGEUXUQibJpTgu0fAY7O9FKHbGfx5qtez2hQby-aKYAbOa-vmNUEX_t_u9w5FzXOFSDIp7fKAFpjqOtugWfXWAthg34/w400-h251/3-6.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLamTWQEs6uEgQujd1aCArXiV7GnMQsD1YLRSt-ZKo20zwgxGq1tvmH8JKsajqVkyS4hJ-AGGdD6xKJur7iRYTOPeVY-UabHQgxStKCe9-8YCtI7PB8q65AYy2gRYuPo-qCHGDWIxD_f1iAqfZuf5PtNeNH77y7YdFxBphW4HxLZY2VacCYgMgl1pMWk/s730/7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLamTWQEs6uEgQujd1aCArXiV7GnMQsD1YLRSt-ZKo20zwgxGq1tvmH8JKsajqVkyS4hJ-AGGdD6xKJur7iRYTOPeVY-UabHQgxStKCe9-8YCtI7PB8q65AYy2gRYuPo-qCHGDWIxD_f1iAqfZuf5PtNeNH77y7YdFxBphW4HxLZY2VacCYgMgl1pMWk/w315-h400/7.png" width="315" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKmGqSie24_QsgCxqX-RD-ljSU02io-V9WarBw-OyyXvzDNifB8c5L3BpqhMj9X_cN1AqaaxS8sFOCeyPxjrRa6V1qDFtNfVaMGE1eieDnk_JBpnCawOVt5lAQwrRmieqZ-l4MJsGDFloJkmZtNNrlz3yanReiaREDKOZWIYSNbSjdvizx6pwQ0xn8ek/s1158/8-11.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="1158" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKmGqSie24_QsgCxqX-RD-ljSU02io-V9WarBw-OyyXvzDNifB8c5L3BpqhMj9X_cN1AqaaxS8sFOCeyPxjrRa6V1qDFtNfVaMGE1eieDnk_JBpnCawOVt5lAQwrRmieqZ-l4MJsGDFloJkmZtNNrlz3yanReiaREDKOZWIYSNbSjdvizx6pwQ0xn8ek/w400-h251/8-11.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1164" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFUceimpNZFsagChtDAqd9sZ38h4KDNTn36oIa0PKwn2TLdzWixwOnJDthCDMd-20IwR43ybZ6ULZSOGrVVqTeh2s6Yn9QL1-joOutIi2vhG78GyBV9ubc2zvVROneGZk_Bk1XmIZfS8Ods8_kdfgN-P_98TRbLtHjgUgK04ioBbHibE6uVknO5ldhxc/w400-h251/29-31.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRu-A095XnDR65txj6Oh7i4fuU9JcZd3LxEBTAtB0ljJMiWbIoFrsDEn3eREVVjWe4Wuy9kZD-Wd4A0tRTINhpZc-neWD4TaEWCgqaW_uhWnTwJKtovOPY3190aGocEVpRRbgCFQ81qM7nJS2NAOxK7Yao8A0j1ERfJiwZ8ekmmtbuLPQ9en_z0IBwzEg/s1166/32-33.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1166" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRu-A095XnDR65txj6Oh7i4fuU9JcZd3LxEBTAtB0ljJMiWbIoFrsDEn3eREVVjWe4Wuy9kZD-Wd4A0tRTINhpZc-neWD4TaEWCgqaW_uhWnTwJKtovOPY3190aGocEVpRRbgCFQ81qM7nJS2NAOxK7Yao8A0j1ERfJiwZ8ekmmtbuLPQ9en_z0IBwzEg/w400-h250/32-33.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="1162" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotlBeW1EIOUZhCLGrGTf5mHN-oOtyU-N_zJzN72UgHJLsbXWIAufXxd8SBKBepF0-jERATEcDnze3TE0cLaMMzYTBGchabY778jV8IYraif07FMK0akK5dug3e3p3FxLTL84WhtfiW3wdR6LPQzPeAa4HoMYB8JiD7tHPc8GahKffXpIilHJzTUmvZ28/w400-h250/36-38.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Dz48fplukB715u0ALvbuyJSNGpXIHx1zNp2dmGHCOM0djdTOgj2kfLNfL7CJBQnUezszVxknEXmK2vj81rReXM6qNeLBucQ3SQl0BmoY1EtSWNw5tC5YssuOa2EMBtNv13c1sAMLnhmSqC_1DIIfgNCt_aWYZLRgzRKwXoPMUiU4vsKmVRv3Lzk_iOc/s730/39.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="578" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Dz48fplukB715u0ALvbuyJSNGpXIHx1zNp2dmGHCOM0djdTOgj2kfLNfL7CJBQnUezszVxknEXmK2vj81rReXM6qNeLBucQ3SQl0BmoY1EtSWNw5tC5YssuOa2EMBtNv13c1sAMLnhmSqC_1DIIfgNCt_aWYZLRgzRKwXoPMUiU4vsKmVRv3Lzk_iOc/w316-h400/39.png" width="316" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLLnFs90esgqdGSl7B2BcRajqqdx_ISKwW9DZLV1_X_CNOXoau4jqbS-xFTDHSDWKDyOQpnkYHoXH3mHYYuuiGv6eocCtd0JlA3aUTE5oYQE0ehfY0oFuD-uePavw5tVxkeM8bGV5f0JgcgadCpnxUB1-rbPfMKX_ZKz9WktSr2MvemRmE8H_jNdYGtGA/s1166/40-45.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="1166" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLLnFs90esgqdGSl7B2BcRajqqdx_ISKwW9DZLV1_X_CNOXoau4jqbS-xFTDHSDWKDyOQpnkYHoXH3mHYYuuiGv6eocCtd0JlA3aUTE5oYQE0ehfY0oFuD-uePavw5tVxkeM8bGV5f0JgcgadCpnxUB1-rbPfMKX_ZKz9WktSr2MvemRmE8H_jNdYGtGA/w400-h250/40-45.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXrbYsML8duOtTuHHAWLfkxAO0Z8nc9oLd0a8Bbn4OwkofVVKthEMfDbluKqErOyqZB-4YBtNudarN2G-tmpNfdZChGL1QcbzNTyawsHeXbnUphjLZ4hcrHmg3mWWw4EIm3zaK_qTRXxS2HJMZ97UJ1zSoZvs83983_-Ay8lSXURStO8lxdukHn48sEQ/s1164/Screenshot%202024-03-08%20at%2014.11.39.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="1164" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXrbYsML8duOtTuHHAWLfkxAO0Z8nc9oLd0a8Bbn4OwkofVVKthEMfDbluKqErOyqZB-4YBtNudarN2G-tmpNfdZChGL1QcbzNTyawsHeXbnUphjLZ4hcrHmg3mWWw4EIm3zaK_qTRXxS2HJMZ97UJ1zSoZvs83983_-Ay8lSXURStO8lxdukHn48sEQ/w400-h250/Screenshot%202024-03-08%20at%2014.11.39.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwhRH51Dly4Wn9wur-OuC-_lChG6CkVtPdX3efCJRu8TAZI3TDHmKw-P34hGmD-zjxWmiSIYthSHxLIHej-l23pFUCLm1K4hq5ADLMfRkMKtgh0oytr6EkDh_qCZrtA_t2Lye_YaBl2ORtDkGW5OXzgeae18HU7sftZKmb3S3FoFIPAQkvDQB-_zejBI/s1164/Screenshot%202024-03-08%20at%2014.11.57.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1164" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwhRH51Dly4Wn9wur-OuC-_lChG6CkVtPdX3efCJRu8TAZI3TDHmKw-P34hGmD-zjxWmiSIYthSHxLIHej-l23pFUCLm1K4hq5ADLMfRkMKtgh0oytr6EkDh_qCZrtA_t2Lye_YaBl2ORtDkGW5OXzgeae18HU7sftZKmb3S3FoFIPAQkvDQB-_zejBI/w400-h251/Screenshot%202024-03-08%20at%2014.11.57.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">**Image Credit ANSA</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-69486474531587720382024-03-07T11:12:00.001+01:002024-03-07T11:12:15.326+01:002024 Amelia Conference - Save the Date and Call for Presenters<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5qg87XEYenRrliWKHkUKNIcDs-Qh_jgZpRk1UgM2iU5ieQJqSL13nnri0sJKITLYrdkhXY8_DwE3ESWBAmFlqTWuHXiur91QK2XpbcTy_0Z5eX1FcucmMyYc_PdYMKjZ8l8L2AwCPDUlhHVipHv-Vbbe0ADxVizByhd6tQvn3KfkQThJ6taM7I3oKQM/s1024/Chiostro-dellex-Collegio-Boccarini-Museo-Amelia.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="1024" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5qg87XEYenRrliWKHkUKNIcDs-Qh_jgZpRk1UgM2iU5ieQJqSL13nnri0sJKITLYrdkhXY8_DwE3ESWBAmFlqTWuHXiur91QK2XpbcTy_0Z5eX1FcucmMyYc_PdYMKjZ8l8L2AwCPDUlhHVipHv-Vbbe0ADxVizByhd6tQvn3KfkQThJ6taM7I3oKQM/w400-h268/Chiostro-dellex-Collegio-Boccarini-Museo-Amelia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #660000;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">The Amelia Conference: </span></b></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">ARCA’s Annual Interdisciplinary Art Crime Conference </span> </b> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /><a href="https://www.artcrimeresearch.org/the-amelia-conference-call-for-presenters/" target="_blank"><b>Call For Presenters, </b><b>Abstract Submission Period</b><b>:</b> <span style="color: red;">Deadline April 15, 2024</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Conference Dates:</b> <span style="color: #660000;">June 21-23, 2024</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Location:</b><br />Collegio Boccarini (adjacent to the Museo Civico Archeologico e Pinacoteca Edilberto Rosa) </div><div style="text-align: left;">Piazza Vera</div><div style="text-align: left;">Amelia, Italy</div><p>Held in the beautiful town of Amelia, Italy, the seat of ARCA’s summer-long <a href="https://www.artcrimeresearch.org/postgraduate-certificate-program-in-art-crime-and-cultural-heritage-protection/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Postgraduate Certificate Program in Art Crime and Cultural Heritage Protection</span></a>, the Association’s 13th annual Amelia Conference will be held the weekend of <b><span style="color: #660000;">June 21-23, 2024</span></b> with a networking cocktail opening the event for all conference participants.</p><p>At the heart of the conference will be two days of panel sessions, on Saturday and Sunday, June 22 and 23, 2024, devoted to presentations selected through this call. For more information about registering for this year's event, <a href="https://www.artcrimeresearch.org/annual-interdisciplinary-art-crime-conference/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">please see our link on the ARCA website here</span></a>.</p>ARCA’s annual Amelia Conference serves as an arena for intellectual and professional exchange and highlights the nonprofit’s mission to facilitate a critical appraisal of the need for protection of art and heritage worldwide. Over the course of one weekend each summer, this art crime-focused event serves as a forum to explore the indispensable role of detection, crime prevention, and scholarly and criminal justice responses, at both the international and domestic level, in combatting all forms of crime related to art and the illicit trafficking of cultural property.<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ujA6IMb34ZXzg8P7lkwXgfd3EIgbRkBEIVZ3A56BjpPtZMgfNozeV34DD1wo-jlGpfc4XNTzfEJhS8vvvRMy0k7AXBKkU0-bjzaBRR6MZ8TaQCZF-MUYC9FKDgFoGV6CYJ-2NRqc0lzeevFA3riuJamcWEA2E0Ty6S_2EgyQhG7vlz1BdwDi2QfX/s946/Screenshot%202023-03-01%20at%2017.41.41.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="754" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ujA6IMb34ZXzg8P7lkwXgfd3EIgbRkBEIVZ3A56BjpPtZMgfNozeV34DD1wo-jlGpfc4XNTzfEJhS8vvvRMy0k7AXBKkU0-bjzaBRR6MZ8TaQCZF-MUYC9FKDgFoGV6CYJ-2NRqc0lzeevFA3riuJamcWEA2E0Ty6S_2EgyQhG7vlz1BdwDi2QfX/s320/Screenshot%202023-03-01%20at%2017.41.41.png" width="255" /></a></div><p></p><p>Geared towards international organizations, national enforcement agencies, academics, cultural institutions, and private sector professionals in the art and antiquities fields, the Amelia Conference follows a long-established commitment by the Association to examine contemporary issues of common concern in an open, non-combative, multi-disciplinary format in order to promote greater awareness and understanding of the need for better protection of the world’s cultural patrimony.</p><p><b>2024 Call for Presenters: Session Formats and Topics</b></p><p>Given the success of the Amelia Conference over the past decade, it is important to recognise the growing interdisciplinary and international nature of this emerging field, the growing complexity of art and heritage crime, and the disciplines and subject matter experts who follow along and contribute within their areas of speciality. With that in mind, this year’s conference will build upon topic-specific sessions designed to stimulate discussion and share learning on a series of topics of common concern. Some conference panels may feature more active panel debate about a session topic, or present various and/or contrasting perspectives about a topic. Each panel session will last approximately 75 or 90 minutes and will include a number of oral presentations with some time dedicated for interactive discussion afterward.</p><p>ARCA welcomes presentation proposals related to the conference’s art and antiquities crime theme from individuals in relevant fields, including law, policing, security, art history, art authentication, archaeology, or the allied art market. </p><p>Presenters with topics related to the following areas are particularly encouraged to submit a speaking proposal this year highlighting the following issues of common concern:</p><p>Strengthening international cooperation in the fight against illicit trafficking. How have things changed in the last decade in terms of international cooperation? </p><p>Organised crime's footprint on and in art market trade and transactions. </p><p>Recent successes in the field and what we can learn from them collectively.</p><p>Peeling back the obstacles: Why is it so hard for museums to proactively address problematic art in their collections and enact restitutions once those problems have been identified. </p><p>Consciousness raising regarding vandalism as a form of climate or world issues protest in museums. </p><p>Digital and technology-facilitated approaches to combatting illicit trafficking.</p><p></p><p>Recent convictions: Art crime’s bad boys (and girls) and what we can learn from their prosecutions. </p><p>Recent hot topic and dramas in the field of forgery. </p><p>Resolving art disputes in and outside of the courtroom.</p><p>Each selected presenter will represent a coherent and clearly focused presentation of 15 to 20 minutes maximum on a topic of common concern, that combined with presentations given by co-panelists, are designed to provide significant insights into the topic or theme and to stimulate thoughtful, not combative or antagonistic, discourse.</p><p>We very much look forward to receiving presentation proposals on the aforementioned or alternative art and antiquities crime topics, noting that panels may change or be altered based on speaker availability.</p><p><b>Abstract and CV Submission Deadline:</b> April 15, 2024</p><p><b>Abstract Word Limit:</b> 400 words, excluding abstract title, presenter/co-presenter names and affiliations</p><p><b>Abstract Selection Process</b></p><p>Each submitted abstract must be accompanied by a CV. The abstract review process will be conducted blind, i.e. all author names will be removed before the abstract before being sent out for peer review. The abstract itself will be reviewed and scored by independent reviewers who have expertise in the specific session’s identified subject area.</p><p>Peer Reviewers apply the following criteria to judge abstract submissions </p><p>I. Quality and Originality (1 to 5)</p><p>Abstracts containing significant new findings or presenting concretised information or new approaches will be given higher scores than those that merely serve as a chronology of, or modifications to, older findings or routine topics of dischord.</p><p>II. Importance (1 to 5 pts)</p><p>This criterion addresses the importance of the presentation or research in terms of covering new ground and in advancing knowledge in the art crime and cultural heritage protection field.</p><p>III. Presentation (1 to 5 pts) This criterion addresses how well the specific research question(s) and objectives, methods used, primary results, facts ascertained, etc., are explained, rather than simply titling the topical subject itself. A clearly written abstract follows a logical order (e.g. aims, methods, outcome of investigation or analysis).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJ4DYcLPuHuyRT3uko_M1lFDciPp5c-LSL-MHn0mdIHovaIefmwAJTgYiYFOVOxmjzrNBXSjHaVM-0hWa0e9IReXaPFQOJolgKXKA9_rNbok62GB6hUdVemq5_jfkRgUo4UUI2I64pToz6bi5VG1R1tIhispcs-isNlgRZkGaYc5SYC_eBq6Z7eSp/s936/Screenshot%202023-03-01%20at%2017.44.42.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="754" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJ4DYcLPuHuyRT3uko_M1lFDciPp5c-LSL-MHn0mdIHovaIefmwAJTgYiYFOVOxmjzrNBXSjHaVM-0hWa0e9IReXaPFQOJolgKXKA9_rNbok62GB6hUdVemq5_jfkRgUo4UUI2I64pToz6bi5VG1R1tIhispcs-isNlgRZkGaYc5SYC_eBq6Z7eSp/s320/Screenshot%202023-03-01%20at%2017.44.42.png" width="258" /></a></div><p><b>FINAL NOTE </b></p><p>All accepted participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses, however, accepted conference presenters will have their conference fees waived and will be invited to be ARCA’s guest for the Amelia Conference icebreaker cocktail on 21 June 2024.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-31876299921729463212024-03-04T12:37:00.011+01:002024-03-04T16:04:25.293+01:00New developments in Spain's theft case of five artworks by Francis Bacon<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnigNIznxoVIjfBaG2urHY7hBU0u7t0PFXWXAl_8tfYEvpZiJjKVpvH8Gk1Rjnn0lG8rXHpPAvqMmUiPagii6JoYy3IOlJhDzLjM7j7NiOh4KzALPOpB1Xu_AaXzSss-He_DnACntirL3Rm82KM_umMEUhQj37XyMcWYuWC_hyphenhyphen-Ko84H1Ta6i9rxO-o_A/s2380/Francis%20Bacon%20all.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2380" data-original-width="1898" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnigNIznxoVIjfBaG2urHY7hBU0u7t0PFXWXAl_8tfYEvpZiJjKVpvH8Gk1Rjnn0lG8rXHpPAvqMmUiPagii6JoYy3IOlJhDzLjM7j7NiOh4KzALPOpB1Xu_AaXzSss-He_DnACntirL3Rm82KM_umMEUhQj37XyMcWYuWC_hyphenhyphen-Ko84H1Ta6i9rxO-o_A/w319-h400/Francis%20Bacon%20all.jpeg" width="319" /></a></div> <p></p><p>In the summer of 2015 thieves entered a five-story building on the Plaza de la Encarnación —an affluent area in the center of Madrid near the Spanish Senate and the Royal Palace. Once inside, the burglars broke into the residence of banker José Capelo Blanco. </p><p>Entering his apartment without being seen by the doorman or other residents, the raiders quickly disabled the businessman's alarm system and set about stealing five visceral portraits, made by the Irish-born British figurative painter Francis Bacon. The paintings would later be estimated to be worth €30 million. In addition to the high value fine art, the thieves also accessed the homeowner's safe and stole jewellery and a collection of ancient coins valued at €400,000. Newspapers would later report that the crime was exceedingly professional and left behind few clues. </p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">By the early autumn, an accomplice, with prior convictions for drug trafficking, began making the first of multiple efforts to try to sell the hot Bacons through market contacts in Spain. One of these involved trying to persuade a distant member of his extended family, who worked in the art world, that he could make a lot of money, if he could help find a buyer. </p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">Up until this point, images of the paintings had not been shared publicly, as the artworks were gifted by the artist directly to Capelo Blanco and had therefore never appeared in circulation prior. The fact that images of the Bacons did not appear publically, perhaps emboldened the thieves to make their first mistake. </p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">In February 2016, the first major break in the case came in when an individual queried the Art Loss Register trying to establish if one of Capelo Blanco's portraits had been flagged internationally as stolen. Writing anonymously, the inquirer sent photographs of the painting which could only have been taken by individuals with access to the artworks after the theft in Madrid.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">This exchange proved critical to the investigation and the ALR worked with the Spanish National Police turning over the communique which allowed investigators to draw a red circle around their first group of potential suspects. </p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">In early March 2016 the four individuals were taken into custody:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">• Ricardo Barbastro Heras, the alleged organiser of the fencing network</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">• Antonio Losada de la Rosa </p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">• José Losada Manzano</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">• Rafael Heredia González</p></blockquote><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">All were charged with crimes of concealment of robbery with force.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">By May 28, 2016 Spanish news sites reported that agents working with the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160528123443/http://www.policia.es/org_central/judicial/udev/udev.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #166ee1; fill: rgb(22, 110, 225); outline: 0px;" target="_blank">Central Specialized and Violent Crime Unit</a> (UDEV) had arrested another six individuals in Madrid who were also believed to be connected to the 2015 theft in some way. This included:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">• Alfredo Cristian Ferriz González, AKA Cristian Ferriz, who has a long police record, eight of them for robbery with force, three for vehicle theft, one for threats and another for drug traffic. </p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">• Art dealer Cristóbal García</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">• Agustín González Serrano</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">• Jorge de las Heras Escámez</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">• Juan Manuel Marce Gea</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">• Aquilino Jiménez Bermúdez</p></blockquote><p> With ten suspects named, two more, unnamed, were added to the list, bringing the total number of suspects to twelve. </p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">In July 2017 investigators announced the recovery of three of the five Bacon artworks. By January 2021 Dutch private investigator Arthur Brand tweeted a series of <i><b>"proof-of-life"</b></i> images which showed the two portraits which remained missing. One of these photos depicted one of the Bacon creations lying beside a copy of Spanish newspaper El País dated October 6, 2019. Another showed the left bottom corner of the one of the painting's verso, which showed the Irish painter's handwriting and signature. </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">These are the pictures of the two missing Bacons. Surroundings of the original thieves try to sell them for 4 million Euros. They are in touch with interested buyers. This might stop them. <a href="https://t.co/EigMEgsIOc">pic.twitter.com/EigMEgsIOc</a></p>— Arthur Brand (art detective) (@brand_arthur) <a href="https://twitter.com/brand_arthur/status/1347199079340761088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote><p>In various articles Brand indicated that he had received word that underworld buyers were considering the two outstanding stolen paintings, telling journalists that he had been passed the video by an unnamed informant, which seemed to indicate that the two remaining artworks were being shopped by an individual using the name which appeared to be shopped by an individual using the nom de plum, "Jason". </p><p>Accompanying the video was a piece of paper which implied perhaps that the remaining two paintings might still be in Spain, even if the thieves had widened their buyer's net internationally. Handwritten on the piece of paper which accompanied the video was the contact's alleged name <i><b>"Jason" </b></i>noting it was signed at <b><i>"Starbucks Madrid,"</i></b> on the date of <b><i>"2020-5-11."</i></b></p><p>In touch with the Spanish authorities, Brand had announced the contact on his social media channel hoping the unwelcome publicity would serve to dissuade potential purchasers who might be considering the stolen Bacons. Meanwhile Spanish authorities continued to tighten the screws, arresting two more not publicly named individuals, which brought the total number of persons of interest (publicly announced) to twelve. </p><p>Last month, on 29 February 2024 the Historical Heritage Brigade of Spain's National Police arrested two more people in the southern area of Madrid. The pair are believed to be the persons with physical control of the two outstanding artworks.</p><p>Aged 53 and 25, one of the arrestees is named as Rubén Sánchez Hernández.</p><p>Considered to be the mastermind behind this robbery, he is also believed to have been involved in the Pink Panther-styled robbery of Ángeles Farga jewelry store, on Ortega y Gasset Street in the capital. According to Spanish news sites, Sánchez Hernández has connections to Roberto Anaut's gang, the 'Dragonems' and disciple of Ángel Suárez Flores, who was in charge of another outstanding paintings theft involving 17 paintings stolen from the residence of businesswoman and philanthropist Esther María Koplowitz y Romero de Juseu, the 7th Marchioness of Casa Peñalver in August 2001.</p><p>The artist Francis Bacon died on April 28, 1992 at the Ruber clinic in Madrid at 82 years of age. Prior to his death he was reportedly in love with the young Spanish financier to whom gifted the paintings.</p><p>For now, the last two paintings remain listed on Interpol's stolen Works of Art database. </p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-44304324307437356932024-03-01T09:41:00.007+01:002024-03-03T19:16:00.807+01:00Is art crime understudied? Not anymore. But why not study among the best.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxeWnqjFoHg76FcWTippFZfOd2xhNfJPBSU_wRKCTPZQWmLhE0-bQpIlN9TUmNVBsQntIPDHz6mDwan3cIz3gS9MKChMGGtk_HUWHs8kkQgZawbpshFTRR6eM2DX6za1EZSGrtESftVPc_Hd9FpCDH7HJvEM22btTEEDzXbCIs6OwoPe0KEmfK5gbhmY/s1024/aubrey.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxeWnqjFoHg76FcWTippFZfOd2xhNfJPBSU_wRKCTPZQWmLhE0-bQpIlN9TUmNVBsQntIPDHz6mDwan3cIz3gS9MKChMGGtk_HUWHs8kkQgZawbpshFTRR6eM2DX6za1EZSGrtESftVPc_Hd9FpCDH7HJvEM22btTEEDzXbCIs6OwoPe0KEmfK5gbhmY/s320/aubrey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>ARCA's 2024 Postgraduate program in Art Crime and Cultural Heritage Protection is accepting late applications. <p></p><p>In 2009, when ARCA started the first of its kind, interdisciplinary, approach to the scholarly study of art crime, no one was being trained to look closely at the underbelly of the art world. Noticing that gap, represented a unique opportunity for the association, to provide individuals interested in intensive training in a structured and academically diverse format, a summer-long postgraduate program developed around the study of the dynamics, strategies, objectives and modus operandi of criminals and criminal organisations who commit a variety of art crimes. </p><p>Turn on the news (or followARCA's art crime blog) and you will see over and over again examples of suspect acquisitions, museum thefts, forgeries, antiquities looting and illicit trafficking of cultural goods. Intentional heritage destruction during armed conflict, once a modern-day rarity, now affects multiple countries and adds to regional instability in many areas of the globe. </p><p>Looted art, both ancient and Holocaust-related, continues to find its way into the prestigious galleries of respected institutions, while auction houses and dealers continue to be less than adept at distinguishing smuggled and stolen art, from art with a clean provenance. Thus making dealing with art crime an unrelenting problem and one without any easy solution.</p><p>Taken incident by incident, it is difficult to see the impact and implications of art crime as a global concern, but when studied across disciplines, looking at the gaps of legal instruments, country to country, one begins to have a clearer picture of the significance of the problem and its impact on the world's collective patrimony.</p><p>The world's cultural heritage is an invaluable legacy and its protection is integral to our future. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroB5Xri4R9j-iuwJKLzbGNRvMaFBgBGApBwwGxZAusJbbwm-QBQZb5lYOz6Pyh04jtbXEAs8otppe7kLdXNIkKbvb_KWfq29OF6euqynzSm_Q94ipM7TA_GNctE3rqvCtT59Hgvj_7_WXyQIi5XPqn_LJMOi0hwL27RaBRlP3r242xDRQJzZYCzqjPew/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202024-02-11%20at%2016.56.46.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroB5Xri4R9j-iuwJKLzbGNRvMaFBgBGApBwwGxZAusJbbwm-QBQZb5lYOz6Pyh04jtbXEAs8otppe7kLdXNIkKbvb_KWfq29OF6euqynzSm_Q94ipM7TA_GNctE3rqvCtT59Hgvj_7_WXyQIi5XPqn_LJMOi0hwL27RaBRlP3r242xDRQJzZYCzqjPew/w400-h300/WhatsApp%20Image%202024-02-11%20at%2016.56.46.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>Since 2009, other short and long programs have come and gone, and yet, ARCA remains, the longest running, and most comprehensive programming of its kind. </p><p>Here are 11 reasons why you should consider joining us this summer in Amelia, Italy for ARCA's 13th edition of our professional development program. </p><p>At its foundation, ARCA's summer-long program in Italy draws upon the overlapping and complementary expertise of international thought-leaders on the topic of art crime – all practitioners and leading scholars who actively work in the sector. </p><p>In 2023, participants of the program will receive 220+ hours of instruction from a range of experts actively committed to combatting art crime from a variety of different angles.</p><p>One summer, eleven courses.</p><p>For more information please see ARCA's <a href="https://www.artcrimeresearch.org/postgraduate-certificate-program-in-art-crime-and-cultural-heritage-protection/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">website here.</span></a></p><p>To request further information or to receive a 2024 prospectus and application materials, please email:</p><p>education (at) artcrimeresearch.org</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-6945345783391244742024-02-14T13:19:00.027+01:002024-02-15T08:25:46.585+01:00A stolen painting by Ivan Aivazovsky? This work is set to be auctioned in Russia in four days. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBRW4n6d6KrUnPS15LhGWLXnhD9ITsZuu5ffPwYbqkxer4AJuQv63CLshaN4HpP6sIxT_Ja9hwlVA5gLY0LOE9yPH166D7Pwx1Fcm7xqEe4MvFPbVx4YxYsU2eVIOMYFjRngcYDftfQsesiG8Hxa7CxiTKZw54RvURFvCHd_qUaKeH_ZF6IMzymeVlMG8/s1030/Screenshot%202024-02-14%20at%2010.49.19.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1030" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBRW4n6d6KrUnPS15LhGWLXnhD9ITsZuu5ffPwYbqkxer4AJuQv63CLshaN4HpP6sIxT_Ja9hwlVA5gLY0LOE9yPH166D7Pwx1Fcm7xqEe4MvFPbVx4YxYsU2eVIOMYFjRngcYDftfQsesiG8Hxa7CxiTKZw54RvURFvCHd_qUaKeH_ZF6IMzymeVlMG8/w400-h330/Screenshot%202024-02-14%20at%2010.49.19.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: left;">Full Moon Night, 1878 </i><span style="text-align: left;">by Ivan </span>Aivazovsky</td></tr></tbody></table><p>There are 32 stolen paintings listed in the INTERPOL Works of Art database by the Romantic painter Ivan Aivaszovsky (1817-1900), when searching under the spelling "Ivan Constatinowitsch Aivazoffski" but not, apparently this one. This one is scheduled to be auctioned in Moscow on February 18th. </p><p>Aivazovsky, born Hovhannes Aivazian in 1817, was a prolific marinist artist of Armenian descent who left an indelible mark on the art world with his mesmerising seascapes. Born in 1817 in the Crimean city of Feodosia, Aivazovsky studied painting at the Fine Art Academy in Saint Petersburg, but it was his deep connection to the Black Sea coast which profoundly influenced his work, and earned him the title <i>"the painter of the sea." </i></p><p>Considered a master of light and shadow, Aivazovsky's oeuvre comprises over 6,000 paintings, ranging from serene moonlit scenes, tempestuous maritime battles, and shipwrecks often capturing the irresistible and ever-changing moods of the sea, as well as the men who navigated upon it, with unparalleled realism and drama. </p><p>His works have been sold for a wide range of prices, with some of his most renowned and iconic works fetching millions. His eponymous painting, <i>The Ninth Wave</i>, 1850 depicts an unlucky group of castaways trying to survive a shipwreck. The artwork was a hat tip to the nautical phenomenon in which waves are said to grow larger and larger, in a continuing series, up until the largest wave, the ninth, at which point the sequence starts again. This painting has been part of the collection of the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg since 1897, having originally been acquired for the Imperial Hermitage of Emperor Alexander III. </p><p>According to ArtPrice, as one of the most sought-after 19th century painters, Aivazovsky's works have gone up for sale at public auction at least 1,296 times some at modest prices and others tipping the top of the chart. In 2006, two London auctions of his paintings, <i>View of Constantinople </i>(1852) and <i>The Varangians on the Dnieper</i> (1876) hammered in at € 2,142,810 at Christie's and € 2,262,535 at Sotheby's. In 2020, the artist's painting <i>The Bay of Naples</i>, 1878 <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/russian-pictures/ivan-konstantinovich-aivazovsky-the-bay-of-naples" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">was sold at Sotheby’s for $2.9 million.</span></a></p><p><b>But let's talk about the origins of one of Aivazovsky's seascapes coming up for sale in Russia just four days. </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3qGB8wj_4-mYU8itZ10gBghgDUgcXxUc3dQHLbhu56rDPASG9X4ABEFTWozazA4lKfMrBzLVlLRSglRyu-R6KxKt2vl9RbWjUk8dNLEV_SFUc7je77hYHCwvgUrXutM7MOIDcIixGXjR11nqfUzbW30ORhXJA0-h5Wahfuu0CHE-rI-cIzOc_Vedgd4/s2034/Screenshot%202024-02-14%20at%2011.45.37.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="2034" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3qGB8wj_4-mYU8itZ10gBghgDUgcXxUc3dQHLbhu56rDPASG9X4ABEFTWozazA4lKfMrBzLVlLRSglRyu-R6KxKt2vl9RbWjUk8dNLEV_SFUc7je77hYHCwvgUrXutM7MOIDcIixGXjR11nqfUzbW30ORhXJA0-h5Wahfuu0CHE-rI-cIzOc_Vedgd4/w400-h217/Screenshot%202024-02-14%20at%2011.45.37.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>Painted by Aivazovsky in 1878, <i>Full Moon Night,</i> 1878, the 63.4 X 84.2 cm aoil on canvas painting <a href="https://moscow-auction.ru/auctions/kalendar-auktsionov/important-sale-analog-chtistie-s-sotheby-s-v-rossii-obyavlen-priyem-lotov/ayvazovskiy-ivan-konstantinovich-1817-1900-lunnaya-noch-1878-g-kholst-maslo-63-4-kh-84-2-sm/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">is set to be auctioned at the Moscow Auction House, with a starting bid listed at <span face=""Google Sans", Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 20px;">₽</span>100 million (€1,022,677).</span></a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMFDroGwN8kxkPXLh7iK_US4u6EFaw5iyYm3W1q4BMPORYFygOU_6soo0pnJosCMKw1DB1yI3HhCxPZUHzMaw16M9cYEy5epXkNZO3s92EKgtIYxNhGFxXpp4IWmNZtyXC558nAz8vGFwr0l9TjiwJOpVKO5qFERdPliV6-NkZ50pDDj0C_gcXBBoGJxA" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1414" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMFDroGwN8kxkPXLh7iK_US4u6EFaw5iyYm3W1q4BMPORYFygOU_6soo0pnJosCMKw1DB1yI3HhCxPZUHzMaw16M9cYEy5epXkNZO3s92EKgtIYxNhGFxXpp4IWmNZtyXC558nAz8vGFwr0l9TjiwJOpVKO5qFERdPliV6-NkZ50pDDj0C_gcXBBoGJxA=w283-h400" width="283" /></a></div>The painting's accompanying documentation says very little about the painting's provenance. Instead, the auction house provides a 2009 letter, signed by three individuals working at the Russian Museum for Scientific Work attesting to the artworks authenticity. <div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday, Günduze Aydynovych, an Azerbaijani-born Ukrainian lawyer and human rights activist who has served as Prosecutor of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea reported on the Social Media website "X" that this artwork was one of some fifty canvases illegally transferred to the Simferopol Art Museum at the beginning of the Russian occupation of Crimea in 2014, and its theft was registered with INTERPOL in 2017.</div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="uk">Росія планує виставити на аукціон картину Айвазовського «Місячна ніч». Ця картина була серед 52 полотен, що були незаконно передані у Сімферопольський художній музей у Криму. У 2017 році <a href="https://twitter.com/INTERPOL_HQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@INTERPOL_HQ</a>, за поданням <a href="https://twitter.com/Crimea_Prok?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Crimea_Prok</a>, оголосив картини у міжнародний розшук. Таким чином РФ… <a href="https://t.co/i7KWrlVImS">pic.twitter.com/i7KWrlVImS</a></p>— Гюндуз Мамедов/Gyunduz Mamedov (@MamedovGyunduz) <a href="https://twitter.com/MamedovGyunduz/status/1757377267611713666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<p></p><p><b>But how did this painting get to Russia? </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-UFDt0OhPMKGLHkzFw1BKeSamkhwxqnqOQfMb6T1USO-EEVI2ub98n9hxbtTDOyOrmWl0-kEb0lR328Duh5tIF7Axu1lBIHSPXyO8cVwdHdYNmUUBMLafIbiDyv-p95Kqs5IL7lK-f6prk3R5zormWt36FAQBjtgyDl-Qla4skDl_eo2GwaDJzL0EK0w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="755" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-UFDt0OhPMKGLHkzFw1BKeSamkhwxqnqOQfMb6T1USO-EEVI2ub98n9hxbtTDOyOrmWl0-kEb0lR328Duh5tIF7Axu1lBIHSPXyO8cVwdHdYNmUUBMLafIbiDyv-p95Kqs5IL7lK-f6prk3R5zormWt36FAQBjtgyDl-Qla4skDl_eo2GwaDJzL0EK0w=w400-h294" width="400" /></a></div><br />According to Ukrainian authorities, on 18 February 2014, the Simferopol Art Museum and the Mariupol Museum of Local Lore signed an exhibition agreement to jointly exhibit paintings as part of the exhibition <i>Russian and Ukrainian Art of the 18th - Early 20th Centuries. </i>The offering was designed to give audiences a rare opportunity to explore the diverse artistic expressions of Russian and Ukrainian artists side by side from these periods. <p></p><p>On the same day, 52 paintings belonging to the Museum Fund of Ukraine, including Aivazovsky's <i>Full Moon Night,</i> 1878 arrived in Mariupol from Crimea. </p><p>Expected to last until 31 May 2014, the exhibition was forced to close earlier when the management of the Simferopol Art Museum recalled the paintings to the territory of the then-occupied Crimea due to the increasingly tense socio-political situation in Ukraine. On 19 March 2014, the Mariupol museum workers received a letter from the director of the Simferopol Art Museum. Thereafter, Olga Chaplinska, the then-head of the Mariupol Museum of Local History terminated the exhibition agreement and on 20 March 2014 Nataliya Kuryonysheva, also from the Mariupol Museum oversaw the handover of 52 paintings to an envoy for transfer to the Simferopol Museum. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/30/ukraine-russia-art-mariupol/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">According to later reports in Russian media, the museum's staff had “saved” these paintings from damage by Ukrainian fighters.</span></a></p><p>In March 2018 both women were criminally charged for their actions pursuant to Part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which consists in <a href="https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-crimea/2395764-zasudili-spivrobitnic-muzeu-aki-viddali-52-kartini-v-okupovanij-krim.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">official negligence, i.e. failure to perform or improper performance of official duties by an official, which caused significant damage to Ukraine's state interests.</span></a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZU1EmsNGq-09RY9-pIRJl0qQ7-xoBD-r7vqH_BkmC-raATT5o1wdvA1ZBO_5DoVbtimAO3dTsB7KpHGXEVFzCiX8cwZ28DKlPS11eu5IbtGydk6uRBAjDAoT9vnF7iWsyB1oulBGLz8VR5cJ11_L0iS1UCyA92yooZEMwNMLJimCzcT56hWtE1I7J3uM" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZU1EmsNGq-09RY9-pIRJl0qQ7-xoBD-r7vqH_BkmC-raATT5o1wdvA1ZBO_5DoVbtimAO3dTsB7KpHGXEVFzCiX8cwZ28DKlPS11eu5IbtGydk6uRBAjDAoT9vnF7iWsyB1oulBGLz8VR5cJ11_L0iS1UCyA92yooZEMwNMLJimCzcT56hWtE1I7J3uM=w225-h400" width="225" /></a></div>By December 2016 and up through March 2017, <i>Full Moon Night, </i>1878 by Aivazovsky was in St Petersburg, circulating <a href="http://artrussia.ru/en/artnews/326" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">along with 53 other works of art by the artist during a special exhibition.</span></a> This 200 year anniversary event occupied the entire first floor of the Benois building of the State Russian Museum. </div><div><br /></div><div>The basis of this exhibition was said to be well-known and unfamiliar works completed by Aivazovsky from public and private collections. A special section of the exhibition was dedicated to the theme “Aivazovsky - battle painter” - paintings depicting naval episodes of the Crimean War of 1853–1856. </div><div><br /></div><div>This painting's presence is<span style="color: #660000;"><a href="https://andreyvadjra.livejournal.com/647287.html?view=comments" target="_blank"> <span style="color: #660000;">documented in a February 2017 open source photo with a flash reflecting at the top, which was uploaded to the internet by Live Journal user </span></a><u>andreyvadjra,</u><a href="https://andreyvadjra.livejournal.com/647287.html?view=comments" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;"> as being one of the artworks on display for the exhibition</span></a>.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh89PX6nPeJOABmqmYlJUk1k51j13JrIQPImHAiCI2MD2PMlFvqZSqKtGyCAK_1edWDIvvZivoRBXQpSnHp6C3LFqsBIfvmqQJE7mRwwizeGuokU6VNiIw5v6ikd9xjtNL1Fo_LKH6W8Fmyb6bgc9Pu_NbJFGdO7kfdLKVBKBZ4CSeVjXxVdirp6-d8XL4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="900" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh89PX6nPeJOABmqmYlJUk1k51j13JrIQPImHAiCI2MD2PMlFvqZSqKtGyCAK_1edWDIvvZivoRBXQpSnHp6C3LFqsBIfvmqQJE7mRwwizeGuokU6VNiIw5v6ikd9xjtNL1Fo_LKH6W8Fmyb6bgc9Pu_NbJFGdO7kfdLKVBKBZ4CSeVjXxVdirp6-d8XL4=w400-h291" width="400" /></a></div><br />By 19 August 2017 Tetyana Tikhonchyk, the press secretary of the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea temporarily stationed in Kyiv had <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10210052703651251&set=a.10206215916013958.1073741829.1146483046&type=3&theater" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">published a copy of a letter to her Facebook page.</span></a></div><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihGfgKsqFcCz6OLiQEC5g9f-JUkhyT5cTIIhpO_nzQxG7v6krr92cQHXvjGntWR4VWr7Ths-RKJ0AdqM1jIY3dUgBwEqFEUJars39GGK8t8opZ7s2veuoa5m8mqBBlVKgKaR4In39hmhtFn1AYt-b3r0RmqlnlLsjtDFHBRacP11jFYCeSIn7Ap0zCp3Y" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihGfgKsqFcCz6OLiQEC5g9f-JUkhyT5cTIIhpO_nzQxG7v6krr92cQHXvjGntWR4VWr7Ths-RKJ0AdqM1jIY3dUgBwEqFEUJars39GGK8t8opZ7s2veuoa5m8mqBBlVKgKaR4In39hmhtFn1AYt-b3r0RmqlnlLsjtDFHBRacP11jFYCeSIn7Ap0zCp3Y=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">This document, protocolled as: <br />Identification code 40108756<br />19 08.2017 № 4584/100/01-2017</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">From the National Police of Ukraine - Main Department of the National Police in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol received by the Prosecutor of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea to the Senior Advisor of Justice Mamedov G.A reads as follows:</div><p><i>Dear Günduze Aydynovych,</i></p><p><i>We inform you that according to the response of the Department of Interpol and Europol of the National Police of Ukraine, the works of art mentioned in the letter dated August 15, 2017 No. 4369/100/01-2017 were entered into the records of the General Secretariat of Interpol as "stolen".</i></p><p><i>Best regards</i></p><p><i>Head, Police General of the third rank</i></p><p><i>A.K. Bakhchivanzhi</i></p><p>Unfortunately, due to insufficient resources and the ongoing war in Ukraine, images and documentation for the 52 works of art, identified in this single 2014 misappropriation, have not yet been uploaded to the Interpol Works of Art database and made accessible to the public and other country law enforcement agencies. </p><p>ARCA hopes that by highlighting Günduze Aydynovych's concerns and Ukraine's supporting documentation on their artworks' removal, will serve as a cautionary reminder that this painting's auction, (and potentially others) is being questioned by Ukraine as has been removed from the confines of the territory of Ukraine in contravention of the laws of Ukraine. </p><p>For now, ARCA recommends that responsible and ethical collectors refrain from bidding on this artwork unless its full provenance documentation is provided. </p><p>UPDATE: 19:00 GMT+1</p><p>Moscow Auction House has told Russian journalists with <a href="https://www.rbc.ru/society/14/02/2024/65ccabc09a794722e8364de8?from=from_main_3" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">RBC that the painting <i>Full Moon Night,</i> 1878 by Aivazovsky was purchased at Stockholm's Auktionsverk in Sweden in 2008.</span></a> They also state that it is this second <i>Moonlit Night</i>, a view of the Black Sea off the Crimean coast in the Feodosia region dating to 1882 which is the subject of the Interpol notice as having been once been part of the Simferopol Art Museum collection. </p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDHnpcLrDsa_l0dXsjMnW27iZkJDe8tRzR7DV6ZQgXZ_c9sGxErfODl6k93gn5GkBRaYDzsJM6TLDughSp3Z2Vaido9262Pf9p78BQOCxZKRgBmzuxh6X61VjQgEI4L4CdPQjwHyfBgEUv7LLrFzu2akzT8Xewu6uQFRq8c4H-xIRbyZ3z9Q30FSns3oo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDHnpcLrDsa_l0dXsjMnW27iZkJDe8tRzR7DV6ZQgXZ_c9sGxErfODl6k93gn5GkBRaYDzsJM6TLDughSp3Z2Vaido9262Pf9p78BQOCxZKRgBmzuxh6X61VjQgEI4L4CdPQjwHyfBgEUv7LLrFzu2akzT8Xewu6uQFRq8c4H-xIRbyZ3z9Q30FSns3oo=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div> <p>ARCA has confirmed there was a 2008 sale in Stockholm which matches the depiction of the disputed Aivazovsky painting, now up for auction in Moscow. This painting, under the title of <i>A corner of Constantinople from the sea by moonlight,</i> was painted in 1878 and uses a different phonetical spelling for the artist, referring to him as Ivan Constantinovich Aivazovsky. <a href="https://www.artprice.com/artist/237/ivan-constantinovich-aivazovsky/painting/4828097/corner-of-constantinople-from-the-sea-by-moonlight?p=9" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">According to the ArtPrice database, this painting sold for a hammer price of € 338,910. </span></a></p><p>What remains a question is why, and for what the motive if any, did the auction house and the authenticators at the Russian Museum for Scientific Work, who attested to the artworks authenticity, change the name of the artwork.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4H2FEmqKtAujVTsGy1cSnq3Z4ALgELVKlZyW5Rzq2iwTk7y6glN8Zvxb5Iy6bjlTOPu-xs_ddzbbZ_-L6-AJlFwaBzDDH_f7Cr-0x5V7vskP5WOu4nARmQS-ZpR3f_vpZEU9C93o0UHGWQ1nfu7vqKGI5ejKzY4c4-OaTXY6rVuS4DoYf7QCRl6-lXk/s2292/Screenshot%202024-02-14%20at%2019.37.28.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="2292" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4H2FEmqKtAujVTsGy1cSnq3Z4ALgELVKlZyW5Rzq2iwTk7y6glN8Zvxb5Iy6bjlTOPu-xs_ddzbbZ_-L6-AJlFwaBzDDH_f7Cr-0x5V7vskP5WOu4nARmQS-ZpR3f_vpZEU9C93o0UHGWQ1nfu7vqKGI5ejKzY4c4-OaTXY6rVuS4DoYf7QCRl6-lXk/w400-h203/Screenshot%202024-02-14%20at%2019.37.28.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>By Lynda Albertson</p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-76922692141992953552024-02-08T14:12:00.001+01:002024-02-08T14:12:28.019+01:00Reclaimed Heritage: A Cambodian Buddha Goes Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7SNXADAeuzQaxp_1Bv0ds5QLhgAlEB5ibB553rpIEhTme9c3U7Q5NTsJ7aJkmLjEkGCbu0R1Ua-MuHzsUbRUKpY7dRie_J8qhfeQUabD2Jy99OmWj1GQKA0hLJk66K4OjTAUlooYpqOxRqBrYIUBHLRIt4uQDzNQb06_tAM20n0OCiq3ceIOzQl0rCY/s918/Screenshot%202024-02-08%20at%2013.32.31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="874" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7SNXADAeuzQaxp_1Bv0ds5QLhgAlEB5ibB553rpIEhTme9c3U7Q5NTsJ7aJkmLjEkGCbu0R1Ua-MuHzsUbRUKpY7dRie_J8qhfeQUabD2Jy99OmWj1GQKA0hLJk66K4OjTAUlooYpqOxRqBrYIUBHLRIt4uQDzNQb06_tAM20n0OCiq3ceIOzQl0rCY/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-08%20at%2013.32.31.png" width="305" /></a></div><p>Seized by Swiss authorities in the Canton of Basel 10 years ago, this 18th or19th century (Khmer empire) Buddha, seated in vajraparyankasana, with the proper right hand touching the earth in bhumisparsha mudra, at the moment of his enlightenment, is finally on his way home. </p><p>Originally Swiss experts believe the sculpture dated back to the pre-Angkor or early Angkor Periods and is was assumed to be over 1,000 years old. However, according to a first-step assessment by experts from the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts (MCFA), based on form and style, the sculpture is believed to be of the later period. </p><p>Representing Cambodia ata ceremony held on 6 February 2024, His Excellency Mr. H.E. Dara, Cambodia's Ambassador to Switzerland and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and International Organizations in Geneva received the enlightened Buddha in a handover between both countries coordinated by Fabienne Baraga, Head of the Specialist Department for International Cultural Heritage Transfer, at the Federal Office of Culture and Anna Mattei Russo, Head of Southeast Asia and Pacific Regional Coordinators of the Swiss Foreign Ministry. </p><p>Ambassador In Dara expressed gratitude to the Swiss government and emphasised Cambodia's ongoing efforts to repatriate other significant cultural properties. He called upon museums, institutions, and curators holding Khmer antiquities to voluntarily return them to Cambodia, framing such actions as gestures of generosity and respect for cultural values.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4u8PhCMyFE-57NsnLQpV0D_3podPR7bf3R2g6I0r0_kMXxahA_DXmQheejQttHDC5KeLPxGp7n75Sy2rUKnrOU7WqpnmVp42kykL5AUGmLNSdJ0I2kja3XaCNCjvbzi_7QbAsz2o0K7N5dfzKcHyS_S2lU39Tjtk5C1XdDd_4wnftZ4SgQ3skgxodyT8" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4u8PhCMyFE-57NsnLQpV0D_3podPR7bf3R2g6I0r0_kMXxahA_DXmQheejQttHDC5KeLPxGp7n75Sy2rUKnrOU7WqpnmVp42kykL5AUGmLNSdJ0I2kja3XaCNCjvbzi_7QbAsz2o0K7N5dfzKcHyS_S2lU39Tjtk5C1XdDd_4wnftZ4SgQ3skgxodyT8" width="180" /></a></div>Fabienne Baraga, Head of Specialist Division on International Cultural Property Transfer of the Federal Office of Culture of the Ministry of the Interior of Switzerland, also reiterated the commitment of the Swiss government to prevent illegal trade and trade of cultural assets and for the preservation of human cultural heritage told the individuals on hand that this return is not just the return of valuables to their birthplace, but also serve as a symbol of the spirit of unity and respect between the two states. <p></p><p>As a source country, Cambodia's cultural heritage has suffered significant losses due to looting, particularlyas an outcome of periods of civil conflict, political instability, and poverty. The widespread looting of archaeological sites and temples, such as those at Angkor Wat, Preah Vihear, and Banteay Chhmar has resulted in the illicit trafficking of countless artefacts out of the country. </p><p>These artifacts, ranging from ancient sculptures to intricate carvings, represent key aspects of Cambodia's history, religion, and artistic achievement. The illegal trade in Cambodia's cultural heritage not only deprives its people of its rightful treasures but also erases vital connections to its past for future generations. </p><p>Efforts to combat looting and repatriate stolen artefacts from the country are ongoing, but the scale of the problem underscores the urgent need for international cooperation and collective action to safeguard Cambodia's cultural legacy.</p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-85351663120529040152024-02-05T13:48:00.001+01:002024-02-05T13:48:05.400+01:00The Ongoing Struggle Against Illicit Cultural Item Smuggling from Ukraine<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjWPbsDznKtd_IQvbBugB0groBVJzYk0pX_kO2wHyBF09Simn5d-sEmj5loWLRf-7X1xzGcW_m8UxixZRAST-18vPMlTE0uIhb-MTEUyd2dkiLx3Cw5ML08OUwL6UiThTXt0xjVdfMNLtsgoTPmgdHMAK0sH3_matS22sZnyhI6pzqW_XnVW_EvoGy2T8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="960" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjWPbsDznKtd_IQvbBugB0groBVJzYk0pX_kO2wHyBF09Simn5d-sEmj5loWLRf-7X1xzGcW_m8UxixZRAST-18vPMlTE0uIhb-MTEUyd2dkiLx3Cw5ML08OUwL6UiThTXt0xjVdfMNLtsgoTPmgdHMAK0sH3_matS22sZnyhI6pzqW_XnVW_EvoGy2T8" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>As stated on the official <a href="https://www.facebook.com/UkraineCustoms/posts/pfbid026ZuUu9ivvLnS2xAJiPpw8SRCpYZpj9twAitBgLSRGmRTwXT3bfuRAXfvjCuN3joKl" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Facebook page of the State Customs Service of Ukraine</span></a>, customs officers in Chernivtsi foiled an attempt to smuggle archaeological artefacts out of the country last week. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmgwc4EqnJd2_gaJnE2l3iXrPXwZN9vQ7a_tfgc8aQUY6eHdeGqHg8Pk3WgHScFMrZ_NIxeBPNR4SmYhdkhC9LanYujB5mYk4BTkGkv1nUNu0uWXBaIcI6hvKwW0cyeD_8bvkGKjoqNyyBRXNi6mjCB4KZJOO-DUmmdtPwuhrMAgl19ZmJd5PYWFrxLTE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="960" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmgwc4EqnJd2_gaJnE2l3iXrPXwZN9vQ7a_tfgc8aQUY6eHdeGqHg8Pk3WgHScFMrZ_NIxeBPNR4SmYhdkhC9LanYujB5mYk4BTkGkv1nUNu0uWXBaIcI6hvKwW0cyeD_8bvkGKjoqNyyBRXNi6mjCB4KZJOO-DUmmdtPwuhrMAgl19ZmJd5PYWFrxLTE" width="320" /></a></div>On February 3rd, a Ukrainian citizen's vehicle, entering the customs control zone at the Porubne-Siret checkpoint exiting the country for Romania opted for the "green corridor," lane. This exit point is reserved for individuals who are not transporting items which require declaration.<p></p><p>However, during the routine customs inspection, officers collaborated with the State Border Guard Service personnel in the Chernivtsi region and uncovered various archaeological items, including fragments of horse armor, pieces of jewelry, crosses, household items, and Byzantine glass elements. These items fall under the purview of Ukraine's law on "the export, import, and return of cultural values" dated September 21, 1999, making their removal from the customs territory illegal.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9GaVWCl_LCpRMPLzhPpqv2BObLvWMk5YyThn69yzRaYfn2GzrBtvtPhVC6xIs8sfOu5ZXdOfE7B0owuM0bkv1XfJW2VtECHHPoYYWdAMj-DJV9yJIAg0NdgGIz_VriRuLmhN43A96ZQXgM7FeatuJ4aVbM_O98V9wdCDoNONLMunZqitZjNOwZTRxUMA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="960" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9GaVWCl_LCpRMPLzhPpqv2BObLvWMk5YyThn69yzRaYfn2GzrBtvtPhVC6xIs8sfOu5ZXdOfE7B0owuM0bkv1XfJW2VtECHHPoYYWdAMj-DJV9yJIAg0NdgGIz_VriRuLmhN43A96ZQXgM7FeatuJ4aVbM_O98V9wdCDoNONLMunZqitZjNOwZTRxUMA=w400-h235" width="400" /></a></div><br />Customs authorities documented a breach of customs regulations in accordance with Article 483, Part 1, of the Customs Code of Ukraine. They then forwarded a notification outlining the unlawful activity, which displayed indications of a criminal offense, to the appropriate law enforcement agency. A total of 124 archaeological objects were confiscated during the interception.<div><br /><div>
<iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="813" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FCVcustomsUA%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0s656GiraQC47pnRtYq6NTJBkksU28X9GSsfa9k9yJxwF7cywG1fWsBrgF9Dq9mzMl&show_text=true&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe> <p>In November 2023, another stop customs officers in Chernivtsi, again with a driver choosing the "green corridor" lane to pass the customs control, resulted in the seizure of 100 books and one religious icon that likewise were not declared and not presented to customs control, in contravention of the law on export, import and return of cultural values.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-DqEOQtR75A1qMfO0aU2YaztUsUFKdnSfleoBzGZQ5QCEIby07-WUO6qrKekuV_1sLUe2cmtai4Dd9qM_h9znPZeS0CGPukDtQRTN-ztaC6j9DPsYPylIEx04MQlgHiERwTOl7dkM129rdFyg9AdoM85WOWa4syshjIYyd36KDh2wisaN8hTK3iNlo0/s1320/Screenshot%202024-02-05%20at%2013.41.00.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="1320" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-DqEOQtR75A1qMfO0aU2YaztUsUFKdnSfleoBzGZQ5QCEIby07-WUO6qrKekuV_1sLUe2cmtai4Dd9qM_h9znPZeS0CGPukDtQRTN-ztaC6j9DPsYPylIEx04MQlgHiERwTOl7dkM129rdFyg9AdoM85WOWa4syshjIYyd36KDh2wisaN8hTK3iNlo0/w400-h193/Screenshot%202024-02-05%20at%2013.41.00.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>That same month, Kyiv customs officers also seized heritage items, exiting the country via mail shipments. These included an icon of "The Lord Almighty" (XIX-XX centuries) from the famous Borisov icon-painting school, a Bronze Cross-Encolpion (XII-XIII centuries) with relief images of Christ, Virgin and scenes of Crucifixion, used to hold the relics of saints in the times of Kyivan Rus and another grouping of small historic finds. <a href="nsodropteS18 N m l0fg v 2fg 1 giig 2 082 r hg e e 02t4m b 0 1 5 o uhhthh 4 hc 2 3 5" target="_blank">They were heading from Kyiv Oblast and Ternopil Oblast to the United States. </a></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-42913813747268625022024-01-27T15:18:00.014+01:002024-01-30T15:24:19.594+01:00Italy Takes Action: Preventive Seizure Decree Targets Stolen Books from Girolamini Library and a list of Hot Texts<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWaIauWooRR_5-pEw-Ss-DruXCtVE6G0KRcJIuIY5OaeTPTzUh51-cCb9CWUcXdYjBncBsnGXfEJwchuzxPc6_-O1KB99e9ze5EDweng2vIG9_nlaDWBhjDf5yQ_zEeNqnBrLS-NUr8L7uM3nKXqAPtkrLaNdxZVY-YCB5-mgIdfV2kBjOeyNWOI3pW0c" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWaIauWooRR_5-pEw-Ss-DruXCtVE6G0KRcJIuIY5OaeTPTzUh51-cCb9CWUcXdYjBncBsnGXfEJwchuzxPc6_-O1KB99e9ze5EDweng2vIG9_nlaDWBhjDf5yQ_zEeNqnBrLS-NUr8L7uM3nKXqAPtkrLaNdxZVY-YCB5-mgIdfV2kBjOeyNWOI3pW0c" width="240" /></a></div><br />Italy's Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Naples, has announced a significant move in the pursuit of justice for its stolen textual treasures. A preventive seizure decree has been issued in early 2024 highlighting 361 important texts, carefully selected from those known to have been pilfered from the <b><a href="http://www.bibliotecadeigirolamini.beniculturali.it/?fbclid=IwAR1U_f1zAnpQh0Bpiw-tiePZBrrz4vc47LigBojOxHUot2AOgvS9Vzx0uuw" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Biblioteca e Complesso monumentale dei Girolamini</span></a></b> and which have not (yet) been recovered. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCoRANKEkE9GafecendHaWhgHNgVOpI_BcKNnfq7vfKEyu1pbHUeYIgNMACOi-1p9bBcCmWDyQxceIlf51wUw-pa0ZVIln1Sou14iF4j2bUxNNsHDYHPLbaI8mmZnlXWL6pqQKrAVm9bQJUODO6oKl80hLtn55shiTmvdgSefhf3PWYmGbBU7PntqQR3c" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="472" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCoRANKEkE9GafecendHaWhgHNgVOpI_BcKNnfq7vfKEyu1pbHUeYIgNMACOi-1p9bBcCmWDyQxceIlf51wUw-pa0ZVIln1Sou14iF4j2bUxNNsHDYHPLbaI8mmZnlXWL6pqQKrAVm9bQJUODO6oKl80hLtn55shiTmvdgSefhf3PWYmGbBU7PntqQR3c=w400-h191" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>Objective of the Seizure:</b></p><p>The <a href="http://musei.beniculturali.it/notizie/notifiche/decreto-di-sequestro-su-361-beni-librari-trafugati-dalla-biblioteca-dei-girolamini" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">decree, the execution of which is left to the Naples unit of the Comando Carabinieri per la Tutela del Patrimonio Culturale, aims to locate and seize rare Girolamini texts wherever they may be</span></a>. This effort also extends to encouraging the spontaneous restitution of stolen editions by current holders who might be unaware of the illicit origin of specific titles they may have inadvertently purchased but known to have been stolen from the library.</p><p><b>Background of the Library:</b></p><p>The extraordinary Girolamini Library of Naples is home to almost 160,000 ancient manuscripts and books and opened its doors to the public in 1586. Built alongside the Church and Convent of the Girolamini, the library served as the convent’s Oratory and is believed to be one of the richest libraries in Southern Italy.</p><p>The collection, which includes many rare editions dating from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, is centred on Christian theology, philosophy, sacred music, and the history of Europe and the Catholic Church. After the massive Irpinia earthquake, which struck Campania in 1980 the Biblioteca e Complesso monumentale dei Girolamini was closed for an extended period. The library's collection, off limit to anyone except specific scholars with collection permissions, suffered from a lengthy period of neglect, only to be plundered by a network of individuals tasked with its very protection.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRrVW3N5eqIz2jD772t1tlSDOM7yBY9zVZoVegYcVuXGFKFUJKgqTUboTiSwG3YCabqywD6-0n3XQYcymHzgkRDN_gL1m2qSpvirSPh5EbvOCQVxPBoDoUZMl1aXud9t3qNdgQfJxhym1gkAqwzbMVXPzjcONDxzIPyXJ__v_xwvocVRqu7lpWiVLgyxs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRrVW3N5eqIz2jD772t1tlSDOM7yBY9zVZoVegYcVuXGFKFUJKgqTUboTiSwG3YCabqywD6-0n3XQYcymHzgkRDN_gL1m2qSpvirSPh5EbvOCQVxPBoDoUZMl1aXud9t3qNdgQfJxhym1gkAqwzbMVXPzjcONDxzIPyXJ__v_xwvocVRqu7lpWiVLgyxs" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><b>Details on the thefts:</b></p><p>In April 2012 it was discovered that as many as 1500 important texts were missing from the Biblioteca dei Girolamini. At the epicenter of the scandal was the library's appointed director, Marino Massimo de Caro, who was swiftly suspended and subsequently prosecuted for embezzlement. Alongside him, other accomplices from Italy, Argentina, and the Ukraine would also be implicated and later prosecuted as a result of the scandal.</p><p>On 19 April 2012 the Biblioteca de Girolamini was formally impounded by the judicial authorities as Naples prosecutor, Giovanni Melillo oversaw an investigation into the library's thefts. As part of this investigation, the prosecutor authorised the tapping of De Caro's phone, through which Melillo and investigators learned that the library's former director had been stashing looted books in his home, in a storage unit in Verona, and in the basement of an accomplice’s aunt as well as arranging to sell many others onward. </p><p>Some stolen volumes were fenced through major Italian dealers as well as private collectors. An additional 543 books travelled on to Germany where they were to be auctioned on May 9, 2012 at the Bavarian auction house Zisska & Schauer in Munich after accomplices to the Girolamini library thefts stripped the institution's markings from the titles to be auctioned. </p><p>While under questioning, De Caro would claim that the books sent to Munich were from his own personal collection. Despite this, investigations determined that many of the consigned texts in fact came from both the Girolamini Library and the priests’ convent library and that the auction house Zisska & Schauer had paid an emissary of De Caro’s nine hundred thousand euros in advance of the texts' auction date, with De Caro expecting to receive a million euros more after the bidding closed.</p><p>With requests for assistance in hand, the German authorities halted the sale at Zisska & Schauer, and later arrested the company’s executive director, Herbert Schauer.</p><p>Ultimately, De Caro was sentenced to seven years in prison, coupled with a lifetime ban from holding public office. His expedited trial focused on the embezzlement of hundreds of volumes from the Girolamini Library, although De Caro has been connected to thefts from additional targeted institutions. </p><p>Other defendants, including Viktoriya Pavlovsky, Alejandro Cabello, Mirko Camuri, Lorena Paola Weigandt, Federico Roncoletti, and Herbert Schauer also faced legal consequences, with varying prison terms and exclusions from public office. Viktoriya Pavlovsky, De Caro's young assistant, received a sixty-four-month prison term and permanent exclusion from public office, Alejandro Cabello and Mirko Camuri, described in the press as bodyguards, were both sentenced to fifty-six months in prison. Lorena Paola Weigandt, who loaded stolen books from the library into the car and took them to Verona and another Verona resident, Federico Roncoletti each received sentences of thirty-two months in prison. </p><p>Herbert Schauer was arrested by German authorities on 2 August 2013, following the execution of a European arrest warrant. He was subsequently sentenced in the first degree by the Court of Naples to 5 years of imprisonment for his involvement in receiving stolen property, however his sentence was overturned by the Italian Court of Cassation.</p><p><b>Call for Collaboration:</b></p><p>ARCA would like to remind book and manuscript collectors that the market for archival literary heritage might be a niche market but it is a flourishing one that often overlaps with fine art crimes, driven by the high prices some collectors are willing to pay for the rarest of publications. </p><p>Acknowledging that some good faith purchases may be in possession of these stolen items without knowledge of their illicit origin, the Italian authorities are now stressing the need for help from the general public, as well as antiquarian book dealers, and professionals worldwide who are more likely to come in contact with the library's rare material. </p><p>In furtherance to this, the Italian Ministry of Culture has released a 31-page list of the most important stolen texts documented as having been stolen which are known to have been circulated at some point after their theft in Naples. <a href="https://www.artcrimeresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/361-beni-librari-trafugati-dalla-biblioteca-e-complesso-monumentale-dei-girolamini.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">This list can be reviewed here.</span></a></p><p>Please note that this newly released listing does not appear to be uploaded to ILAB's stolen book database which is often the first place most book collectors turn to when checking the legal status of books, manuscripts, and maps that have been the subject of thefts which have occurred from June 15, 2010 onward. </p><p>Given these items have not been uploaded to this database, the linked list should be downloaded so that buyers can check for themselves to see if a text they have been offered or purchased has been documented as stolen from the Naples library. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-90780510225088455732024-01-25T09:37:00.003+01:002024-01-25T18:28:30.982+01:00New Convictions and Sentences in the Geneva Museum Heist Saga<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwW7lbVGripzoW5To_QKJvb2kZNSvxd6YV1sH2MYE8SR9tVvdF3xlyd5396zoyo25oS2MwtDoEaiqRtHwhLcpACnRbCHVEJ_4mUjAiSMm3wgByNpTwQYXWdivvdMUkJw2D5Pz3oh8qkMDLwa44-vu8pNXMj8ZzQyB536sQvtUu3a7QkeLWkEjB4UfnZFE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwW7lbVGripzoW5To_QKJvb2kZNSvxd6YV1sH2MYE8SR9tVvdF3xlyd5396zoyo25oS2MwtDoEaiqRtHwhLcpACnRbCHVEJ_4mUjAiSMm3wgByNpTwQYXWdivvdMUkJw2D5Pz3oh8qkMDLwa44-vu8pNXMj8ZzQyB536sQvtUu3a7QkeLWkEjB4UfnZFE=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></b></div><p></p><p><b>May 31, 2019: Prelude to the Heist</b></p><p>The account of the Geneva Museum Heist begins on May 31, 2019, when British national Stewart Ahearne takes a British Airways flight from London City Airport to Geneva, setting the stage for the subsequent burglary the following night at Fondation Baur's Musée des Arts d'Extrême-Orient. The museum contains more than 9,000 Chinese and Japanese works amassed by Swiss collector Alfred Baur (1865-1951). Records indicate that he also rented a Renault SUV, which matched the description of the vehicle captured outside the museum at the time of the burglary. </p><p><b>June 1, 2019 - The Heist Unfolds:</b></p><p>On the evening of June 1, 2019, brothers Stewart and Louis Ahearne, alongside a later publically identified third individual executed a planned break-in at the late-19th-century townhouse. Wearing masks and gloves, they employed a saw and crowbar to breach the Fondation Baur's Musée des Arts d'Extrême-Orient's glass-panelled front door.</p><p>Once inside, the burglars, performing with the speed of professional thieves, shattered one of the protective display cases and made off with a grouping of Chinese imperial ceramics, valued at 3,6 million francs. </p><p>In and out in less than five minutes, the burglars exited the way they entered and in haste, Stewart Ahearne left behind traces of his DNA. His brother, Louis Ahearne, was clearly captured on CCTV footage as was the Renault SUV. </p><p>At the time of the burglary, the Foundation elected, as is often the custom in the prestigious and discreet circles of art collections, to not publicly communicate the theft to allow law enforcement to work the investigation. </p><p>The three stolen artefacts were recorded as:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A bowl valued at 80,000 GBP.</li><li>An rare “Sweet White” 甜白 glazed Pomegranate bottle vase dating to the Yongle period (1400 – 1425), Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644), </li><li>A “doucai-style” wine cup with chicken decorations.</li></ul><p></p><p><b>Post-Heist Activities (2019):</b></p><p>Shortly after the raid, the Ahearne brothers traveled to Hong Kong, where Louis Ahearne consigned the stolen bowl through China Guardian (HK) Auctions Co., Ltd. where it sold for for HK$236,000 (£23,800). Later that same year, having been identified, this bowl will be returned to the Museum.</p><p><b>Parallel Criminal Activities (2019-2020):</b></p><p>Louis Ahearne is sentenced to a five-year prison sentence on 26 May 2020 for a different burglary, carried out on 9 July 2019 just one month after the Geneva museum heist. In this event, Ahearne and two accomplices, Daniel Bowen and Daniel Kelly, broke into a Grade II-listed housing complex in Westerham, Kent posing as police officers to get into the gated communit off Emmetts Lane and using a blue flashing light mounted on the roof of their car</p><p>In that case, forensics teams detected bloodstains which provided a DNA match to Bowen. Officers had recognised Ahearne and Kelly as two of the culprits after viewing CCTV at the time of the crime. </p><p><b>Late July 2020 and the Tip from Hong Kong:</b></p><p>The Metropolitan Police in London received a pivotal tip in late July from China Guardian auction in Hong Kong in late July 2020. An individual known as "Mr. Steel" had emailed the same auction house where the first object had been sold, with knowledge of the whereabouts of the 5th-century CE “Sweet White” Yongle period, Ming Dynasty Pomegranate bottle vase. </p><p>Following confirmation from Interpol and the museum that the vase offered to the Hong Kong auction house was the one stolen from the museum, a Joint Investigation Team is formed in the UK in parallel with their Swiss counterparts.</p><p><b>Undercover Operation</b></p><p>To recover the stolen vase, Officers in the UK trace the IP address for the email account which communicated with the Hong Kong auction house to an address in Belmont Park Close, Lewisham which is determined to be the home of an individual named David Lamming with connections to the Ahearne brothers. Meanwhile Swiss authorities, having checked on the car hire company at Geneva Airport rented by Stewart Ahearne determine that the distance the Renault clocked while rented matches with the bidirectional distance from Geneva Airport to the museum, to a French ferry port and on to the brothers' London addresses.</p><p>To work towards the recovery of the remaining stolen pieces, an undercover operation is developed via the Trident Operational Command Unit, within the Metropolitan Police Specialist Crime Directorate. Contacted by an undercover officer posing as an intermediary named "Paul," the police as Lamming for a "proof of life" photo, one that shows the stolen vase he hopes to sell, on top of a recent Metro newspaper as proof the vase is actually in his possession.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjljMKSP9GJRarH0QLPHZSz7-ENxS0OHSxCTYMELvhzfNxI4oZQSFF42LlrcfrtyspKjYMRI6SymiUu--agOuusSuT6nOz8KxMfmhLDKVGyniq1hs71J0YIet_gyLb5NWAISgTyHZ2YW7SiPztR37u98lQ2UgOdu1Zd_Elrt53qHijwM64GltB-5dT-qis" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="239" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjljMKSP9GJRarH0QLPHZSz7-ENxS0OHSxCTYMELvhzfNxI4oZQSFF42LlrcfrtyspKjYMRI6SymiUu--agOuusSuT6nOz8KxMfmhLDKVGyniq1hs71J0YIet_gyLb5NWAISgTyHZ2YW7SiPztR37u98lQ2UgOdu1Zd_Elrt53qHijwM64GltB-5dT-qis=w191-h320" width="191" /></a></div><b>Rareness of this Vase, and a Plan to Recover</b><p></p><p>Preserved <i>tianbai</i>, or “sweet white” 甜白 specimens of the Yongle reign (1403-1424) are rarer than contemporary blue-and-white Imperial porcelains and are known for their thin and translucent white glaze, which is said to mimic white jade. Less opaque than earlier shufu wares, to achieve this look <i>tianbai</i> vase production required a combination of a kaolin-rich paste, which when fired at a high fusion temperature, produces a naturally bright white color with very low iron and titanium content. Matched with a glaze containing mainly glaze stone and no glaze ash it gives objects a similar appearance to that of white jade. </p><p>The name for this type of Chinese porcelain was coined by Huang Yizheng, a writer from the Wanli period (1573-1620) in his <i>Shiwu ganzhu</i>, which was written in 1591. In that missive, he refers to this unique type of glaze that was produced only from the Royal Kiln of Yongle, and attributed to the Emperor’s personal fondness for white vessels. </p><p>To ensure the safe recovery of the rare stolen vase, officers elected to not arrest Lamming immediately, and instead worked to set up an undercover sting operation where they would pose as would-be buyers. To not appear too eager, and to recover the vase, they negotiate downward from the asked £1 million purchase price settling at £450,000 over a series of meetings in London.</p><p><b>Key Meetings and Arrests (2021):</b></p><p>On September 30, 2021, David Lamming met with undercover officers "Paul" and a second officer purporting to be a buyer named "Richard." The three meet at Scott's seafood restaurant in Mayfair where they discuss the purchase price of the Ming Dynasty Pomegranate bottle vase. </p><p>On October 7, 2021, Lamming again meets their undercover buyer "Richard", this time in the company of Stewart Ahearne at another Mayfair eatery, Delfino's trattoria. There the officers finalise the deal, telling the pair they will buy the vase for £450,000. The exchange and purchase is then scheduled for October 15, 2021, at the Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square.</p><p><b>Marriott Hotel Encounter and Arrests (October 15, 2021):</b></p><p>On the day of the scheduled meeting, undercover officers entered the Marriott rendezvous room ahead of the transfer, with additional officers stationed at the hotel as backup. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipqAeaPF87ffreA50wHl7yqr1WkJMwTmvWtcXsYMRIzAmWD2b8gXXEA73Tz5OebTJwIbCYs7OBZVjYuKGBKWWUBNmPlWhD0wXUDcmqtpWrglk00Mw0FHeJPH8Jylx_74idLFcQVcJ01p5L6LUKDQAZ0WUcbrS_pmKq1T-pwPnx-5rTL2JskeCKi8Fy2J4" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="400" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipqAeaPF87ffreA50wHl7yqr1WkJMwTmvWtcXsYMRIzAmWD2b8gXXEA73Tz5OebTJwIbCYs7OBZVjYuKGBKWWUBNmPlWhD0wXUDcmqtpWrglk00Mw0FHeJPH8Jylx_74idLFcQVcJ01p5L6LUKDQAZ0WUcbrS_pmKq1T-pwPnx-5rTL2JskeCKi8Fy2J4" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image of Mbaki "Leslie" Nkhwa from his Facebook Profile<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Outside the London hotel, surveillance teams spot co-conspirator, Mbaki Nkhwa, of The Heights, Charlton. He is observed manoeuvring a sizeable black suitcase into and through the Marriott's lobby, where he eventually connects with Stewart Ahearne before the pair proceed to the agreed-upon meeting point.<p></p><p>Once inside the room, the pilfered "Sweet White" Ming Dynasty Pomegranate bottle vase is removed from a yellow JD Sports bag from inside the suitcase and offered to the undercover officer, who give the "go" signal for agents to move in and apprehend Nkhwa and Ahearne.</p><p>Meanwhile, outside the Marriott, David Lamming and a driver named Kaine Wright, a once-promising footballer associated with West Ham and Brentford, who were waiting for Nkhwa and Ahearne, leave the scene but are apprehended later. </p><p>Nkhwa and Lamming will be detained briefly on suspicion of handling stolen goods and released on bail while their court cases progressed. Stewart Ahearne is held in custody. </p><p>Investigations at Nkhwa's residence in southeast London yield significant findings. Ahearne's passport is discovered along with a Geneva museum leaflet, where pictures of the stolen Ming Dynasty items are circled. Telephone data analysis reveals regular contact between Nkhwa, Lamming, and Wright, the driver who conveyed them to the hotel for the intended purchase.</p><p><b>Legal Proceedings and Extradition (2022-2023):</b></p><p>In early May 2022 the Office Fédéral de la Justice in Bern sends two extradition requests to the British government for brothers Stewart Ahearne (21.07.78) and Louis Ahearne (02.12.88) who have been charged in Switzerland with theft, damage to property and trespassing for their alleged role in the 1 June 2019 theft from the Baur Foundation, Museum of Far Eastern Art. </p><p>Subsequent to a Swiss request for extradition, District judge Nina Tempia, sitting at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court, rules on 17 May 2022 that the extradition of Stewart and Louis Ahearne is not barred and that their extradition case should be forwarded onward for the consideration of the UK's Home Secretary.</p><p>Around this same period, the prosecutor's office in Geneva releases the first-ever details about the theft committed in 2019 at the Fondation Baur, Musée des Arts d'Extrême-Orient, publicising the names of the Ahearnes for the first time and listing them as their primary suspects. </p><p>Also facing another extradition request from Japan for the two brothers, the UK's Home Secretary approves their extradition to the European country to appear for trial.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh83XI1RCCs-BqUqrmbxPnABuXM9VYKJXrQeiwdR-JiWXw7NvOM2XRHqYM3LHK84-LyUder8YhmOVHWgwpjE068bHUm8JFY1SEP8osodkX4sx9HeVv7UjEtYax8tGpz-kfdArCNFrIbEVagTZv4DxrVEuo3y91Fb9a1FfplmUjKKU6ve3ax2QT5mdEwZxw" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh83XI1RCCs-BqUqrmbxPnABuXM9VYKJXrQeiwdR-JiWXw7NvOM2XRHqYM3LHK84-LyUder8YhmOVHWgwpjE068bHUm8JFY1SEP8osodkX4sx9HeVv7UjEtYax8tGpz-kfdArCNFrIbEVagTZv4DxrVEuo3y91Fb9a1FfplmUjKKU6ve3ax2QT5mdEwZxw=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left to right: David Lamming, Mbaki Nkhwa and Kaine Wright <br />Image Credit: Metropolitan Police</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><b>Lamming's Plea and Convictions (2023):</b></p><p>On March 23, 2023, David Lamming plead guilty to conspiracy to convert criminal property. Almost five months later, on August 18, 2023, Mbaki Nkhwa and Kaine Wright were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to convert criminal property in relation to the thefts of the Chinese objects from the Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva.</p><p>Sentenced in October 2023, Wright and Nkhwa are given sentences of three years and 30 months imprisonment respectively. David Lamming is sentenced to three years and two months in prison. In adjudicating the three accomplices at their sentencing at Southwark Crown Court, Judge Martin Griffiths said each would serve six months less because of conditions inside HMP Wandsworth.</p><p><b>The Ahernes Trial in Geneva (January 15, 2024):</b></p><p>Following their extradition to Switzerland, and facing charges of theft, trespass, and property damage, Louis and Stewart Ahearne admitted to their involvement in the Geneva museum heist during their trial at the Palais de Justice in Geneva on January 15, 2024. </p><p>Louis Ahearne claimed that he became involved in the theft because he had to "clear a debt" and broke down when answering questions about his life in Champ-Dollon prison, saying he spends his time in a cell by himself for 23 hours a day. Stewart Ahearne went on the record saying he became involved in the plot to protect his younger brother. </p><p>Prosecutor Marco Rossier argued that the brothers and a third man named during the trial as Kaine Wright's biological father, Daniel Kelly, were "equally involved" in the orchestrations of the burglary, noting Kelly is also the subject of extradition proceedings relating to an incident in Japan.</p><p>Both Ahearnes apologised for their actions, and were sentenced by the Swiss courts to three-and-a-half years in custody with a subsequent ban from reentering Switzerland for a period of five years once their sentences are complete.</p><p>Louis Ahearne is known to have had a relationship with Daniel Kelly through his burglary carried out with Daniel Bowen and Daniel Kelly on 9 July 2019 one month after the museum break-in. </p><p>Judge Patrick Monney said the damage they had caused was "considerable and may be irreparable" because one of the rare objects, known as a chicken cup has never been recovered.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawqxQ7atNgrZKsZCSPYO3wGGiVb0nhQDHlZEMd0RtJKndegOx0y8-Ohniy1Rtm3yBKUaKdAkylbBK093Mdh_yVVaFNANNELoe3qWhZOx8SFCixfsliCDNQSoU05MXpVf2WabGv0ItUeX4mcIxWb6hYpy_B04QdjnBaUxXSTZL1BVS6skl5l752jEVdjE/s603/Stolen%20chicken%20cup.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="603" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawqxQ7atNgrZKsZCSPYO3wGGiVb0nhQDHlZEMd0RtJKndegOx0y8-Ohniy1Rtm3yBKUaKdAkylbBK093Mdh_yVVaFNANNELoe3qWhZOx8SFCixfsliCDNQSoU05MXpVf2WabGv0ItUeX4mcIxWb6hYpy_B04QdjnBaUxXSTZL1BVS6skl5l752jEVdjE/w400-h271/Stolen%20chicken%20cup.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p><b>This leaves just one unrecovered object from the 2019 theft.</b> </p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">Authorities continue to appeal for the public’s help in locating the third and final item stolen from the Musée des Arts d'Extrême-Orient in 2019, the Ming Dynasty, "chicken" cup.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">This porcelain wine-cup, made in the Ch’eng-hua Reign of the Great Ming, is decorated in <i>doucai style </i>with an underglaze of blue washes with two blue bands at the top and one at the bottom. The cup depicts a rooster, hen and chicks with lilies and peony shrubs behind. </p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; padding: 0px;">Anyone with information about its whereabouts <a href="https://www.police.uk/pu/contact-us/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">can contact police referencing Operation Funsea</span></a> or to remain anonymous contact the independent charity <a href="https://crimestoppers-uk.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Crimestoppers</span></a>.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-3392190187755511872024-01-21T12:14:00.009+01:002024-01-22T08:26:16.321+01:00Spanish Police Recover 71 Historical Artefacts and Arrest 6 of 10 members of an Art Trafficking Ring<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfdvNCmjHZcCCufGw4Dc0xNSG_QFkKQI_JygNSxgeLjDBRH7LBlNZjKwVvLVa1OojGMYxdI2yfwrQev03Ixrajv-XakaNuFT2ozJa7W0fz1dNjuoA6XNogHkb4xXyxG7WIQMAzUIQCD5CYGhocTn5iMARNZ5X0GoGoBmrRQNT-ORBd_2ZFj8sEUyQqYMM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="760" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfdvNCmjHZcCCufGw4Dc0xNSG_QFkKQI_JygNSxgeLjDBRH7LBlNZjKwVvLVa1OojGMYxdI2yfwrQev03Ixrajv-XakaNuFT2ozJa7W0fz1dNjuoA6XNogHkb4xXyxG7WIQMAzUIQCD5CYGhocTn5iMARNZ5X0GoGoBmrRQNT-ORBd_2ZFj8sEUyQqYMM=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><br />This week <a href="https://elpais.com/cultura/2024-01-19/la-excusa-de-una-familia-granadina-para-expoliar-patrimonio-el-tatarabuelo-trabajo-como-restaurador-en-la-alhambra-del-xix.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">the Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on an important victory by the Brigada de Patrimonio Histórico de la Policía Judicial in the recovery of 71 artefacts from the Nasrid, Caliphal, Visigoth, and Renaissance periods and the arrest of a group of individuals now facing varying charges for their individual roles in the circulation of illicit artefacts.</span></a> The historic pieces recovered, many of which were architectural elements, include stone capitals and columns, plasterwork arches, Islamic beams, an Arab funerary stele, and a partial arrocabe, (an ornament in the form of a frieze at the top border of walls), as well as several sculptures and four Visigoth belt brooches.<p></p><p>The genesis of this Spanish investigation can be traced back to a routine documentation check conducted at a booth during the 2021 Feriarte art fair in Madrid. During this examination, law enforcement officers engaged with the seller, raising inquiries about the provenance and collecting history of a particularly suspicious stone capital.</p><p>This object dated to the Emirate of Granada, also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, the medieval Islamic state that ruled the southern Iberian Peninsula from the 13th to the 15th century. Established in 1238 after the fall of the Almohad Caliphate, the Nasrid dynasty successfully maintained its independence amidst the Christian Reconquista and is renowned for having fostered a vibrant society characterised by intricate architecture, advanced scholarship, and a rich blend of Islamic, Christian, and Jewish influences, the most important of which is the iconic Alhambra palace complex. </p><p>A review of the capital's paperwork shed important light on a series of irregularities, which, upon further investigation. The invoice showed that it had been acquired, along with two other capitals, in an antiques establishment in Granada, but had no invoice number and the VAT amount had not been broken down. This turned out to be the first lead that allowed officers to identify the group of individuals responsible for the circulation and laundering of similar pedigreed artefacts into the ancient art market via Granada, to Barcelona, as well as on to Valencia and Madrid.</p><p>Many of these pieces utilised similar false attestations of ownership claiming that the object on offer had originated from a family collection which could be traced back to an important restorer who worked on the Alhambra two centuries ago. The paperwork provided also claimed that the cultural property in question had been part of the family's private collection prior to 1985, the year that Law 16/1985 established a new legal framework for the protection, enhancement and transmission to future generations of the Spanish Historical Heritage. </p><p>
</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p dir="ltr" lang="es">🚩Intervenidas 71 piezas arqueológicas procedentes de expolio en una galería de <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Barcelona?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Barcelona</a><br /><br />➡️6 detenidos por formar parte de un grupo criminal como presuntos responsables de delitos contra el <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/patrimonio?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#patrimonio</a> histórico, pertenencia a grupo criminal y <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/blanqueo?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#blanqueo</a> de capitales <a href="https://t.co/6IGcaVtLP5">pic.twitter.com/6IGcaVtLP5</a></p>— Policía Nacional (@policia) <a href="https://twitter.com/policia/status/1748263385798455653?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><div><br /></div>
Following this investigative period, concrete evidence leads to the filing of charges against ten individuals who are alleged to have been involved in this criminal network. Notably, law enforcement have now apprehended five individuals in Granada as well as one antiquities dealer operating in the city of Barcelona. Four additional implicated members of the same Granada-based family remain at large as some of them are believed to hold Brazilian nationality and were outside the country at the time arrest warrants were executed. <div><p></p><p>According to the police, the leaders of the operation were three siblings from Granada, who, operating an antiques business in the city, facilitated the fabrication of documentary evidence which then allowed the network to introduce the illicit pieces into the legal market via their contact in Barcelona, before circulating onward. </p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-1144423084401144652024-01-18T07:52:00.001+01:002024-01-18T07:52:10.789+01:00Breakthrough in Decade-Long Art Heist: Stolen Chagall and Picasso Paintings Recovered in Antwerp Raid<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3fxQJ6mEf5GddU0oWVfLdSe42Wr_2uvaKVWFEZAkoKBXtbrDsa0Aahd0fZVzYiy68LpJbMqNgunnCfGgH6HbgCAc05ePZzbuE_qq12R2VRWrFtftWNq4ub3k4GwvAREfXEdrg5zDdOyi1o82ijzcTTmAB9D-qkWPcP6kPNoH_OznKSzRImBJQ8Qbynpw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1596" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3fxQJ6mEf5GddU0oWVfLdSe42Wr_2uvaKVWFEZAkoKBXtbrDsa0Aahd0fZVzYiy68LpJbMqNgunnCfGgH6HbgCAc05ePZzbuE_qq12R2VRWrFtftWNq4ub3k4GwvAREfXEdrg5zDdOyi1o82ijzcTTmAB9D-qkWPcP6kPNoH_OznKSzRImBJQ8Qbynpw=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>In a stunning turn of events, two valuable paintings, <i>L’homme en prière</i> by Marc Chagall and a version of <i>Tête</i> by Pablo Picasso, stolen from a Tel Aviv villa in February 2010, have been recovered after a decade-long investigation. The breakthrough came on January 10, 2024, when police in Namur, Belgium, executed searches at the residence of a 68-year-old Israeli luxury watch dealer, known only as "Daniel Z."</p><p>The heist, which took place in February 2010 at a villa owned by the Herzikovich family of art collectors, saw the thieves make off with the Chagall and Picasso masterpieces valued at $900,000 (£710,000). In addition to the paintings, jewelry worth $680,000 was stolen from a safe, with the burglars showing a selective focus by bypassing other artworks displayed in the home.</p><p>The stolen paintings eventually made their way to Europe, specifically an Antwerp neighborhood, where they remained hidden for several years.</p><p>The breakthrough in the investigation occurred at the end of 2022 when law enforcement officers in Namur received a tip-off about an individual attempting to sell the stolen Chagall and Picasso works. A thorough investigation led to the identification of a suspect, prompting months of surveillance and intelligence gathering.</p><p>By 2023, Belgian law enforcement confirmed that the suspect was indeed in possession of the stolen paintings and likely stored them at his residence or with an associate. Subsequent checks and resources implemented in 2023 pointed to the suspect's potential possession of the artworks.</p><p>On January 10, 2024, police executed a search at the home of "Daniel Z" at the public prosecutor's request. While a significant amount of money was discovered, the two stolen paintings were not found. The suspect confessed to possessing the artworks but refused to disclose their location.</p><p>Continuing with leads in the investigation, authorities in Antwerp, conducted a search of a building purportedly linked to past cases of stolen paintings which resulted in the recovery of the Chagall and Picasso masterpieces. Stored in wooden boxes with screwed lids, the artworks were found undamaged and still in their original frames.</p><p>According to The Times, Alexander Besedin, the building's caretaker, revealed, <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/stolen-picasso-and-chagall-found-14-years-later-in-antwerp-basement-0w928vx5l" target="_blank"><i>"Those wooden boxes were untouched for four or five years, without me really paying attention to them. It was a favor to someone I considered a friend. When I asked him at the time what was in it, he said it was family paintings. They were nailed shut, so I couldn’t see into them."</i></a></p><p>The main suspect, described as a 68-year-old Israeli luxury watch dealer, has been charged with receiving the two stolen paintings and has been placed under arrest. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-73474293489403857472024-01-12T19:34:00.012+01:002024-01-13T14:16:17.830+01:00Three houses of Vittorio Sgarbi searched and the painting attributed to Rutilio Manetti seized.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYwBJb-JOl4DySDl3YQEeYa1pk2DKVbpA_oXDJxz3tCz-Y66lN9jwg8tSNFT40StH8jd0uV_pYr2nkKIcqUTO00nGWBsdTMWZ66TOGROr3Xg0NqVVgcDgxBe_5hTdTnqNBo__mo_oJbJ5Qhmp0wr0tbqpUXdyzks-OxfOVASIbPkVBT5kAOb8-cdIKE8M/s978/Screenshot%202024-01-13%20at%2014.14.54.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYwBJb-JOl4DySDl3YQEeYa1pk2DKVbpA_oXDJxz3tCz-Y66lN9jwg8tSNFT40StH8jd0uV_pYr2nkKIcqUTO00nGWBsdTMWZ66TOGROr3Xg0NqVVgcDgxBe_5hTdTnqNBo__mo_oJbJ5Qhmp0wr0tbqpUXdyzks-OxfOVASIbPkVBT5kAOb8-cdIKE8M/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-13%20at%2014.14.54.png" width="245" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Credit Vittorio Sgarbi <br />via Facebook</td></tr></tbody></table><p>This week, the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Macerata initiated an investigation to determine whether Vittorio Sgarbi, Undersecretary of Culture, should face formal charges for the offense of Self-Laundering of Cultural Assets (as specified in Article 1(1)(b) of Law No. 22 of the Criminal Code, C.C. art. 518-septies). As an outcome of this inquiry, today, Italy's Carabinieri del Nucleo Tutela Patrimonio Culturale carried out searches at three residences linked to the art critic in Rome and Le Marche. Simultaneously to these searches, Sgarbi was informed of his status as a suspect, while according to the Carabinieri's press release officers executing the search warrants seized <i>"telematic, IT, and documentary devices"</i> relevant to their law enforcement investigation requiring further examination.</p><p>As part of the prosecutor's inquiry, and in order to conduct the necessary scientific examinations for authentication and attribution of an artwork owned by Sgarbi, officers conducted an evidentiary seizure of the art critic's painting titled <i>The Capture of Saint Peter</i> (Italian: Cattura di San Pietro). This artwork, attributed by Sgarbi as a previously "unpublished" painting by the artist Rutilio di Lorenzo Manetti (c. 1571 – 22 July 1639), was confiscated from facilities associated with the Cavallini-Sgarbi Foundation in Ro Ferrarese in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. The order for seizure also called for the seizure of one of the cloned copies of the painting produced by GraphicLAB s.n.c. di De Pietri Cristian & Co.</p><p>Since mid December, in addition to hurling insults at investigative journalists, Sgarbi has angrily and adamantly asserted, on video and in print, that he is the victim of politically-minded journalists and that his painting is not the painting from the Castello di Buriasco (Pinerolo) reported stolen by its owner Margherita Buzio on 14 February 2013. Instead, he defends his ownership by claiming that the painting in his possession was discovered in the abandoned Villa Maidalchina in the Viterbo area and is a much earlier original, and that the stolen painting was merely a poor copy, completed at a later date. </p><p><a href="https://art-crime.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-judgement-of-st-paul-or-capture-of.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">As discussed in our earlier blog post, to the naked eye, viewing only digital imagery of the two artworks, both paintings appearto be remarkably similar, with the painted characters depicted matching proportionately and in placement, something ARCA does not believe would have been possible for the original 17th century artist himself, let alone a later copiest recreating the image of his predecessor.</span></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='451' height='375' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxd2p28W3hgGKVgEs8cofCPsbDfDMHpcrsWaye0xfXq8ehixciCLBk90Z5zc3gDsM-YQXJEphvoeTbvrwIXhw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p>The primary difference, aside from the cut down size of Sgarbi's painting, which might be attributed to the fact that the stolen painting was cut from its frame, is the placement of an illuminated torch, which some allege was added to the top left quadrant of Sgarbi's painting at some later date. Meanwhile, while ignoring these improbable similarities, or the fact that a painting cut from its frame, would be, by its resulting damage, now smaller, Sgarbi took to the airwaves as soon as the searches and seizure of his painting was announced, stating:</p><p><i><a href="https://x.com/VittorioSgarbi/status/1745870435407860097?s=20" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">"I spontaneously handed over the work so that all the necessary checks could be carried out, starting from the measurements of the painting compared to the frame of the stolen one. I am absolutely at peace. The seizure is a necessary act. I have nothing to fear. I will defend myself by all means against those who speculate on the matter and those who become complicit in it."</span></a></i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6GKA4lwzjccuGnKkWByeNYjMVP5WCAH0fyA7Gu6HaRxgFRg9fuG3JWzisHyA78x35aPmPVvoH5VSig79UyPQmRrqExc-zLzXcAcuQCezOFNFCmC2UScfgVYgp_HixeIR0V-K7RG8AnWRDt6_9V2tH3W6ZyfQc56rUp98TDP0tfVHQR0IrFDGMBiu6taU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1272" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6GKA4lwzjccuGnKkWByeNYjMVP5WCAH0fyA7Gu6HaRxgFRg9fuG3JWzisHyA78x35aPmPVvoH5VSig79UyPQmRrqExc-zLzXcAcuQCezOFNFCmC2UScfgVYgp_HixeIR0V-K7RG8AnWRDt6_9V2tH3W6ZyfQc56rUp98TDP0tfVHQR0IrFDGMBiu6taU" width="151" /></a></div>ARCA would like to remind its readers that when questioned by reporters last December about the <i>The Capture of Saint Peter</i> and its added torch, Sgarbi deflected the reporters line of questioning stating that he had sold the artwork in question. The Cavallini Sgarbi Foundation, where the artwork was recovered was founded in 2008 by Caterina “Rina” Sgarbi and Giuseppe “Nino” Sgarbi and their children, Elisabetta and Vittorio Sgarbi. This foundation is located in Ro Ferrarese, in the family's home, which is now owned by the Elisabetta Sgarbi Foundation and houses hundreds of works of art – paintings and sculptures from the 13th to the 20th century – that have been acquired over many decades. <p></p><p>It will be interesting to see what paperwork investigators uncover and whether or not said paperwork substantiates an actual sales transaction to the Cavallini-Sgarbi Foundation, and if this transfer of ownership is of evidentiary interest in the investigation of Self-Laundering of Cultural Assets.</p><p>For now, it is up to the investigators to determine if this artwork is one and the same as the stolen painting from Castello di Buriasco, and if it is, whether or not the torch modification was introduced by the art critic himself, or in collaboration with persons currently unknown, as a means of subterfuge, designed to hide the artwork's theft by adding a detail to make the painting appear different from the original.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-80166998530719354832024-01-07T19:48:00.021+01:002024-01-11T08:02:49.250+01:00The Judgement of St. Paul or The Capture of Saint Peter? A tail of theft and perhaps too many coincidences<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOAe16J-OQ6fLgzWzcXeYZzjW7HwrpC9qzE8oF8zN2agZV8vURWfo-qxPyoU9oBHtLz_uECMIKzLyNNGKo1qP782_TjGueWQdhlX_SUwjPAtAQzdfG_HGuqQLsnxhRtlbuMMuPXIA_iTbWJSQKjc7XfKc8lKy6JBMZCe5vb-QuQeLqGJAZt2TAoauaCWE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="1068" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOAe16J-OQ6fLgzWzcXeYZzjW7HwrpC9qzE8oF8zN2agZV8vURWfo-qxPyoU9oBHtLz_uECMIKzLyNNGKo1qP782_TjGueWQdhlX_SUwjPAtAQzdfG_HGuqQLsnxhRtlbuMMuPXIA_iTbWJSQKjc7XfKc8lKy6JBMZCe5vb-QuQeLqGJAZt2TAoauaCWE=w400-h351" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><p><b>February 2013 </b></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgst9q7CjzINs-pQlqoH5l_uWvEyyAV_JyleKuiHtD0bym47MgjCBPedhi7N1NzImkorVgbt8aN0uCgFtZiQiIjC2KmxcRLGjiBJw1RQmMxnk-41XPyxiaNfIBMVkYvlrcr45IcpJ7tOAH3brzi2yY4Ndv6rSp7MlMic7HARWDO6wSVySKt8YSnjoiLnGg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="640" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgst9q7CjzINs-pQlqoH5l_uWvEyyAV_JyleKuiHtD0bym47MgjCBPedhi7N1NzImkorVgbt8aN0uCgFtZiQiIjC2KmxcRLGjiBJw1RQmMxnk-41XPyxiaNfIBMVkYvlrcr45IcpJ7tOAH3brzi2yY4Ndv6rSp7MlMic7HARWDO6wSVySKt8YSnjoiLnGg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Castello di Buriasco</span></td></tr></tbody></table>A large format oil painting is stolen from the Castello di Buriasco (Pinerolo). The painting was owned by Margherita Buzio and had been on display inside the castello, which for many years was a restaurant and events venue previously open to the public. <div><br /></div><div>The theft was discovered by Margherita Buzio after it was noticed that a lock on the castello's external gate had been tampered with, allowing unknown individuals to gain entry to the estate. </div><div><br /></div><div>Following the theft, Buzio registered a complaint with the Carabinieri Comando Stazione Vigone noting that she believes the thieves gained entry at night. The stolen painting depicts its protagonist, with his hands clasped and his face turned upwards as a sign of supplication, as he is forcibly brought, by two guardsmen, before a judge who is depicted pointing with his right arm raised. Other individuals, perhaps the apostle's followers, are painted into the background as witnesses to the unfolding events depicted. </div><div><p>According to her report to law enforcement officers, the painting's owner recounted that at some point, an unknown person or persons had apparently entered the castle she owned and had <a href="https://www.rai.it/programmi/report/inchieste/Il-ritratto-di-Vittorio-4c578101-232b-42c4-a259-82c6c5a44845.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">cut the painting in question from its frame, removing it at an undetermined date. In its place, the resourceful thief or thieves are said to have replaced the removed canvas with a large photocopy of the work, re-stapling the reproduction back into the original frame.</span></a></p><p>At a much later date, it will later be determined that the thief or thieves, who cut the artwork from its frame, accidentally left behind a small triangular fragment from the painting's original canvas. This painted scrap will later be found, stuck between the replacement image and the painting's frame which was rehung at the crime site. </p><p>According to the victim of the theft, a person by the name of <a href="http://www.sositalialibera.info/chi-siamo.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Paolo Bocedi, identified from open source media on the internet as an entrepreneur in Lombardia who founded S.O.S. Italia Libera together with Tano Grasso in 1991</span></a> had twice visited the Castello di Buriasco in an attempt to purchase the painting, however Signora Buzio declined to sell. </p><p><b>Date Unknown</b></p><p>Following the report of theft filed with the Carabinieri in Vigone, a theft notice regarding the painting stolen from the Castello di Buriasco is sent by Italy's National Central Bureau to the Interpol Works of Art Unit. The identikit details of which are uploaded to Interpol's ID-Art App, making the image of the stolen artwork searchable by the general public. </p><p><a href="https://www.artcrimeresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/ID-Art_StolenItemExtract_JUDGMENT_OF_ST_PAUL_2024-01-07_1107.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">The INTERPOL stolen works of art database refers to the stolen painting as a 17th century painting of The Judgement of St. Paul by the School of Francesco Solimena, (L'Abate Ciccio).</span></a></p><p><b>Spring 2013</b></p><p>According to later journalistic investigations made public in December 2023 by investigative reporters Thomas Mackinson it is claimed that Vittorio Sgarbi, Italy's Undersecretary of Culture in the Meloni Cabinet, contacted Gianfranco Mingardi in the Spring of 2013 telling the Brescia-based restorer:<span style="color: #660000;"> </span></p><p><a href="https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/in-edicola/articoli/2023/12/15/miracolo-di-sgarbi-in-mostra-la-tela-rubata-e-ritoccata/7383997/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;"><i>"I'll send you a painting to fix". </i></span></a></p><p>Sgarbi has worked extensively with Mingardi periodically in the conservation of artworks from the 1980s until quite recently.</p><p><b>8 May 2013</b></p><p>According to one of Mackinson's article regarding this evolving story, the restorer Gianfranco Mingardi recounted that three months after the theft of the painting from the Castello di Buriasco, on May 8, 2013 he received a painting requiring restoration which was the purported to be property of Vittorio Sgarbi. Like the artwork stolen from the Castello di Buriasco and uploaded to the Interpol database, the painting requiring restoration depicted its protagonist, with his hands clasped and his face turned upwards as a sign of supplication, as he is forcibly brought by two guardsmen, before a judge, who is depicted pointing with his right arm raised. </p><p><a href="https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/in-edicola/articoli/2024/01/05/quella-foto-in-hd-che-incastra-sgarbi-la-sua-tela-e-rubata/7401182/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Mingardi told newspaper reporters that he had picked up this painting at the exit of the A4 motorway, </span></a><span style="color: #660000;"><a href="https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/in-edicola/articoli/2024/01/05/quella-foto-in-hd-che-incastra-sgarbi-la-sua-tela-e-rubata/7401182/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">in central Brescia</span></a> </span>in the northern Italian region of Lombardy, adding that he met a delivery truck, along with Paolo Bocedi, who arrived by motorcycle. It should be noted that this is the same individual who was was mentioned by Margherita Buzio as the person who had previously contacted her about the purchase of her painting before the artwork was stolen.</p><p>At the handover, the restorer Mingardi stated that the painting was delivered to him <i><a href="https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/in-edicola/articoli/2024/01/05/quella-foto-in-hd-che-incastra-sgarbi-la-sua-tela-e-rubata/7401182/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">"without a frame, cut, and rolled up like a carpet".</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> </span></i>Once laid out and spread open, the restorer says he observed several parts of the artwork which showed breaks and canvas losses. </p><p></p><p>Having taken photos of the artwork at the time it was delivered, Mingardi was able to demonstrate to the journalists that at the time he received the canvas, the painting was rolled up like a scroll and appeared to be in poor condition. His documentation also showed that at the time the painting was under his care, it did not yet depict a torch in the top left quadrant of the painting's imagery. </p><p>This purported augmentation is thought to have been added at some later date. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHj7u5Tvd70PHS60szS_fUmB5qWKbYlfyKvzJbG1Lij9cm8teBAYOisD8Vm-hgalXDFAAgz88hj2FOCTl4OK9bHIzVGD8aYep9CX28-fmIqZpv5D68FEGK_C4ew_QTiarzLrx5LY0Po8HR6qjYP_BjuGzPuISD6ep6zssE_vqOqN0dtGBLDtX8tlcRPwE/s1238/Screenshot%202024-01-07%20at%2017.48.23.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1238" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHj7u5Tvd70PHS60szS_fUmB5qWKbYlfyKvzJbG1Lij9cm8teBAYOisD8Vm-hgalXDFAAgz88hj2FOCTl4OK9bHIzVGD8aYep9CX28-fmIqZpv5D68FEGK_C4ew_QTiarzLrx5LY0Po8HR6qjYP_BjuGzPuISD6ep6zssE_vqOqN0dtGBLDtX8tlcRPwE/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-07%20at%2017.48.23.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Photo of rolled atwork<br />taken by restorer Gianfranco Mingardi </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><a href="https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/in-edicola/articoli/2024/01/05/quella-foto-in-hd-che-incastra-sgarbi-la-sua-tela-e-rubata/7401182/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Also of note in the restorer's photographic documentation is a prominent horizontal line that runs along the entire length of the painting at the point where the two canvases are cojoined at the ground layer,. This is a common system or merger which allowed artists of the period to create larger format paintings. Lastly, Mingardi's records identify a series of losses, including a hole in the canvas at the height of the dog's collar, as well as a crack along one tunic and other similar losses. </span></a></p><p><b>10 December 2018</b></p><p>Gianfranco Mingardi tells news journalist Thomas Mackinson that he returned Vittorio Sgarbi's painting to the art critic on 10 December 2018, a full five and a half years after it was received. </p><p><i><a href="https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/in-edicola/articoli/2023/12/15/miracolo-di-sgarbi-in-mostra-la-tela-rubata-e-ritoccata/7383997/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">“I realised that that canvas was hot, so I asked him [Vittorio Sgarbi] for a certificate of ownership...He said he would send it to me but he didn't, and when I protested he said not to worry, he could say that it was in Villa Maidalchina..." </span></a></i></p><p><b>April 2019 </b></p><p>Vittorio Sgarbi's painting depicting its protagonist, with his hands clasped and his face turned upwards as a sign of supplication is now said to be at the studio of Valentina Piovan, an established restorer from Padua. </p><p>Why the artwork was taken to a second restorer is unclear. What should be noted is that by this time period, Sgarbi's painting now contains an added element, a lighted torch which serves to illuminate the top left quadrant of the painting's imagery. </p><p><b>October 2020</b></p><p>Samuele and Cristian De Pietri, the owners of GraphicLAB s.n.c. di De Pietri Cristian & Co., collect Vittorio Sqarbi's painting from the studio of restorer Valentina Piovan at the beginning of October 2020 </p><p><b>13 October 2020</b></p><p>Samuele and Cristian De Pietri, the owners of GraphicLAB s.n.c. di De Pietri Cristian & Co create a digitised, contactless scan of Vittorio Sqarbi's painting using a high quality, large format scanner capable of scanning large format works of art and then cloning them. </p><p><b>22 November 2020</b></p><p>Vittorio Sgarbi visits the laboratory of GraphicLAB s.n.c. di De Pietri Cristian & Co in person, who, according to the owners <i><a href="https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/in-edicola/articoli/2024/01/05/quella-foto-in-hd-che-incastra-sgarbi-la-sua-tela-e-rubata/7401182/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">"was interested in understanding the potential of our machinery, how far it could go. From there we then do many other jobs, for various museums and around Italy." </span></a></i></p><p>Photos and videos are taken where Sgarbi can be seen discussing the original painting left in G-Lab's care, alongside the cloned work created by the business associates. Both images appear to closely resemble the stolen painting from the Castello di Buriasco. </p><p>These images and video are later shared with the journalists working for Il Fatto Quotidiano and the Rai television program "Report" who release them to the public in 2024. <a href="https://x.com/reportrai3/status/1743195883376693697?s=20" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">In the film, Sgarbi can be seen wandering between the original version of the Capture of Saint Peter and its digital clone, examining each of them closely, with a flashlight in his hand moving over key areas of the artwork.</span></a></p><p><b>On 12 January 2021 </b></p><p>Vittorio Sgarbi pays a €6100 invoice issued by GraphicLAB s.n.c. di De Pietri Cristian & Co. which labeled their service as a "consultancy." According to the business owners, the original version of Vittorio Sgarbi's painting and its digital clone were subsequently transferred to the care of the Cavallini-Sgarbi Foundation (Ro Ferrarese, Ferrara). However, their original 3D scan file, which digitally captured the scan of the 17th century painting at 1600 DPI resolution (meaning that for every inch of mouse movement, the cursor moves 1600 pixels), and weighing 52 gigabytes, remained with the digitisation company's owners, Samuele and Cristian De Pietri.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMaS3WD3pfB1xjpDrp-UUI4Xg1Fet881b3CFW61vZjZitWROYFgnjx_dVcE8nvAHYvwBYy-jIYsHgotCMZxPAjNI4IYjtjfsz0Tkxz_mCADpgyJohGB0fHeV2z1nKtHKbPR89WlbdZ3vnMNSu8PYudnGNuAVAxNlCg_5mkiwJymqoYYaS-5xTZhzvY9w0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMaS3WD3pfB1xjpDrp-UUI4Xg1Fet881b3CFW61vZjZitWROYFgnjx_dVcE8nvAHYvwBYy-jIYsHgotCMZxPAjNI4IYjtjfsz0Tkxz_mCADpgyJohGB0fHeV2z1nKtHKbPR89WlbdZ3vnMNSu8PYudnGNuAVAxNlCg_5mkiwJymqoYYaS-5xTZhzvY9w0=w400-h200" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>8 December 2021 through 2 October 2022</b></p><p>The art exhibition <a href="https://www.beniculturali.it/evento/i-pittori-della-luce-da-caravaggio-a-paolini" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;"><i><b>I Pittori della Luce. Da Caravaggio a Paolini</b></i>,</span></a> curated by Vittorio Sgarbi and produced by Contemplazioni takes place at the Padiglione Panini - Ex Cavallerizza in the historic center of Lucca. At this exhibition, Sqarbi exhibits the painting he had commissioned to be cloned earlier at GraphicLAB s.n.c. di De Pietri Cristian & Co. </p><p><a href="https://books.google.it/books/about/I_pittori_della_luce.html?id=56m-zgEACAAJ&redir_esc=y" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">According to the accompanying exhibition catalogue,</span></a> written by Sgarbi and Professor Ciampolini, the 235 x 204 cm, oil on canvas painting is now titled <b><i>The Capture of Saint Peter</i></b> (Italian: Cattura di San Pietro) and is written up as a previously "unpublished" artwork, believed to have been completed by the artist Rutilio di Lorenzo Manetti (c. 1571 – 22 July 1639), sometime between 1637 and 1639. Manetti being an Italian painter of late-Mannerism or proto-Baroque, active mainly in Siena. </p><p>Sgarbi's catalogue <a href="chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.luccaindiretta.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/02_Elenco-opere-lucca.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">as well as accompanying exhibition documentation</span></a> lists the artwork as being the property of the Cavallini Sgarbi Foundation. Regarding its provenance, the exhibition's catalogue states that the painting was found at the Villa Maidalchina, which in the 1600s was owned by Olimpia Pamphilij, sister-in-law of Pope Innocent. The previously abandoned villa is located near La Quiete, in the La Pila district, near Viterbo. Built between 1615 and 1625 this once abandoned villa is now the property of the Cavallini Sgarbi Foundation. </p><p>Sgarbi's catalogue goes on to state that his painting <i>"is remembered, generically among others paintings, in the inventory of 11 October 16-49, drawn up by the notary Cosimo Pennacchi, of the assets of Andrea Maidalchini, Olimpia's brother. The works of art, including the famous Bust of Innocent X by Alessandro Algardi, then passed to Giulio Bussi and the Gentili counts." </i></p><p>According to research conduced by journalists, there is no affirming documentation which concretises these attestations. In fact quite the contrary, Angelo Allegrini, the Director of the State archives of Viterbo, failed to identify any record of any works of art by the artist Manetti in the bound 1649 records of Pennacchi. And while there is a record of a painting depicting Saint Peter recorded, that work of art describes the presence of a handmaid, who is not depicted in the work of art in Sgarbi's hands. </p><p>The catalogue further describes the paintings light source as follows: </p><p><i>"a precise light source, coming from the top left, emphasising the dramatic tone of the agitated scene, enhancing the material values of the clothes and skin and creating suggestive light and backlight effects. A torch, remembered by Honthor Stano, illuminates a room to the left of Herod, creating a symmetry with the scenographic background of the road on the right. There is an evident Caravaggesque origin, which the painter combines with a pursued theatrical taste, in the general layout, as in the individual characters, unnaturally elongated to emphasize their 'dancing pace' way of acting."</i></p><p><b>Late 2021/Early 2022</b></p><p>By late 2021 Vittorio Sqarbi's painting depicting the <i>Capture of Saint Peter</i> has drawn the attention of investigative journalists Thomas Mackinson and Manuele Bonaccorsi working for Il Fatto Quotidiano and the Rai television program "Report" based upon its similarities to the painting stolen from the Castello di Buriasco (Pinerolo), owned by Margherita Buzio and publicly searchable via the Interpol Id-Art app for stolen artwork. </p><p>Driven by demand from patrons and commissions it was not unusual for artists of the 16th and 17th century to have created multiple versions of a particular theme or to emulate aspects of one another's artist's style. While each of those are highly plausible, it would have been quite impossible for artists of that period to have matched brush stroke for brush stroke, precisely the proportions as you see below, in this ARCA's overlay of both the stolen painting and the one exhibited at the early exhibition <a href="https://www.beniculturali.it/evento/i-pittori-della-luce-da-caravaggio-a-paolini" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;"><i><b>I Pittori della Luce. Da Caravaggio a Paolini</b></i>,</span></a> in Lucca.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='424' height='353' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw6akrO31PMYz9jrvalJnCQtWXZk05RKCKVfJjKPPxszLvMIBoT21n_dMVHQUNOguc3uGA-Mp70ABjolGIFlQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p>Aside from the lighted torch element, which illuminates the architectural backdrop on the upper left side, the painting owned by the Cavallini Sgarbi Foundation is objectively identically proportioned character by character to the painting stolen from the Buriasco Castle. </p><p>One could argue, as Vittorio Sgarbi later does, that the stolen painting was a much later replica of his painting, however that still would not explain the absence/occurrence of the lit torch, and again, how the artisan who replicated the work would have precisely matched the brush strokes in such an extracting way. </p><p><b>By December 2023</b></p><p>By December 2023 GraphicLAB s.n.c. di De Pietri Cristian & Co., owned by Samuele and Cristian De Pietri, have invoiced undersecretary for cultural heritage Vittorio Sgarbi for a reported 20 thousand euros for the high end cloning and printing of "material reproductions" of paintings. </p><p>These include not only the Capture of Saint Peter, but five other cloned artworks. The latest invoice, paid by Vittorio Sgarbi is dated December 2023. </p><p><b>After 08 Dicembre 2023 </b></p><p><span style="color: #660000;"><a href="https://x.com/reportrai3/status/1743920659271745726?s=20" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Stopped outside the Lucca exhibition, <b><i>Antonio Canova e il Neoclassicismo </i></b> journalists investigating the similarities between the stolen painting a the Sgarbi foundation artwork attempt to speak with Undersecretary Vitttorio Sgarbi abouthis foundation's painting and the similarities to the artwork stolen in 2013.</span></a> </span> Caught on tape, reporters ask the politician to explain the torch depicted in the Manetti artwork, and the fact that experts state that this is a more recent addition not previously found in the painting when it was worked on by the restorer Gianfranco Mingardi. </p><p>At first Sgarbi hurriedly brushes off the reporters questions, hurling various insults before seating himself in a waiting car with driver. Very shortly after however, he steps out of the vehicle and reengages with the journalists and camera man somewhat aggressively. </p><p>Speaking in a frustrated or angry tone, he provides further statements regarding the artwork in question while still continuing to hurl colourful vulgarities at the journalists. He also tells the reporters dismissively that he has sold the painting in question. At the conclusion of their exchange, Sgarbi takes his leave <a href="https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/in-edicola/articoli/2024/01/05/quella-foto-in-hd-che-incastra-sgarbi-la-sua-tela-e-rubata/7401182/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">wishing the journalists a premature death</span></a>, then denouncing them to the police for stalking.</p><p>NB: It should be noted that the PDF for the Lucca exhibition two years earlier already stated that the artwork, at the time of the exhibition, was owned by the Cavallini Sgarbi Foundation. </p><p><b>15 December 2023</b></p><p>In the <a href="https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2023/12/15/sgarbi-e-il-quadro-che-sembra-rubato-le-parole-del-restauratore-nellanticipazione-dellinchiesta-congiunta-de-il-fatto-quotidiano-e-report/7384159/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">first of multiple news articles</span></a> journalists with Il Fatto Quotidiano begin reporting on their questions regarding the seventeenth-century painting in the Cavallini Sgarbi Foundation collection which they suspect matches the one stolen in 2013 from the Castello di Buriasco.</p><p><b>17 December 2023</b></p><p><a href="https://www.raiplay.it/video/2023/12/Il-ritratto-di-Vittorio---Report-17122023-d4b7d0b5-db17-4b68-86e0-ae8c2c7ccd61.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">The seventeenth-century Cavallini Sgarbi Foundation painting, titled the <i>Capture of Saint Peter</i> is highlighted in the investigative TV program "Report" in Italy, appearing in the first of multiple episodes on the 17th of December ".</span></a> In this first reporting, TV journalist Manuele Bonaccorsi walks his viewers through the story of the theft of the artwork from the Castello di Buriasco (Pinerolo) owned by Margherita Buzio as well as its similarities to the artwork titled The Capture of Saint Peter by the artist Rutilio di Lorenzo Manetti owned by Vittorio Sgarbi's foundation. </p><p>The episode covers the paintings passage from restorer to restorer and the digital scanning firm where it was cloned. It also discusses the curatorial text listed for the artwork when it was presented at the Lucca exhibition which stated the presence of the work in Villa Maidalchina and that the painting would be certified by a notarial deed from 1649. </p><p>The episode goes on to show that a cross check of the State archives of Viterbo, which contains an inventory of Andrea Maidalchini's assets, drawn up in 1649, and which details various paintings from the collection, makes no mention of any work of art by Manetti. While this inventory does mention, a painting of Saint Peter, the description does not match the paintings under consideration. </p><p><b>7 January 2023</b></p><p>By comparing an image obtained by a visitor to the Lucca exhibition of the seventeenth-century Cavallini Sgarbi Foundation painting, the investigative TV program "Report" demonstrates that the purported Manetti painting exhibited in Lucca in 2022 <a href="https://x.com/reportrai3/status/1743558271741690001?s=20" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">appears to be one of the digital clones created by GraphicLAB s.n.c. di De Pietri Cristian & Co. in 2020, after the original artwork was scanned on behalf of undersecretary Vittorio Sgarbi.</span></a></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgK0wa7eqp6HS3MMga7za7d8egcOR9q48CkoEpcpP_kWM9zdTCwpuN31xH7y0iuBVTWa6TxhJn7DK3aGrttKtKLdCz0lpIAU2hXtzSPOi3WfzXJYMb0-Dbj-Y9sWMx7oR3UqxmdL4VgX7LC8qptixOxr9SL0uhBkdF2AqpwO3S9wmI78Q4SLDAn3qEWkvs" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgK0wa7eqp6HS3MMga7za7d8egcOR9q48CkoEpcpP_kWM9zdTCwpuN31xH7y0iuBVTWa6TxhJn7DK3aGrttKtKLdCz0lpIAU2hXtzSPOi3WfzXJYMb0-Dbj-Y9sWMx7oR3UqxmdL4VgX7LC8qptixOxr9SL0uhBkdF2AqpwO3S9wmI78Q4SLDAn3qEWkvs=w400-h210" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High resolution screenshon of G-Lab scan of Sgrabi's artwork</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The news program and the newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano publish high resolution images of the scanned artwork, which, by increasing the magnification shows their respective audiences Sgarbi's painting's craquelure, the fine pattern of dense cracking that develops over many decades or centuries, exhibiting irregular patterns. </p><p>Conservators and appraisers of fine art will recognise that the pattern of craquelure on the surface of paintings are one of many factors which can be used to determine the age, the authenticity, and the restoration works conducted of a painting. In this case, the fine irregular pattern of dense cracking from the drying oil paint can be seen across Sgarbi's entire painting, but is absent from several of the areas where the artwork has been retouched or <a href="https://x.com/reportrai3/status/1743195883376693697?s=20" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">overpainted during its restoration. These changes can be visualised in both the area where the torch appears, indicating it may have been added, as well as in areas where losses were documented earlier while the painting was with the Brescia restorer. </span></a></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVEBjP6qvnjO1hP6FaOwjLAt-4xV48tWVtzBAnVZP2QmHKrrwMdxpWwr2xvAMTvJfPOTfYzxfYXfriqYDvv5DiJ9a-7BgR5Q8pyabBj5Oo-LtW9GbyvU1ez4CLPwXa6JjBkqCLgBKO4X2lCrwJFgAoh3G9Eqsu6l6W0h1yRAhtmVvmpp_er8I0sAbR-Y/s2442/Screenshot%202024-01-07%20at%2018.37.33.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="2442" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVEBjP6qvnjO1hP6FaOwjLAt-4xV48tWVtzBAnVZP2QmHKrrwMdxpWwr2xvAMTvJfPOTfYzxfYXfriqYDvv5DiJ9a-7BgR5Q8pyabBj5Oo-LtW9GbyvU1ez4CLPwXa6JjBkqCLgBKO4X2lCrwJFgAoh3G9Eqsu6l6W0h1yRAhtmVvmpp_er8I0sAbR-Y/w400-h198/Screenshot%202024-01-07%20at%2018.37.33.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loss and Restoration Comparison to Sgarbi painting</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Comparing the very high resolution image preserved at GLab's studio, alongside the corresponding images of the artwork without the torch previously obtained from the Brecia restorer Gianfranco Mingardi, along with the other details uncovered or contradicted throughout this journalistic investigation, it seems to be quite possible that the Cavallini Sgarbi Foundation painting of the <i>Capture of Saint Peter </i>could very well be the same stolen painting, with subsequent enhancements, which had from Castello di Buriasco.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DysnkuAuB-miy9JCq_JpTFMZqiw_xyGoN2CHkcRj4GPSs33HPYGrDxxZdEMeGTf7r5ugPYL27iwlx2o9emMY3Im1VrvNOeLmKo8-hsOGJRaIA0Cf6D6jSY5lciASnVS5jWRjAf6Nh2MDFJXV1Phc6Qo7o5ziE-Qaih4U380GiUFaFYFsz-txkymsvSM/s1116/Screenshot%202024-01-07%20at%2022.09.55.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1116" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DysnkuAuB-miy9JCq_JpTFMZqiw_xyGoN2CHkcRj4GPSs33HPYGrDxxZdEMeGTf7r5ugPYL27iwlx2o9emMY3Im1VrvNOeLmKo8-hsOGJRaIA0Cf6D6jSY5lciASnVS5jWRjAf6Nh2MDFJXV1Phc6Qo7o5ziE-Qaih4U380GiUFaFYFsz-txkymsvSM/w400-h303/Screenshot%202024-01-07%20at%2022.09.55.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><a href="https://www.raiplay.it/dirette/rai3?wt_mc=2.social.tw.rai3_CTA.&wt" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Key to this investigation may be a tiny triangular shred of canvas that the reporters found at the castello in Buriasco, stuck between the plastic replacement photo and the frame left at the "crime site". </span></a> Turned over to the Caravinieri TPC in Rome on December 20th, this small, seemingly inconsequential scrap, appears to have once been attached to the bottom right portion of the painting, around the area where the three tipped halberd is depicted placed on the ground. If this proves to be true, the reporters' journalistic hypothesis that Sgarbi's painting is the one stolen in 2013 may proven to be true. </p><p>Sgarbi, in his defense, has claimed that multiple copies of this theme were created by Manetti and that Mingardi, who also did work for his mother and had previously completed a job badly and perhaps, as a result, was harbouring revenge against the family. He has given no explanation as to why, if their relationship was so acrimonious, that he still elected to entrust this rare 17th century artwork by Manetti to the restorer who held the artwork for more than five years given the claim that his restoration work was deemed so problematic in the past that the art critic had refused payment. </p><p>Regardless, even if we play devil's advocate and assume, through some incredibly rare and almost unbelievable stroke of good luck, that the art critic Sgarbi truly was smiled upon by the luck of the Irish and found this valuable 17th century painting in his foundation's previously abandoned villa near Viterbo, one still has to ponder following questions, including: </p><p>Why would an important art critic, and undersecretary to Italy's Ministry of Culture not provide any concretised evidence that substantiates his claim that the artwork was found at Villa Maidalchina. As an art historian well-versed in the need for provenance, one has to ask why there are no witnesses named as being present at the time of the discovery, or are we to assume Sgarbi was working on his mother's villa renovations personally?</p><p>Why is it that Sgarbi considers the St. Peter mentioned in the inventory of 11 October 16-49, drawn up by the notary Cosimo Pennacchi, of the assets of Andrea Maidalchini to be the painting he now possesses, when that inventory description describes an artwork which depicts the presence of a handmaid when there are no female figures in the Manetti owned by Sgarbi. </p><p>Why has Sgarbi repeatedly stated that the artist Manetti made multiple copies of this work, yet failed, in his detailed telling of the artwork for the Lucca exhibition, failed to document any of these additional copies be they by Manetti himself or a 19th century copiest as he now claims the stolen artwork to be. All this notwithstanding that fact that Sgarbi himself admitted to having firsthand knowledge of the one<span> </span>hanging at the Castello di Buriasco and having seen it when he lunched at the restaurant and commented on the painting. </p><p><b>Update: First week of January 2024</b></p><p>The Italian New services now state that Undersecretary of Culture Vittorio Sgarbi is being investigated by Italian authorities as a suspect in the crime of Self-Laundering of Cultural Assets referred to in Article 1(1)(b) of Law No. 22 of the Criminal Code (C.C. art. 518-septies) . This investigation seems to fall under the jurisdiction of the Public Prosecutor's Office of Macerata and was confirmed via public prosecutor Giovanni Fabrizio Narbone. </p><p>This is unrelated to another investigation, originally opened in 2023 by Alberto Lari, the Imperia prosecutor's office in relation to an earlier investigation into the illegal expropriation of another artwork, the Concerto con Bevitore by Valentin de Boulogne to Monaco. </p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-9163310261364263322023-12-31T12:54:00.004+01:002023-12-31T15:23:12.418+01:00Conflict Heritage: The Fate of Qasr al-Basha Palace (قصر الباشا) <p>Gaza, situated on a narrow stretch of land along the Mediterranean, was founded during the Canaanite age (3000 BCE), and is considered as one of the oldest cities in the world. Its historical significance lies in serving as a vital trade route connecting which has connected Egypt and the Levant since ancient times and which traced its origins back to the third millennium BCE. </p><p>Throughout its rich history, the area has been at a cultural crossroad, nurturing various civilisations, enduring through the Byzantine and Christian epochs, and progressing into the Islamic era, including subsequent periods like the Mamluk and Ottoman eras. During the Ayyubid era, the core of the old city expanded beyond the limits of its surrounding wall forming four neighbourhoods: The Tuffah (Apple), The Zaitoun (Olives), Al-Shuja’iyya (Braves) and Al-Daraj ( Steps). Unfortunately, the area has been frequently plagued by conflicts, many of which have impacted archaeological and historical sites with tragic regularity. </p><p>Alongside the thousands of dead persons on both sides of the cataclysmic 2023 war, which also has displaced citizens of the region, dozens of heritage sites in Gaza have been damaged and destroyed, including the Qasr al-Basha Palace (قصر الباشا), which was a testament to the region’s past and its rich cultural heritage and the history of civilisations and diverse political rulers, over the centuries. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpM_8HjAMhuDP2t1HrS7qXnITacGjr6-sw29xGIDAccIrZ1eo-mtcgS-wnVKI1tDBlg5Jx5OXOwewVlzZdZpWm55X2DD-GMbT8TzeVmy-t7g7SaMUZ86rQg06VguMWglI6J0ahzKXrMd12156aikbzZtWBjWvrxoAMfgd0Po76Lrc-EKLBDthhL7QZ6yk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpM_8HjAMhuDP2t1HrS7qXnITacGjr6-sw29xGIDAccIrZ1eo-mtcgS-wnVKI1tDBlg5Jx5OXOwewVlzZdZpWm55X2DD-GMbT8TzeVmy-t7g7SaMUZ86rQg06VguMWglI6J0ahzKXrMd12156aikbzZtWBjWvrxoAMfgd0Po76Lrc-EKLBDthhL7QZ6yk=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>History of the Qasr al-Basha Palace</b></p><p><b>Built c. 1260 and 1277</b></p><p>Built in the Haraat al-Daraj district, the once densely populated northwestern quarter of Gaza's Old City, it is not recorded exactly when Qasr al-Basha Palace (قصر الباشا) was first constructed, but the style of the entrance, along with the construction of the interior, suggest it was sometime during the Mamluk period.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMiDtMHkuo-C0xIfWfKIWr2PFi6nHR8BNhasTjifVUB7Y2H0sruRcivprXtaS6m6j-rnW92z6u-2NKyMLvvmQbdTdyaW8K0NjMyQo12fG7E7rhbd40lDQAg59q0q3UY1Ypp0mR-kp17fnh5-9WzU5c6lXjFTmCTPrhexOjxsoGX3KMmBdrAjBRM16K4Hw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMiDtMHkuo-C0xIfWfKIWr2PFi6nHR8BNhasTjifVUB7Y2H0sruRcivprXtaS6m6j-rnW92z6u-2NKyMLvvmQbdTdyaW8K0NjMyQo12fG7E7rhbd40lDQAg59q0q3UY1Ypp0mR-kp17fnh5-9WzU5c6lXjFTmCTPrhexOjxsoGX3KMmBdrAjBRM16K4Hw" width="320" /></a></div><p>The first floor of the palace is believed to have been built under the orders of Mamluk Sultan al-Zahir Baybars, in the middle of the thirteenth century CE. The building's prominent sculpture of two lions, facing each other, are one of the most important landmarks during Baybars’ rule and were represented in all important works, constructed during his reign. The building also utilises geometric patterns, domes, and intersecting vaults, all typical features found within Mamluk-period architecture. </p><p></p><p><b>1530-1681 CE</b></p><p>According to records referencing the endowment of Musa Pasha Al Radwan, the Qasr al-Basha Palace became known as Al-Redwan Palace in the 17th century in reference to the “Al Radwan” family that ruled Gaza and most of Palestine specifically between 1530-1681 CE. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>1649 CE</b></p><p>A Turkish traveler, Evliya Celebi, wrote about Qasr al-Basha Palace saying: <i>“The castle was built in ancient times. It is small and rectangular, and is located one hour east of the sea. Its walls are twenty yards high, and it has an iron door that opens in the direction of the Qiblah.."</i></p><p></p><p></p><p><b>17th century CE</b></p><p>A second floor is added to the Qasr al-Basha Palace under the orders of governor Jamal al-Din Aqosh, appointed by the Ottoman governor from the Damascus Governorate. </p><p>During this era, the castle is fitted with protective openings and underground passages to be used as a fortress when enemies attacked and as a means of defending the city. Inside the castle there were rooms and housing for soldiers, a mosque, a silo, and an arsenal of weapons, cannons, and arrows. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>1649 CE</b></p><p>A Turkish traveler, Evliya Celebi, wrote about Qasr al-Basha Palace saying: <i>“The castle was built in ancient times. It is small and rectangular, and is located one hour east of the sea. Its walls are twenty yards high, and it has an iron door that opens in the direction of the Qiblah.."</i></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDbP5SM_hcG4sEhaG4l60m1mCEoBMjKijER0Wz1U_kaJE1qyvg9M2FF8DtQHISe5lUwOnM2UV3FxjEsiggRyzO4k0X_BrjsPgp2zmfV-ADC3TyHzxiHnB3P-4lc2yMcOW8am3lXY_9__wLJgnEiYb1bNbY_z1fSnRALyD5iFQr3vK7OUvKDETQ1th3K4/s988/Screenshot%202023-12-31%20at%2012.32.05.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDbP5SM_hcG4sEhaG4l60m1mCEoBMjKijER0Wz1U_kaJE1qyvg9M2FF8DtQHISe5lUwOnM2UV3FxjEsiggRyzO4k0X_BrjsPgp2zmfV-ADC3TyHzxiHnB3P-4lc2yMcOW8am3lXY_9__wLJgnEiYb1bNbY_z1fSnRALyD5iFQr3vK7OUvKDETQ1th3K4/w291-h400/Screenshot%202023-12-31%20at%2012.32.05.png" width="291" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lithograph, 1819 </td></tr></tbody></table><b>February 1799</b><p></p><p>Napoleon conquered Egypt in July and August of 1798, and by February of the following year had embarked on his campaigns laying siege to Palestine. Some say that before the French general's forced retreat Bonaparte may have stayed in, or attacked the Qasr al-Basha Palace which is why it is sometimes called Napoleon’s Castle. </p><p>Over time, it would become one of the few historical structures from that period which withstood time in the city, and is believed to be the oldest representative of Islamic architecture in Palestine. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>By on/around 1918</b></p><p>Following the First World War and during the period of the British Mandate, when the British controlled Palestine for almost three decades, overseeing a succession of protests, riots and revolts between the Jewish and Palestinian Arab communities, the Qasr al-Basha Palace was renamed Al-Saraya and converted into a police station, with two small rooms allocated under its floor for detention purposes. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOv92E_OJ8UaaC8ADUyATRcZ-dI0_W2WlDVsX4tCuWJ4G714zrU89XzTbWFA2pshRti8DYJ6k5XeK0StyXU8QT4yVTJw_BHVzNCyJqw8xQS5t2a5IQD3FaGHCW1s0wTxdZroM6sXE8fkzZe7L5GkQvFLQBDeswOgpBss-gsVfIp1PQSXhfhYkx6VaNzTY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOv92E_OJ8UaaC8ADUyATRcZ-dI0_W2WlDVsX4tCuWJ4G714zrU89XzTbWFA2pshRti8DYJ6k5XeK0StyXU8QT4yVTJw_BHVzNCyJqw8xQS5t2a5IQD3FaGHCW1s0wTxdZroM6sXE8fkzZe7L5GkQvFLQBDeswOgpBss-gsVfIp1PQSXhfhYkx6VaNzTY=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p><b>1956 and Later</b></p><p>The Qasr al-Basha Palace became the administration building for Princess Firyal (daughter of King Farouk) School in 1956, when Egypt ruled the Gaza Strip and is later renamed the Fatimah Al-Zahra School for Girls during the era of President Gamal Abdel Nasser.</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>1967 through 2005 </b></p><p>By 1967, the Palestinian territory – encompassing the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem was occupied by Israel with much of Gaza's Old City was affected by conflict, including the Qasr al-Basha Palace, which is eventually abandoned. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhudQuw9KyTQb-qsfy2HjpxMrock8TFthXez6avoCeLOOPJ1GWp6CTAyk0Ecrp3jg5Z4_fQKeDYK0G-pSE5SeCUPqyt-kDfFcUgJBEJDIqomgOfVaNikChL5Qj9TFftzFnJEHj7OjRcLAHeBwVcApa7phcmHs2QUJcniUzgZl7TiNVhi7QzQ6JT76r9orY/s1528/Screenshot%202023-12-31%20at%2012.42.31.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="1528" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhudQuw9KyTQb-qsfy2HjpxMrock8TFthXez6avoCeLOOPJ1GWp6CTAyk0Ecrp3jg5Z4_fQKeDYK0G-pSE5SeCUPqyt-kDfFcUgJBEJDIqomgOfVaNikChL5Qj9TFftzFnJEHj7OjRcLAHeBwVcApa7phcmHs2QUJcniUzgZl7TiNVhi7QzQ6JT76r9orY/w400-h155/Screenshot%202023-12-31%20at%2012.42.31.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>1998</b></p><p>By 1998, and now falling under the control of the Palestinian National Authority, that exercised partial civil control over West Bank areas "A" and "B," it is decided to relocate the girl's school from The Qasr al-Basha Palace and to converted the historic structure into a museum which will be overseen by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, to be renamed as the Pasha’s Palace. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='381' height='317' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxwUiLbSolcgwt51Hjn907Tfzzvk8U-NZXqiG5NyCgejJwGLFm66b5F26xAinUGnYn6wudZFshX7VFVWhzirw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>By 2005</b></p><p>The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities conduct a restoration project for the Qasr al-Basha/ Pasha’s Palace. The United Nations Development Programme's Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP) and KfW Development Bank of the German government built new facilities for the girls school, and the historic building's restoration begin under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage to become the first museum in the Gaza Strip. </p><p>During the first phase of the project, landscaping is added, as well as new doors, windows, and gates were installed. The facade of the palace is also restored. In the second phase of the project, appropriate furniture was placed for the museum, in addition to installing glass halls designed to house historical antiquities. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRBzufCaCqrMIEF43nqoo_NA8CvOVR2Rt9yq9tiDLQLuS-Y2XPrawrKoKb0Zh0Z7V7NCoyKZVqJMRb4xLDYObdQdcHvjbGjktJ5lxRqtH2iUHEDm4amGXjoPUcQadM_4p-_ESboMKV8MlvTOK6bZoLFRMKQDPEVvWjBgLrOJ8KvZp6V6ru0nCTKJcIGg/s876/Screenshot%202023-12-31%20at%2012.39.53.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="876" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRBzufCaCqrMIEF43nqoo_NA8CvOVR2Rt9yq9tiDLQLuS-Y2XPrawrKoKb0Zh0Z7V7NCoyKZVqJMRb4xLDYObdQdcHvjbGjktJ5lxRqtH2iUHEDm4amGXjoPUcQadM_4p-_ESboMKV8MlvTOK6bZoLFRMKQDPEVvWjBgLrOJ8KvZp6V6ru0nCTKJcIGg/w400-h258/Screenshot%202023-12-31%20at%2012.39.53.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Pasha’s palace (Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, 2013).</td></tr></tbody></table><p>A smaller building in front of the palace is also renovated to be used as an access gate to the museum.</p><p>The museum centres on five rooms dedicated to displaying the museum’s modest collection of antiquities which includes Neolithic, Ancient Egyptian, Phoenician, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman and Islamic artefacts.</p><p>The first room displayed antiquities predominantly from the Roman era, the second from the Byzantine era, and the third room displays women’s adornments during all eras. The fourth room displayed architectural elements including stones, columns, and capitals for all eras and the last gallery room, was allocated to artefacts from the Islamic era.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tSamJcskDMcZr8SIj0BGRUmpQK05Tzf63UwM5MdX8TtPZv_1cScv1OIOaEVwJ7pTVgg9vHpFLIhjh74hKRfpQnRdKh5IIChu0WDoJK-g1JNZFHpmJqfK2QuGc6FqgvEeMAuS1WIPElqEK82GRAtz5rFEqL5AImj9mzrq92UAb89x9_mQFmoF-Dsv8Is/s884/Screenshot%202023-12-31%20at%2012.05.59.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="884" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tSamJcskDMcZr8SIj0BGRUmpQK05Tzf63UwM5MdX8TtPZv_1cScv1OIOaEVwJ7pTVgg9vHpFLIhjh74hKRfpQnRdKh5IIChu0WDoJK-g1JNZFHpmJqfK2QuGc6FqgvEeMAuS1WIPElqEK82GRAtz5rFEqL5AImj9mzrq92UAb89x9_mQFmoF-Dsv8Is/w400-h244/Screenshot%202023-12-31%20at%2012.05.59.png" width="400" /></a></div><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>11 December 2023</b></p><p>While the information we have regarding antiquities and cultural assets in Gaza is limited and fragmented, Al Jazeera provided video footage of bombardments on Omar Al-Mukhtar Street which also depicted damages to the historic <a href="https://www.aljazeera.net/videos/2023/12/11/%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8A-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%BA%D8%B2%D8%A9-%D8%AF%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B1" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Pasha Palace Museum although the building remained standing</span></a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZoXv7d81XAuFXkQ-91_ErRS3tvJsbunpzT1VslTcDZb5ghjM8MB1vtsDV3G8GNQ-okxMeKQOcOzxS4W37CdLmUWwqfamUIObW891XSQeeiIfwhlqCjg50O9the-iUCbVSAGYEqNHXW8CyJa5BLwQsONaOKeLd_yQfW08J52SF26bDvjP35__ft5rtxg/s1305/Joined.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1305" data-original-width="1026" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZoXv7d81XAuFXkQ-91_ErRS3tvJsbunpzT1VslTcDZb5ghjM8MB1vtsDV3G8GNQ-okxMeKQOcOzxS4W37CdLmUWwqfamUIObW891XSQeeiIfwhlqCjg50O9the-iUCbVSAGYEqNHXW8CyJa5BLwQsONaOKeLd_yQfW08J52SF26bDvjP35__ft5rtxg/w315-h400/Joined.jpeg" width="315" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>By 28 December 2023</b></div><p></p><p>Video and still footage from media and social media sites show the almost complete destruction of the Pasha Palace Museum, leaving only partial walls of the primary structure still standing and the second building in front of the palace completely destroyed. </p><p>ARCA would like to thank and cite the documentary work and photographs used in this article outlining the repurposing of this building found in the academic paper: <a href="https://www.academia.edu/69514921/The_Role_of_Heritage_Tourism_in_Preserving_Historical_Buildings_in_Palestine_Case_Study_of_the_Pasha_s_Palace_Gaza_?uc-sb-sw=33422952" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">The Role of Heritage Tourism in Preserving Historical Buildings in Palestine (Case Study of the Pasha’s Palace, Gaza)</span></a> by author Hammouda Aldohdar.</p><p><b>ARCA's Statement on War Damage</b></p><p>This war has led to calls on heritage professionals and cultural institutions to release statements in support of either Israel or Palestine, something ARCA will not do. Instead, our reporting will remain as it has always been, focused on cultural property protection, as the significance of the humanitarian consequences of war is outside of the scope of our research. </p><p>Both Israel and Palestine are parties to the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the Convention’s First (1954) Protocol. This protocol specifically applies to movable cultural property only, and prohibits the export of movable property from occupied territory and also requires its return to its original territory at the conclusion of hostilities (Article 1).</p><p>Palestine has also ratified the Convention’s Second (1999) Protocol which states that Parties to a conflict shall ensure the immunity of cultural property under enhanced protection by refraining from making such property the object of attack or from any use of the property or its immediate surroundings in support of military action.</p><p>Under customary international law, Rule 38., each party to the conflict must respect cultural property:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p>A. Special care must be taken in military operations to avoid damage to buildings dedicated to religion, art, science, education or charitable purposes and historic monuments unless they are military objectives.</p><p>B. Property of great importance to the cultural heritage of every people must not be the object of attack unless imperatively required by military necessity.</p></blockquote><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-44958825044471699052023-12-20T12:17:00.001+01:002023-12-20T12:18:48.602+01:00And the epigraphic fragment of the marble lararium lived happily ever after...<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTYQd3dPftUyjOe5K8WB1Qi20_2lYuw26FvQ88GWJRdEzAEM8Kpre6REC8Si7kdwINqg99TQN9yHD2dnSd10Gg27yrfYa6IxSTOn7hopczykgFWqq6s0rNqx7A20dj0EP1hGdNxBp26dCBfkxN0UbP5S95Af82ngfjEdGddZsiF3FXeCpp63h5alWLU9I" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="724" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTYQd3dPftUyjOe5K8WB1Qi20_2lYuw26FvQ88GWJRdEzAEM8Kpre6REC8Si7kdwINqg99TQN9yHD2dnSd10Gg27yrfYa6IxSTOn7hopczykgFWqq6s0rNqx7A20dj0EP1hGdNxBp26dCBfkxN0UbP5S95Af82ngfjEdGddZsiF3FXeCpp63h5alWLU9I" width="170" /></a></div></div>Our story begins at <a href="https://www.planetpompeii.com/en/map/the-house-of-cecilius-jucundus.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">the house of Lucius Caecilius Iucundus</span></a>, a banker from Pompeii, whose residence was found buried under a blanket of ash and lapilli during the Bourbon excavations in 1844. Between 1875-1876 researchers exploring his residence discovered a stash of some 154 waxed boards, which gave us the occupant's historic profession. These recorded the commissions paid (1-4%) for loans with the banker between 52 and 62 AD. Most covered transactions for real estate rents, securities, trade goods, and in some cases the purchase of animals and slaves. <div><p>Three of these recovered apochae, (receipts from a creditor acknowledging the payment of a debt) offered a captivating peek into the everyday life of the home's enigmatic "banker," who, before Vesuvius blew, in 79 CE, once lead a comfortable life in this domus. They also serve as a window into the everyday transactions of Pompeii's middle class merchants and landowners as they documented items sold, alongside the identities of sellers and, in one case even the buyer. Issued to Iucundus, in front of named witnesses, these ancient documents cover sums ranging from a few hundred sesterces to as much as 38,000 sesterces, each meticulously recorded as transactions between the merchant banker and his private clients or at auctions for small transactions. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="330" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yf5r8U6J9jM" width="397" youtube-src-id="yf5r8U6J9jM"></iframe></div><p>Walking inside the vestibule of the house of Iucundus, with its floor mosaic depicting a guard dog, you arrive to his atrium, with its central impluvium surrounded by a mosaic of geometric figures. One of the most important rooms in a Roman house, it is here, in the north-west corner that Iucundus placed his lararium, a shrine to the guardian spirits of his Roman household, where the banker, his family and his servants, likely performed daily rituals to guarantee their protection. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNJ3hFlNut3jHq9i0YHe7tTXawZscn47LXX4Grc17ZfLo6zCRvoTwqhZPZlwHVUiil5mvYVBgk4kJMPGTdi2MuBxZ3eQ6CrmhKFH6f0HbcM_O2vSt2dQALSXOmP8bT1FGtLdfYisks3j8sjv01SQKqQidc_6KSHMHiBWAAp45Iw-qlxTZohQ-FxIWT6to" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1024" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNJ3hFlNut3jHq9i0YHe7tTXawZscn47LXX4Grc17ZfLo6zCRvoTwqhZPZlwHVUiil5mvYVBgk4kJMPGTdi2MuBxZ3eQ6CrmhKFH6f0HbcM_O2vSt2dQALSXOmP8bT1FGtLdfYisks3j8sjv01SQKqQidc_6KSHMHiBWAAp45Iw-qlxTZohQ-FxIWT6to" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>We know from the details of the carved frieze on two sides of this home chapel that the lararium was positioned here after the famous earthquake which shook the city in 62 CE because it details, on two of its bas-reliefs, the damage from that event. The first bas-relief, found intact, details the collapse of the Capitolium in the Forum of Pompeii next to a ceremony propitiating the Goddess Tellus. </p></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFelA3K72FeLeNFhi9lYUXINAbP7I4OAE-469BLhQrciFXxc8WDfA5unjDVqGjtvuXXFzmw7S8PT44ltv5_0Xj4QTrMztQIiQ_-usTpyq8hndMUWjBQWRcxhsMA5jW95Z4eo6IV5e6oC4QbOr6uTJhpFGyudUWkwuiudwXcKlfKVk7k1xps0T6d62lTQM/s1468/both.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1468" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFelA3K72FeLeNFhi9lYUXINAbP7I4OAE-469BLhQrciFXxc8WDfA5unjDVqGjtvuXXFzmw7S8PT44ltv5_0Xj4QTrMztQIiQ_-usTpyq8hndMUWjBQWRcxhsMA5jW95Z4eo6IV5e6oC4QbOr6uTJhpFGyudUWkwuiudwXcKlfKVk7k1xps0T6d62lTQM/w400-h279/both.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The second relief depicts the damage suffered by the Porta Vesuvius which collapsed as a result of the earthquake and to its left the castellum aquae. This marble slab was not found inside Iucundus' house, but in the areas adjacent to it. Why the banker chose to memorialise this mournful event is unknown, but perhaps having born witness to the earlier destruction and having escaped catastrophe, he wanted to offer a ex voto to his tutelary deities for the grace they bestowed on his family. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibTf6_BIeMEmlXChs5AASvYhTxpFykFc8U3uKPNyOmP3mVQc96SILgWHvgSQ4dy_CP8A5si9M5GnTHHKI05SrjffAf-L9IHZB_9110nUfxEq1z67W2AYdy-xQ8hg2Qe6X05ijxMzxJBNESJmrGL6kmboFzSGXmNrohX9XrY29IkCC0yas0wAYsYDaVUyc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1024" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibTf6_BIeMEmlXChs5AASvYhTxpFykFc8U3uKPNyOmP3mVQc96SILgWHvgSQ4dy_CP8A5si9M5GnTHHKI05SrjffAf-L9IHZB_9110nUfxEq1z67W2AYdy-xQ8hg2Qe6X05ijxMzxJBNESJmrGL6kmboFzSGXmNrohX9XrY29IkCC0yas0wAYsYDaVUyc=w400-h136" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div>Originally stored in the Antiquarium of Pompeii, these two marble reliefs were eventually reinstalled in the house of Lucius Caecilius Iucundus when his lararium was restored. They and depicted in numerous photos, in situ, from the 1930s onward. The piece depicting the Porta Vesuvius was cemented into the north wall above the base of the lararium, perhaps because of its imprecise find spot. There, both reliefs remained, that is until thieves began prying pieces loose in the 1970s. </div><div><br /></div><div>Subsequent to the theft, the remaining bas-relief was moved to the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, for safekeeping, while all that remained of the second fragment which depicted the Porta Vesuvius was its cast impression, taken in the 1930s and part of the collection at the Museo della Civiltà Romana in Rome. There were no further traces of the stolen bas-relief until it was identified some 50 years later, cemented into the staircase of another family home, this time in Flanders, Belgium. </div><div><br /></div><div>Raphaël De Temmerman, 80, and his son, Geert De Temmerman, told authorities that they visited Pompeii in 1975, (long after Italy's cultural property laws went into effect. While touring the archaeological site, the pair were approached by an unidentified man who offered to sell them an ancient souvenir. Without thinking if their actions were legal or not, the tourists purchased the ancient marble and returned home to Belgium with a 2000 year old momento of their trip. </div><div><br /></div><div>Back home in Tongeren, the relief was cemented into the family's stairwell, wherte remained in the De Temmerman's home until Geert contacted the Gallo-Roman museum in Flanders hoping to get the piece appraised. From there it was identified as the well documented artefact stolen from the Pompeii banker's domus. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1NmlITKm2IEoOQEWi2Y-gnFVd_RHMF1oKs8BwKNKXyQ053tESo_svJrCZy5gl_FCvn2CIm0-CEgJLOglPQXPpc0dPQyEULZTmg2qjsMfOFcyXXPXv3_L1cDGA0DcFwTHWYUINUD4N15KjiZtQ2elkfOOLZFMmXeoiINus33-yGpgMtSfKm8DY9RSLUQA" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="683" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1NmlITKm2IEoOQEWi2Y-gnFVd_RHMF1oKs8BwKNKXyQ053tESo_svJrCZy5gl_FCvn2CIm0-CEgJLOglPQXPpc0dPQyEULZTmg2qjsMfOFcyXXPXv3_L1cDGA0DcFwTHWYUINUD4N15KjiZtQ2elkfOOLZFMmXeoiINus33-yGpgMtSfKm8DY9RSLUQA=w213-h320" width="213" /></a></div></div><div>Anyone who has visited Pompeii in the 1970s comparing it with today has seen the devastation the influx of tourists to archaeological wonders can cause, (with or without theft). The sheer volume of visitors, coupled with a lack of awareness or disregard for preservation, has led to an erosion of delicate frescoes, as well as the deterioration of centuries-old structures, and wear-and-tear on the very remnants that attract these crowds. </div><div><br /></div><div>Trampling on restricted areas, unauthorised touching, and even instances of graffiti also contribute to the gradual degradation of this historical marvel, despite the best efforts of its site managers, who do their best to strike a balance between making this cultural treasure accessible to the public and still safeguarding the city for future generations. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcvWxVvbGcvwDyG0wuZDqV8wwArBTanEE-0sNhNXxVNjcQ5zPugkCh7r0ZmLYAViMCNy1wBHLn9PM4IKuKr4_TBmUjNxHS1t_OmxXhYYCYBJIBajotfsELWeYfKTqkuy1OdJl9qApPF2UjdEDrGPCjfHzsTwvxzcriF2Dl4-kJYyT766OiSlAqlHkrgLQ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="245" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcvWxVvbGcvwDyG0wuZDqV8wwArBTanEE-0sNhNXxVNjcQ5zPugkCh7r0ZmLYAViMCNy1wBHLn9PM4IKuKr4_TBmUjNxHS1t_OmxXhYYCYBJIBajotfsELWeYfKTqkuy1OdJl9qApPF2UjdEDrGPCjfHzsTwvxzcriF2Dl4-kJYyT766OiSlAqlHkrgLQ" width="287" /></a></div>Legends speak of the spectral inhabitants of this archaeological site, the echoes of lives abruptly interrupted by the cataclysmic eruption. Some say that the spirits of Pompeii's past residents wander amidst the remnants of their homes and streets, quietly observing the influx of modern-day visitors. Visiting this archaeologicalsite, ARCA recommends that tourists take only memories and leave only footprints, lest the restless souls of the city's past inhabitants subject you to their ethereal disapproval. </div><div><br /></div><div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /><br /></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-20298844428416035962023-12-17T11:14:00.017+01:002023-12-17T12:19:49.071+01:00Lost Time, Found Art: The Decade-Long Pursuit of Restitution for Antiquities Smuggled by Douglas Latchford at the Metropolitan Museum of Art<p>In 2013 the Metropolitan Museum of Art restituted two,10th-century, Koh Ker stone statues, known as the “Kneeling Attendants” to Cambodia. These artefacts had been donated in separate stages to the Museum in the late 1980s and early 1990s and had been associated with antiquities collector-dealer-trafficker <a href="https://art-crime.blogspot.com/search?q=douglas+latchford" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Douglas Latchford, a/k/a “Pakpong Kriangsak”</span></a>, who for 50 years, was once considered one of the world’s leading authorities on Asian Art before his unmasking. </p><p><span style="text-align: center;"></span><span style="text-align: center;">As early as 2012, Bangkok-based Latchford had already been </span><a href="s" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">identified in a civil lawsuit, as a middleman in the trafficking of looted Khmer sculptures from “an organized looting network” </span></a>and was said to have conspired with the London auction house Spink & Son Ltd., to launder looted temple antiquities. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjf_qb__SPAkcIeeFGKedTNp-BgIeOYwCdXE1h5qeA4VjoU-AOKi6ZuRmLh60gM5CPjVKKg0ea1XAcxRh4W1X-TPKuKJATqQpySlvTqWuzJq9CclC61qJKkWX3eZj_vFExSHsCs4SNXG_K13xk8y6cxxGkelVPlVZqi_tU-w7Hp2qlCAsNH8Tl6ok0ozg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="180" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjf_qb__SPAkcIeeFGKedTNp-BgIeOYwCdXE1h5qeA4VjoU-AOKi6ZuRmLh60gM5CPjVKKg0ea1XAcxRh4W1X-TPKuKJATqQpySlvTqWuzJq9CclC61qJKkWX3eZj_vFExSHsCs4SNXG_K13xk8y6cxxGkelVPlVZqi_tU-w7Hp2qlCAsNH8Tl6ok0ozg=w180-h320" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Douglas Latchford's <br />Facebook photo <br />on 28 October 2017, <br />two years <br />before he was indicted.</td></tr></tbody></table>On 21 December 2016, following months of interviews with confidential informants, and the examination of thousands of emails and other seized documents, as well as years of investigations into international smuggling networks, the office of the New York District Attorney's Office in Manhattan filed criminal charges against New York antiquities dealer Nancy Weiner, stating that she used her gallery<a href="https://art-crime.blogspot.com/2016/12/a-criminal-complaint-that-reads-like.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;"> “to buy, smuggle, launder, and sell millions of dollars’ worth of antiquities stolen from Afghanistan, Cambodia, China, India, Pakistan and Thailand.”</span></a> In their complaint, it was documented that Weiner “and her co-conspirators, [one of whom was Douglas Latchford], trafficked in illegal antiquities for decades.” (New York/Manhattan Wiener complaint, p. 2) .<p></p><p>In 2019 charges were filed in the United States against the then 88 year old Latchford by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Feinstein, in the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit, for his purported role in <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/1221291/download" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">"wire fraud, smuggling, conspiracy and related charges pertaining to his trafficking in stolen and looted Cambodian antiquities."</span></a> Many of the suspect objects mentioned in his 25 page indictment passed through his hands en route to the Met and other important collections, during the course of his business operations. Latchford died on 2 August 2020 before he could be extradited to the United States and his indictment was formally dismissed, due to his death, the following month. </p><p>Last Friday, the United States authorities announced that the Met would be returning fourteen more pieces to Cambodia, dating from the ninth to the 14th centuries, plus an additional artefacts to Thailand.</p><p><b>The pieces going home to Cambodia are:</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGkQ9tLPDDOhAzI04ZZXTdF7AXCd9LoVFaLUdapokByXsMW5jPEoS2qGImc111v__fqtoPlIMvaYnfc0n9QE6cQgcAPn0clT_4vm7sPH9EVYJ_XboI_3htpApqAk2Zhy3Mip9AHBUtbShBfla3Y_XCWTIC6j7nPqjzOZwun3hZM4QnNlGTKAZNqaBKzbc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGkQ9tLPDDOhAzI04ZZXTdF7AXCd9LoVFaLUdapokByXsMW5jPEoS2qGImc111v__fqtoPlIMvaYnfc0n9QE6cQgcAPn0clT_4vm7sPH9EVYJ_XboI_3htpApqAk2Zhy3Mip9AHBUtbShBfla3Y_XCWTIC6j7nPqjzOZwun3hZM4QnNlGTKAZNqaBKzbc=w365-h400" width="365" /></a></div><p>This 7th century CE pre-Angkor period sandstone <span style="color: #660000;"><b><i><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200519201636/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/73158" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Head of a Buddha</span></a></i></b>,</span> which was purportedly with implicated New York dealer Doris Wiener from 1984–2005 until she gifted it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2005, upon which it was given Accession Number: 2005.512. </p><div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkVi6Za-mEX8rDg9pFmiF2BO2rYVee7D2firVpwbWgkN_KakMQ_pvvUHH5mcQXUe7zT_HXUXavacK9bCMETxokmy124EDIueRYziq_4UiXbUtYsq5_JBBsoqNlrr2g4ALAPgxuTyXdYeDn7CqdQTxVR8EFY4t3LpENWXO-_4FiSnPD9gN-u8lOOuQsuGg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="570" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkVi6Za-mEX8rDg9pFmiF2BO2rYVee7D2firVpwbWgkN_KakMQ_pvvUHH5mcQXUe7zT_HXUXavacK9bCMETxokmy124EDIueRYziq_4UiXbUtYsq5_JBBsoqNlrr2g4ALAPgxuTyXdYeDn7CqdQTxVR8EFY4t3LpENWXO-_4FiSnPD9gN-u8lOOuQsuGg=w298-h400" width="298" /></a></div><br />This 10th - 11th century CE copper <b><i><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160828003825/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/39184" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara Seated in Royal Ease</span></a>.</i></b> It was given Accession Number: 1992.336 when it was purchased directly from Douglas Latchford using funds from the Annenberg Foundation Gift. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEfnGkm9UrqYrpclko7S3So5Rr9gOd8cIV5TB3SzsTc2U6vFHU0SGjJsUEvcArCNvs-Lqx1H1OHZpkFfQGmmsCN2Nf98steY4w8Vax07ODyTt_2RbyjDvjzmEUx90n7zRu5-yGS9R2uEe6E5wXfNTQoro3LnlG34C7oKWVvXSGDGErBPAcHsPGHboFOo/s1172/uma.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1172" data-original-width="564" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEfnGkm9UrqYrpclko7S3So5Rr9gOd8cIV5TB3SzsTc2U6vFHU0SGjJsUEvcArCNvs-Lqx1H1OHZpkFfQGmmsCN2Nf98steY4w8Vax07ODyTt_2RbyjDvjzmEUx90n7zRu5-yGS9R2uEe6E5wXfNTQoro3LnlG34C7oKWVvXSGDGErBPAcHsPGHboFOo/w193-h400/uma.png" width="193" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This 11th century sandstone <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210719154909/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/38300" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Standing Female Deity</i><b><i>, (probably Uma),</i></b></span></a><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i> </i></b></span>Accession Number: 1983.14 was sold by Douglas Latchford to Spink & Son Ltd., London, who in turn sold it onward to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08gRN4dvdk0iSv7Nvh4DsOJjT7BmtsgZlWRl3RsSjgn7K6iuKU4hvmnb_Kpdpg28_c22qk5oWyu7w2DVEQhUof93Caz2yQx3y7g4am6dlnfMGYTXPKw3TwQalMDSqS3TGxPfjbjs1ctXu6n73i6TjyEPBKkppdE-N9btOpoGodofRIEIW3Ee_U2osdCE/s892/Screenshot%202023-12-16%20at%2014.33.31.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08gRN4dvdk0iSv7Nvh4DsOJjT7BmtsgZlWRl3RsSjgn7K6iuKU4hvmnb_Kpdpg28_c22qk5oWyu7w2DVEQhUof93Caz2yQx3y7g4am6dlnfMGYTXPKw3TwQalMDSqS3TGxPfjbjs1ctXu6n73i6TjyEPBKkppdE-N9btOpoGodofRIEIW3Ee_U2osdCE/w230-h400/Screenshot%202023-12-16%20at%2014.33.31.png" width="230" /></a></div><p>This 10th century sandstone <b><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210723002628/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/72387" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;"><i>Standing Female Deity</i>,</span></a> </b>which was given Accession Number: 2003.605. This artefact was purportedly with Doris Wiener from 1998 through 2003. Various saved accession record dates show it was either donated to the Metropolitan by Doris Wiener, in honour of Martin Lerner or was purchased through this New York dealer. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPsblfIaMh63Au6IMS9Loyph__H4kYhk3tEK64S_hOyldJQVMFzIpogf69zmdLtbm4mBGhi7ptR_REDWDvzd0gLS8MkWpAwrkmaCKlrtLz8qXRcGQXqAYnRfLusGdj_X9jVoVPxpQ8evicEGG0Ro17fnPSqgDyt-uCRPZ0Ey3p29csrSV8Bb3zCCW_Wo/s756/Face%20from%20a%20Male%20Deity,%20probably%20Shiva1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="546" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPsblfIaMh63Au6IMS9Loyph__H4kYhk3tEK64S_hOyldJQVMFzIpogf69zmdLtbm4mBGhi7ptR_REDWDvzd0gLS8MkWpAwrkmaCKlrtLz8qXRcGQXqAYnRfLusGdj_X9jVoVPxpQ8evicEGG0Ro17fnPSqgDyt-uCRPZ0Ey3p29csrSV8Bb3zCCW_Wo/w289-h400/Face%20from%20a%20Male%20Deity,%20probably%20Shiva1.png" width="289" /></a></div><p>This partially fragmented 930 - 960 CE bronze <i><b><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211031025341/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/39996" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Face from a Male Deity</span></a></b></i><b>, </b>came to the museum via a Latchford donation in honour of Martin Lerner. It was given Accession Number: 1998.320a–f.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxD066EAfIYweBUiqu3ou1JyiUd06S7U9uUcE5raMVP2zf446c1z0FC-42C9RRk-8dcEDGwnSBJDwrvfZaIq7zEcYPEe0BREJuJUuoyG9a7S2FSpPKBzsESvzhXjWvS0WbjzpRqUrYAHF8cY2e2IBUhMlSwhZDjsII2yvsNnpy-DJ7yiEfoN0WggmvXyk/s562/Screenshot%202023-12-16%20at%2015.22.38.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxD066EAfIYweBUiqu3ou1JyiUd06S7U9uUcE5raMVP2zf446c1z0FC-42C9RRk-8dcEDGwnSBJDwrvfZaIq7zEcYPEe0BREJuJUuoyG9a7S2FSpPKBzsESvzhXjWvS0WbjzpRqUrYAHF8cY2e2IBUhMlSwhZDjsII2yvsNnpy-DJ7yiEfoN0WggmvXyk/w365-h400/Screenshot%202023-12-16%20at%2015.22.38.png" width="365" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This ca. 920–50 CE stone <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200817162035/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/38447" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;"><i><b>Head of a Buddha</b></i>,</span></a> was also donated to the museum by Douglas Latchford in 1983 (with no provenance listed), where it was given Accession Number: 1983.551. </div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-4JWyWGwvO8-41F1Hm62BTkVCc_RS61g4Av2TFU3DvMr_oRaPJPbf_APomZJs-QefvqTYOO4o_htCRwvuO4plDDPOTcAKA0mW_BUAeYq7gjs1ZfF5rE0sVO_9hBzx-EoSBLqEa30p3vfahdLf2DCjwg4P2STMAMbo6XkF6ITVlpRgfaESgtm7Yhmha0/s1200/Head%20of%20Avalokiteshvara,%20the%20Bodhisattva%20of%20Infinite%20Compassion.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1105" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-4JWyWGwvO8-41F1Hm62BTkVCc_RS61g4Av2TFU3DvMr_oRaPJPbf_APomZJs-QefvqTYOO4o_htCRwvuO4plDDPOTcAKA0mW_BUAeYq7gjs1ZfF5rE0sVO_9hBzx-EoSBLqEa30p3vfahdLf2DCjwg4P2STMAMbo6XkF6ITVlpRgfaESgtm7Yhmha0/s320/Head%20of%20Avalokiteshvara,%20the%20Bodhisattva%20of%20Infinite%20Compassion.jpeg" width="295" /></a></div><p>This 10th century, Angkor period bronze <b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220611164811/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/39994" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Head of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion</span></a> </b>was in circulation with Spink & Son Ltd., London until 1998, when it was then sold to an undisclosed private collector who donated the artefact to the Metropolitan the same year, and was given Accession Number: 1998.322.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXG734TxrD5tXAIw4P-ep4EKDO3UsbMNpBETmGcxgia2kzbar3T_sm6AF_A_oO_xc3IV_z7_suRCj7f07ksBxvoI6qc7Q0zM3fbgcTP_TUl3pph6NV3z_dHf_YkhovpsQ2rfxr9qBIqD1tc09M8SSnqrVMbNC7Bvt4rpLjiBUs5fF-__TXcO3qGuo4Vw/s1200/Four-Armed%20Avalokiteshvara%20(Bodhisattva%20of%20Infinite%20Compassion).jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXG734TxrD5tXAIw4P-ep4EKDO3UsbMNpBETmGcxgia2kzbar3T_sm6AF_A_oO_xc3IV_z7_suRCj7f07ksBxvoI6qc7Q0zM3fbgcTP_TUl3pph6NV3z_dHf_YkhovpsQ2rfxr9qBIqD1tc09M8SSnqrVMbNC7Bvt4rpLjiBUs5fF-__TXcO3qGuo4Vw/w320-h400/Four-Armed%20Avalokiteshvara%20(Bodhisattva%20of%20Infinite%20Compassion).jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p>This 11th century, Angkor period, bronze <i><b><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200602054257/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/50668" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Four-Armed Avalokiteshvara (Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion)</span></a></b></i> This bodhisattva is often depicted with multiple heads and arms symbolising his limitless capacity to help alleviate grievances and is venerated as the ideal of <i>karuna</i>, the willingness to bear the pain of others. Given Accession Number: 1999.262, the statue was directly purchased by the museum from Douglas Latchford via funds from Friends of Asian Art Gifts, Cynthia Hazen Polsky Gift, and Josephine L. Berger-Nadler and Dr. M. Leon Canick Gift. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiG4x24p14OPfH7WlrO81dfJyQ7zMvxFRgO35uCi5JBc9rrwJwmi08YCVl0CXyISngzbxrGUtSamzszy6tSp8Oy63lvDFZShQyCyntzmsvs35zu9cbFB5qAPMHIl67V3_8DqmvJiNXdWWkfF9pogCsk58WqzXjrMwnH8P12v6iQyEphyaxxZ2fL2IHo804" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiG4x24p14OPfH7WlrO81dfJyQ7zMvxFRgO35uCi5JBc9rrwJwmi08YCVl0CXyISngzbxrGUtSamzszy6tSp8Oy63lvDFZShQyCyntzmsvs35zu9cbFB5qAPMHIl67V3_8DqmvJiNXdWWkfF9pogCsk58WqzXjrMwnH8P12v6iQyEphyaxxZ2fL2IHo804=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div>This 11th century architectural <i><b><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170709115717/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/39606" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Lintel with Shiva on Nandi</span></a>, </b></i>Accession Number: 1996.473. This doorway topping was previously purchased in 1993 by Steven M. Kossak, owner of the prominent "Kronos Collections", who then loaned the piece to the Met for three years before eventually donating it to the museum in 1996. </div><div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg98a7ruHe0i2rHg7MJKwV3dGP-yzxQMXGCLpmaUduw62-JIyQGm5oGsgInugCGkt9hP2oLlSkTdQ6X6R81sIFe1QqHb0oQFOFZySfVMT2QuYTiPWmjFur72BOl35e9sesgH5rYCk58b-I-A3XjnVImBgqUosyCTvbTlthXTh-9kg-CBe9NOAaFTiGUOlk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="660" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg98a7ruHe0i2rHg7MJKwV3dGP-yzxQMXGCLpmaUduw62-JIyQGm5oGsgInugCGkt9hP2oLlSkTdQ6X6R81sIFe1QqHb0oQFOFZySfVMT2QuYTiPWmjFur72BOl35e9sesgH5rYCk58b-I-A3XjnVImBgqUosyCTvbTlthXTh-9kg-CBe9NOAaFTiGUOlk=w263-h400" width="263" /></a></div><br />This late 9th century, stone Angkor period, Khmer style of Bakong, <b><i><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20231215174839/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/72341" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Headless Female Figure</span></a>,</i></b><i><b> </b></i>Accession Number: 2003.592.1, is said to have been in the possession of Latchford's friend, Alexander Götz. Originally living in Bali, then for a time in Germany, Götz and his family moved to London in 1990 where he opened a gallery specialising in Southeast Asian art, with Indonesia as the main focus. He closed his London gallery in 2015 and has since moved back to Indonesia.</div><div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXZutijCVM_T1vdO4hQ6xVLhE6oDvakgIHEgmXqLBKU7rHYnWQ6ZfgtuWoeXLsVR4gipY9yPHjLCS-REb5w5Z4e5xfGocnS3zyU2EHf0ZCFATgSq_IVL2QGsokXQhmSAe6MKQEwTHwzJAgGQBf2RpDVVDI9Vi7bq9m4Sn0yBKTzxrZpSsJZZ2rqJla2ns" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="771" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXZutijCVM_T1vdO4hQ6xVLhE6oDvakgIHEgmXqLBKU7rHYnWQ6ZfgtuWoeXLsVR4gipY9yPHjLCS-REb5w5Z4e5xfGocnS3zyU2EHf0ZCFATgSq_IVL2QGsokXQhmSAe6MKQEwTHwzJAgGQBf2RpDVVDI9Vi7bq9m4Sn0yBKTzxrZpSsJZZ2rqJla2ns=w257-h400" width="257" /></a></div><br />This late 12th century, stone Angkor period, <i><b><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220813162136/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/51302" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Standing Eight-Armed Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion.</span></a></b></i><i><b> </b></i>Given Accession Number: 2002.477, this stature was sold by Douglas Latchford to Jeffrey B. Soref, heir to the Master Lock fortune, who sits on the Board of Directors at the Metropolitan. Soref in turn loaned his purchase to the Met from 1999–2002 before gifting it to the museum in 2002. Authorities in Cambodia had received information from a reformed looter named Toek Tik, who admitted to personally stealing this, as well as other artworks from Cambodia over a span of 20 years during his time as a smuggler.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSpXNvWtFpCzWBL0ja4f1AQczJRIYyVmMnB8Mi7t06p7P3e4LTUVju4Vq9nCnQO1C0UhvVzAozgqV39MFIQYmKdhIDa4AIdTVpNsVXaAKNzq3GvhVpI4lH1Umi-_ktZ3HB_QLN9GRfg1VM0TDaJ6V3UaeBRRu5jk8bJcY5uipE92YFJiB0JCWgaDwh8lA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="894" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSpXNvWtFpCzWBL0ja4f1AQczJRIYyVmMnB8Mi7t06p7P3e4LTUVju4Vq9nCnQO1C0UhvVzAozgqV39MFIQYmKdhIDa4AIdTVpNsVXaAKNzq3GvhVpI4lH1Umi-_ktZ3HB_QLN9GRfg1VM0TDaJ6V3UaeBRRu5jk8bJcY5uipE92YFJiB0JCWgaDwh8lA=w298-h400" width="298" /></a></div><br />This 7th–8th century, bronze pre-Angkor period, <i><b><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170409230110/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/39198" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Ardhanarishvara (Composite of Shiva and Parvati)</span></a>,</b></i><i><b> </b></i>depicts the god as half male and half female representing the Shakta as worshipper and Shakti as devotee relationship which gives the Ardhanarishvara male and female characteristics. Assigned Accession Number: 1993.387.4 the female side of this sculpture depicts Parvati’s elegant hairstyle and flowing skirt and exposed breast, while the male side gives us half of Shiva’s moustache, as well as his third eye. Originally, the public accession record listed only the donation of this object as coming from Enid A. Haup (who had purchased and donated another problematic piece). The more recent the Met's record was updated to state that the statue was sold by Spink & Son Ltd., London to Haupt who gifted it to the Met in 1993.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGPqULKO8ckm6WPTP7qRkQ2sGLqXa1NkrJ0yXgBVQbYLaeR9MVffPOhjKCyptjqQl2T_DPX-ZZmfc5KNkFndhgi__X3-OoSopLrO8Fw6oz8svDaUdr7hYLGciHonpakUv6vSvl8xuQoy9oUe6SctEwR12G8SOEy9n4G2ggiM56F9agWqMsJ8VUTTKw1TI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGPqULKO8ckm6WPTP7qRkQ2sGLqXa1NkrJ0yXgBVQbYLaeR9MVffPOhjKCyptjqQl2T_DPX-ZZmfc5KNkFndhgi__X3-OoSopLrO8Fw6oz8svDaUdr7hYLGciHonpakUv6vSvl8xuQoy9oUe6SctEwR12G8SOEy9n4G2ggiM56F9agWqMsJ8VUTTKw1TI" width="192" /></a></div><br />This 9th century, stone Angkor period depicting the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210720122030/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/39769" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #660000;">Head of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.</span></i></b></a> Given Accession Number: 1997.434.1, it was previously owned by American pipeline billionaire George Lyle Lindemann, a collector who frequently bought Khmer artefacts from individuals, some of whom were later implicated in the trade and trafficking of Cambodia's cultural heritage. Lindemann gifted the object to the Met in 1997, who listed the object with no prior provenance, aside from the name of the wealthy donor.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbbejYjOrnj5J44EtPxmqtYDDjFxkQ2GoI111iIXGshyNiyqaHJH6ekHXZAUttUwuFPrJj1-e1S8iezUvoSRwsDwyNQj8geVzrrJzWKRrLmAH5g74PshH-r1bB_Xm3pT3E7n-uNmaRbalEuv1Wda6iCOquiQobl_Fh6j72o3iVq0mlqI06rvWIf_0idi8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="278" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbbejYjOrnj5J44EtPxmqtYDDjFxkQ2GoI111iIXGshyNiyqaHJH6ekHXZAUttUwuFPrJj1-e1S8iezUvoSRwsDwyNQj8geVzrrJzWKRrLmAH5g74PshH-r1bB_Xm3pT3E7n-uNmaRbalEuv1Wda6iCOquiQobl_Fh6j72o3iVq0mlqI06rvWIf_0idi8=w158-h400" width="158" /></a></div><br /><div>This 11th century, sandstone Angkor period, <b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230402125609/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/38301" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Male Deity, probably Shiva.</span></a> </b> Depicted with four-arms and a high chignon of jatamukuta, wearing a pleated sampot, this statue was given Accession Number: 1987.414. The Met's website listed that the statue as previously owned by Margery and Harry Kahn who gifted the object to the Met in 1987 and that the statue <i>"likely formed the centerpiece of a triad in a chapel of an unidentified temple in the vicinity of Angkor Thom. Its style relates to sculptures recorded from the Baphuon temple, a monumental step-pyramid dedicated to Shiva, built as the state temple by King Udayadityavarman II."</i></div></div><div><br /></div><div><p><b>The Artefacts Returning to Thailand are:</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiys3Vf0DAqnq4peAxJACo_tbzoQrPBzRQJz-wRUwLnfBkooS8fAm8YxxXgHcOLTFaRNWm0WPswOku6uMD0l8hSq_EEQsJFX-M70v2smPXv0EutwFsUJzcabgzCLwVkJpJu8jDBlru78vi95v5B7LXCQPxTc_teejfqvNH5v5i4aGWLMBs2RBxS_fqW04E" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img alt="" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2250" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiys3Vf0DAqnq4peAxJACo_tbzoQrPBzRQJz-wRUwLnfBkooS8fAm8YxxXgHcOLTFaRNWm0WPswOku6uMD0l8hSq_EEQsJFX-M70v2smPXv0EutwFsUJzcabgzCLwVkJpJu8jDBlru78vi95v5B7LXCQPxTc_teejfqvNH5v5i4aGWLMBs2RBxS_fqW04E=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This 11th century Gilt-copper alloy, with silver inlay, possibly miss-named statue of a <b><i><a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/39097" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Standing Shiva</span></a>, </i></b>is believed to be the most complete extant gilded-bronze image from Angkor. Given Accession Number: 1988.355, it belongs to a small group of metal sculptures of Hindu deities associated with royal cult practices that were discovered in Khmer territories including Cambodia and northeastern Thailand. The statue was purchased by Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg via Spink & Son Ltd., London in 1988 and donated that same year to the Met. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhy0K9BLx_hYp1UtLHWlmrskT8nOGYT-Ela6YSkkwPZ4i75qIwcbw4M5l6p5SsvvdOp_hhZCHU-gioAnWRKLlONP02Oh3GqPPgbr66PQD_1RJwqmTt6ZDZ7i7EVR8pHCC8cSEeRAaloSVzhYz9S2ACDnTPuj357JTGbw4MDBDC86-HT0sjP6G2LpsfWFJQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3722" data-original-width="2978" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhy0K9BLx_hYp1UtLHWlmrskT8nOGYT-Ela6YSkkwPZ4i75qIwcbw4M5l6p5SsvvdOp_hhZCHU-gioAnWRKLlONP02Oh3GqPPgbr66PQD_1RJwqmTt6ZDZ7i7EVR8pHCC8cSEeRAaloSVzhYz9S2ACDnTPuj357JTGbw4MDBDC86-HT0sjP6G2LpsfWFJQ=w320-h400" width="320" /></a></div><br />This 11th century bronze inlayed with silver and traces of gold statue of a <i><b><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200519194131/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/39096" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Kneeling Female Figure</span></a>,</b></i> perhaps a Khmer queen, who kneels in a posture of adoration with arms raised above her head and palms pressed together. Given Accession Number: 1972.147, she was sold to the museum by Doris Wiener. <p></p></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NwV0ouQECPyGd1Wt5J4Qhwj2YznNrg_3YH3jPM8IEG95lrvUjza4RixCPLj9XpBqKwLsRMZJGbFqOhsv0h9E-sadhmMaS1ZE3iQAcwINVTjiBHNAp8Z4_pi0jjwJQEkrezd0b1v1X5i4eJ09d9g9wWeGYVsWK_wHNCSrQ4CkeGWQgUf0H3JxlTop46o/s830/Screenshot%202023-12-17%20at%2010.45.17.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="830" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NwV0ouQECPyGd1Wt5J4Qhwj2YznNrg_3YH3jPM8IEG95lrvUjza4RixCPLj9XpBqKwLsRMZJGbFqOhsv0h9E-sadhmMaS1ZE3iQAcwINVTjiBHNAp8Z4_pi0jjwJQEkrezd0b1v1X5i4eJ09d9g9wWeGYVsWK_wHNCSrQ4CkeGWQgUf0H3JxlTop46o/w400-h259/Screenshot%202023-12-17%20at%2010.45.17.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>When the Metropolitan Museum of Art <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20231215192259/https://www.metmuseum.org/press/news/2023/return-of-khmer-works" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">announced the return of 16 Khmer sculptures to Cambodia and Thailand known to be associated with Douglas Latchford</span></a> with great fanfare on "X" the social media site formally known as twitter it stated that :</div><div><i><br /></i></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>"Every one of the 1.5 million objects in our collection has a unique history, and part of the Museum’s mission is to tell these stories. When, how, and where was it created? Who made it and why? What was going on at that time and place in history? The Met also examines the ownership history or provenance: where has the object been and in whose care?" </i></div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>and that through research, transparency, and collaboration, the museum was committed to responsible collecting and goes to great lengths to ensure that all objects entering the collection meet its strict standards. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>ARCA would like to underscore that it took the Metropolitan Museum of Art from 2013, when the “Kneeling Attendants” were first relinquished to Cambodia, through the Nancy Weiner and Douglas Latchford's respective indictments of 2016 and 2019, alongside numerous gentle, and then more insistent requests by Cambodia, as well as the continued campaigning of heritage activist groups before the museum moved forward with their restitution on Friday, a decade later.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is worth remembering that there is an imperative need for justice and ethical stewardship by institutions responsible for the world's cultural heritage and it should not take ten years for a museum, the size and scope of the Metropolitan to <i><b>do-the-right-thing</b></i>. Prolonged processes only contribute to the perpetuation of injustice and swift restitution is essential for rectifying historical wrongs, fostering international cooperation, and preserving the cultural identity of affected communities. Lengthy delays such as this one serve to exacerbate diplomatic, as well as cultural, tensions and perpetuate a sense of cultural entitlement on the part of certain western museums. </div><div><br /></div><div>When illicitly acquired objects are identified in a museum's collection, <b><u>expedient restitution processes are the litmus test</u></b> which, in ARCA's eyes, truly serve to demonstrate a museum's genuine commitment to holding themselves accountable to their past acquisitions. When doing so, they foster goodwill among the claimants, and serve as a positive example which in turn amplifies and reinforces the importance of respecting rightful ownership when it comes to cultural treasures. </div><div><br /></div><div>To end on a positive note, ARCA is pleased to see that the Metropolitan Museum of Art has taken a step forward in its documentation protocols and has elected to leave the accession records for these relinquished objects online and visible to the public with notations of <i>"Deaccessioned by The Metropolitan Museum of Art for return to the Kingdom of Cambodia, 2023 or Deaccessioned by The Metropolitan Museum of Art for return to the Kingdom of Thailand, 2023." </i>This action promotes transparency and accountability in the global effort to combat the illicit trade of cultural artefacts.</div><div><br /></div><div>One small step for a single museum, one giant leap for museum archival documentation. </div><div><br /></div><div>By: Lynda Albertson</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-56648188790972176492023-12-11T13:18:00.006+01:002023-12-11T13:23:05.173+01:00Preserve the Past, Shape the Future: ARCA's Postgraduate program in Art Crime and Cultural Heritage Protection is now accepting applications<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGUsrvp4KKjdeIA0PmlSnLMESQTWocBVFYBlwDfMyXpH8X_qkrujwCxAdxIhD_ZxSDDVY8dXWhbXwjv3ADv-g1-Ahqd6b4oIOMc7xgRPUp7rPwAPrLUSOAVWSdmfkZ6IVgUxrSdO87WvkJgu0ZPykA8cSnDdmMSb9v7a-Zo3RC6H3R5jbb6J-Y3Ty85hg/s1528/ARCA%202024%20-%20Madonna%20Poster.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="1528" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGUsrvp4KKjdeIA0PmlSnLMESQTWocBVFYBlwDfMyXpH8X_qkrujwCxAdxIhD_ZxSDDVY8dXWhbXwjv3ADv-g1-Ahqd6b4oIOMc7xgRPUp7rPwAPrLUSOAVWSdmfkZ6IVgUxrSdO87WvkJgu0ZPykA8cSnDdmMSb9v7a-Zo3RC6H3R5jbb6J-Y3Ty85hg/w400-h244/ARCA%202024%20-%20Madonna%20Poster.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">Who studies art crime?</span></b></div>
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<b>ARCA's Postgraduate program in Art Crime and Cultural Heritage Protection is now accepting applications.</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #660000;"><i><a href="https://www.artcrimeresearch.org/postgraduate-certificate-program-in-art-crime-and-cultural-heritage-protection/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">General applications will be accepted through 15 January 2024 subject to census</span> <span style="color: #660000;">limitations.</span></a></i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
In 2009, ARCA started the very first interdisciplinary program to study art crimes holistically.<br />
<br />The first of its kind, the summer, study-abroad programme was designed to give participants a unique opportunity to train intensively, in a structured and academically diverse format. Drawing on experts from around the globe, we designed the curriculum centering upon the the study of the dynamics, strategies, objectives and modus operandi of criminals and criminal organisations who commit a variety of art related crimes. </div>
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Turn on the news (or follow this blog) and you will see over and over again examples of museum thefts, forgeries, antiquities looting and illicit trafficking of cultural goods. Intentional heritage destruction and religion-based iconoclasm during armed conflict, once a modern-day rarity, has affected multiple countries and adds to regional instability in many areas of the globe. <br />
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Looted art, both ancient and Holocaust-related, can and often does find its way into the world's premiere auction houses and the galleries of respected museum institutions, while dealers working in the field continue to be less than adept at distinguishing smuggled and stolen art from art with a legitimately clean provenance. Thus making dealing with art crime an unrelenting problem and one without any easy solution.</div>
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Taken incident by incident, it is difficult to see the impact and implications of art crime as a global concern, but when studied across disciplines, looking at the gaps of legal instruments, country to country, one begins to have a clearer picture of the significance of the problem and its impact on the world's collective patrimony.<br />
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<b style="color: #990000;">The world's cultural heritage is an invaluable legacy and its protection is integral to our future. </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBQYVyvQVxfZ9ym_GCPzBQ1epCJjHfEUDjzmsZWJQG0XQaUM5uoN6EYqw5LPzrxmF63-ErHxvIHMAvUYlLJ-inZX16iNLzlk6E-xiC4LHlvZ66lyczNvczakUEGWbLz6Y9EkDp0ymXfg/s1600/joe.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBQYVyvQVxfZ9ym_GCPzBQ1epCJjHfEUDjzmsZWJQG0XQaUM5uoN6EYqw5LPzrxmF63-ErHxvIHMAvUYlLJ-inZX16iNLzlk6E-xiC4LHlvZ66lyczNvczakUEGWbLz6Y9EkDp0ymXfg/s320/joe.jpg" width="293" /></a><b>One summer, eleven courses.</b></div>
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<b style="color: #990000;"><br /></b>At its foundation, ARCA's summer-long program in Italy draws upon the overlapping and complementary expertise of international thought-leaders on the topic of art crime – all practitioners and leading scholars who actively work in the sector. </div>
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In 2024, participants of the program will receive 220+ hours of instruction over 11 courses taught by a range of experts actively committed to combatting art crime from a variety of different angles.</div>
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For more information on the summer 2024 postgraduate professional development program, please see ARCA's website <span style="color: #990000;"><a href="https://www.artcrimeresearch.org/postgraduate-certificate-program-in-art-crime-and-cultural-heritage-protection/" target="_blank">here. </a></span><br />
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To request further information or to receive a 2024 prospectus and application materials, please email: <br />
<span style="color: #990000;">education (at) artcrimeresearch.org</span></div>
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<b>Interested in learning more about the program? </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Write to us for an invite to attend our December 17th Zoom Q&A session at 8 pm (GMT+1).<br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYblL6oV6nBH8VPTI30uFyJYvVKxSHyosJiFRM1wVWBOcw-ZT2e-PCP7J-8u5GeEn-Y1OS6tBriHSXtD5RH0oo1Dt6MWo7ZM26gugDfTTc6dg32dpQlQVyyMnNydLX1OVKB6R0EiEkks/s1600/ARCA+2015+Students+with+Ellis.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYblL6oV6nBH8VPTI30uFyJYvVKxSHyosJiFRM1wVWBOcw-ZT2e-PCP7J-8u5GeEn-Y1OS6tBriHSXtD5RH0oo1Dt6MWo7ZM26gugDfTTc6dg32dpQlQVyyMnNydLX1OVKB6R0EiEkks/s400/ARCA+2015+Students+with+Ellis.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-19457748572160170402023-12-10T09:20:00.000+01:002023-12-10T09:20:18.697+01:00Acquittal and Mental Health Intervention: US Citizen Behind Israel Museum Vandalism Case<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEJUmYgPD2MEkDbia-a8EVTcMhnHPmT1I6qDgFzhs5bhX-0zIIiF38coQX4ZbGMhTB2kibuuUhjGc3IVBMDWA7pmiSKFFZUtT6yNeTdNO3V5U1WzLkSSo26JJ0MGPPsEuK_JQw9Arlo7eTuHdEp9Mh1tpOC3knSfhhCrvlD1lYAt7YMMoDEFO-aKM08NM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="822" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEJUmYgPD2MEkDbia-a8EVTcMhnHPmT1I6qDgFzhs5bhX-0zIIiF38coQX4ZbGMhTB2kibuuUhjGc3IVBMDWA7pmiSKFFZUtT6yNeTdNO3V5U1WzLkSSo26JJ0MGPPsEuK_JQw9Arlo7eTuHdEp9Mh1tpOC3knSfhhCrvlD1lYAt7YMMoDEFO-aKM08NM=w400-h261" width="400" /></a></div><p>In an unusual court ruling, the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court has acquitted forty-year-old Stephen Edward Porth, the American citizen from California who made headlines on October 5, 2023, for shattering two ancient artefacts at the Israel Museum.</p><p>Porth, who had traveled from the United States, was detained by museum security personnel and later police after intentionally knocking over a 201-211 CE Roman marble statue of a Griffon and a marble head of the goddess Athena from the Roman period. Both artefacts were housed in the classical archaeology section of the National Museum, showcasing statues from the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbaWnRl32hdWm9bPurgu-CEDcHsJnSwk0qn52BanMDVvW9__CdlHrpr70ijAjR5xJpSMnbWLslYCDhm-c5Tved5CFy1AqN2w4fM16yTe11PIzn5pwctM0C0rotxZkKmhrQIHuCVqqW2gpgPPeDC4DtFqIR7ou8DFsR7KQQw_sbQFBYwpAFOVZuVFixAbU" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1135" data-original-width="634" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbaWnRl32hdWm9bPurgu-CEDcHsJnSwk0qn52BanMDVvW9__CdlHrpr70ijAjR5xJpSMnbWLslYCDhm-c5Tved5CFy1AqN2w4fM16yTe11PIzn5pwctM0C0rotxZkKmhrQIHuCVqqW2gpgPPeDC4DtFqIR7ou8DFsR7KQQw_sbQFBYwpAFOVZuVFixAbU=w223-h400" width="223" /></a></div>Security cameras captured footage of the incident, revealing Porth, clad in religiously conservative clothing, shouting, <i>"You can’t have idols; it’s in the second commandment,"</i> a reference to the Book of Exodus in the Bible. Attempting to flee, he was apprehended by security guards and subsequently taken into custody by the police.<p></p><p>During his interrogation, Porth confessed to the acts of vandalism, and is stated to have expressed no remorse. He asserted that the statues contradicted his religious faith, deeming them <i>"statues of idolatry, contrary to the laws of the Torah." </i>The estimated damage totalled $1 million.</p><p>Intaking Perth to court, prosecutors allege the vandal acted cunningly and premeditatedly, choosing closing time to minimise the crowd. While police believed he intended to target more sculptures, his actions generated enough noise for museum staff to intervene. Porth's lawyer, Nick Kaufman, countered the claims of religious fanaticism, attributing his client's actions to a mental disorder he referred to as Jerusalem syndrome, a disorder, characterised by disorientation induced by the religious magnetism of Jerusalem, which is said to lead foreign pilgrims to believe they are figures from the Bible.</p><p>Ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, Porth's identity was initially withheld due to a gag order in October when the incident was first reported. Held in custody for failing to meet bail requirements, his recent acquittal by the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court is an unexpected turn. </p><p>Instead of a prison sentence, Porth has been diverted to involuntary hospitalization for four years—a duration mirroring the maximum prison sentence for the attributed offense. His case raises intricate questions about the intersection of religious convictions, mental health considerations, and the legal consequences of destructive actions, prompting reflection on the appropriate societal response to such incidents.</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-72293290152653190322023-12-08T09:24:00.006+01:002023-12-08T09:24:48.773+01:00Swiss art dealer Yves Bouvier and his former Russian client, oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev have settled their acrimonious business dispute<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIMye30yRz_KR5ajNk0WPiMnSiR1Ihn1z0O4nRbZbNH5uGjuwj3Gaz4puBb8bbxOgXj3C_iwvRugGF5m-1od-rzXYgjkU3L-smcVPpRF7xSEHSJpiul-dXoEfByWSp84ylNSLdkAxIO0r3dTXYgDY-gTMi4_2o2eXdl4JpsoCYyaFpVZ0ER1_-fH49AE/s480/Anne-Gae%CC%88lle%20Amiot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIMye30yRz_KR5ajNk0WPiMnSiR1Ihn1z0O4nRbZbNH5uGjuwj3Gaz4puBb8bbxOgXj3C_iwvRugGF5m-1od-rzXYgjkU3L-smcVPpRF7xSEHSJpiul-dXoEfByWSp84ylNSLdkAxIO0r3dTXYgDY-gTMi4_2o2eXdl4JpsoCYyaFpVZ0ER1_-fH49AE/s320/Anne-Gae%CC%88lle%20Amiot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Credit: Anne-Gaëlle Amiot</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Back in May 2013, Swiss businessman and freeport mogul, Yves Bouvier drew international interest when he negotiated a lower purchase price for </span><span style="text-align: justify;">the painting </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><i>“Salvator Mundi”</i></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> (Savior of the World), attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, </span><span style="text-align: justify;">from the artwork's consortium's sellers. After a short period of discussion, the businessman's offer of $83 million, via </span><span style="color: #990000; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/russian-tycoon-accuses-yves-bouvier-of-conducting-a-campaign-of-disinformation-as-us-fraud-investigation-called-off" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">a privately brokered sale proposal, was accepted by the sellers.</span></a></span></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="text-align: justify;">This transaction was closed by Sotheby's rainmaker, Sam Valette, a senior director and vice-chairman of private sales for the auction house. Known for his ability to generate large sums of money closing deals with high profile clients who seek total discretion outside the auction hall, Valette also, on occasion, wrote assessments on artworks for Bouvier. </span><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;">As the Swiss art dealer was known to buy works of art from Sotheby’s in his own name in furtherance of his art sales business. Valette purportedly was not aware of who Bouvier intended to sell the painting to. This suggested that as far as the auction house was concerned, Bouvier was not, in this instance, to their specific knowledge, acting as an agent for any buyer in particular when the Da Vinci transaction was finalised.</span><br style="text-align: justify;" /><br style="text-align: justify;" /><span style="text-align: justify;">Immediately after purchasing </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><i>“Salvator Mundi”</i></b><span style="text-align: justify;">, Bouvier flipped the oil painting to his then long-standing client, Dmitry Rybolovlev, a Russian oligarch whose fortune was built from his interests in </span><b style="text-align: justify;">Uralkali</b><span style="text-align: justify;">, one of the world's leading producers of potash fertiliser and one of Russia's largest chemical companies. Bouvier sold the Christ painting to the Russian for $127.5 million, $44 million more than he had purchased it for.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">But by March 2015 <span style="text-align: justify;">Rybolovlev had filed a series of lawsuits against </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Bouvier </span>in two countries: Hong Kong and Singapore, where he had begin accusing his former business associate of swindling him out of nearly $1 billion via the sale of some 38 works of art for 2.2 billion Swiss francs ($2.5 billion) in total. During that period, Rybolovlev's legal team succeeded in obtaining a “Mareva injunction”, a legal procedure authorising the near-instantaneous freezing of Yves Bouvier’s worldwide assets. He followed those up in 2017 and 2019 by filing two complaints in Geneva, Switzerland against Bouvier and his alleged “accomplices for gang fraud and money laundering.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="text-align: justify;">While the legal feud was still in full swing, </span><span style="text-align: justify;">the oligarch sold </span><span style="text-align: justify;">“Salvator at Christie's </span><span style="text-align: justify;">to Saudi Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan al-Saud i</span><span style="text-align: justify;">n November 2017</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">for $450.3 million. Shortly thereafter when </span><span style="text-align: justify;">the buyer was announced, news reports declared that the painting would be publicly displayed on September 18, 2018, at the newly opened Louvre in Abu Dhabi. But that never happened. </span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;">By December 2019 Dmitry Rybolovlev </span>long-running legal battle with the art dealer <span style="text-align: justify;">had begun to seriously fizzle. First, before the Monaco appeals court, after he himself was charged in relation to a probe into influence peddling and corruption involving </span>Monegasque government officials, and allegedly justice minister, Laurent Anselmi who resigned during the scandal. <span style="text-align: justify;">Then things went quiet, with both sides apparently in private negotiations, working towards a settlement. </span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;">On November 20th the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Geneva was informed that </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Rybolovlev and </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Bouvier</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> had formally </span>buried the hatchet and according to their respective lawyers, the pair <span style="text-align: justify;">were no longer at logger heads </span>regarding their past business dealings. </div><div><br /></div><div>Having <span style="text-align: justify;">reaching an undisclosed agreement, which</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> included the withdrawal of all complaints launched by Yves Bouvier and Dmitry Rybolovlev, as well as those concerning Tania Rappo and Tetiana Bersheda, the former lawyer of the Russian billionaire and a </span><span style="text-align: justify;">settlement agreeing that the civil case against Bouvier in Singapore will also be terminated </span><i style="text-align: justify;">"the parties requested that no further action be taken in the criminal proceedings and indicated that they would not be opposed to the case being closed.” </i></div><div><i style="text-align: justify;"><br /></i></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.heidi.news/suisse/affaire-bouvier-rybolovlev-un-accord-met-fin-a-la-procedure-genevoise" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">In a press release published this Thursday, December 7, 2023, the Geneva justice system announced the dismissal of the lengthy proceedings,</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> </span></span><span style="text-align: justify;">stating in part: </span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><div><br /></div><div><i>"The Public Prosecutor's Office closed the procedure for the first time on September 15, 2021 on the grounds that the elements constituting the offences had not been fulfilled and that a procedure, relating to the same facts, had been carried out in Monaco. </i><i>"</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>"In a ruling dated 26 July 2022, the Criminal Appeal Division of the Court of Justice overturned this decision and referred the case back to the Public Prosecutor's Office to resume the investigation. Following this ruling, the Public Prosecutor's Office conducted a number of hearings, which did not provide any evidence to raise sufficient suspicion against the defendants."</i></div></span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;">The prosecution does require Bouvier to pay 100,000 Swiss francs in court costs.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-3011782392733365742023-12-06T09:20:00.007+01:002023-12-06T13:41:21.169+01:00New York Authorities return 41 smuggled historical artefacts, dating from the 7th century BCE to the 7th century CE to Turkey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8_paW4tCTQkaGI9Ji6A14Ia7e-fTUqV0UoTLdXQ_09fzflUNoIosh9b7EbxKYgHti_tYdcTTfx13eDTPXDCu9U39i06AHM9lPR9QLrv7idKPYVqlDqGhhp9avSn7TITSHivJbF3w57Oxbp9eBIVEDKfAk3dd8Iu2ymUqBX7yZP6KJ880r0ZWxSg_plg/s1838/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%2008.42.49.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1138" data-original-width="1838" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8_paW4tCTQkaGI9Ji6A14Ia7e-fTUqV0UoTLdXQ_09fzflUNoIosh9b7EbxKYgHti_tYdcTTfx13eDTPXDCu9U39i06AHM9lPR9QLrv7idKPYVqlDqGhhp9avSn7TITSHivJbF3w57Oxbp9eBIVEDKfAk3dd8Iu2ymUqBX7yZP6KJ880r0ZWxSg_plg/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%2008.42.49.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>Yesterday a ceremony was held with officials from the Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey in New York, where H.E. Gökhan Yazgı, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism for the country <a href="https://manhattanda.org/d-a-bragg-announces-return-of-41-antiquities-to-the-people-of-turkiye/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">received back 41 smuggled historical artefacts, dating from the 7th century BCE to the 7th century CE recovered based on investigations conducted in New York by the Antiquities Trafficking Unit attached to the New York District Attorney's Office in Manhattan and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations division</span></a>. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='376' height='313' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwEgNDOpBi3R0glfvh8iUuVorwD4QRbivmOgST90D-E9osMDRiyTxoib_I_08YYNzRN5zyeihXd2sosDs2reg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Video Credit: <span style="text-align: left;">Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey</span></div><p></p><p><b>The works returned and exhibited at the New York Turkish House include:</b></p><p>The heads of 22 delicate Anatolian marble idols of the Kiliya type from the Chalcolithic period.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWC1bqlJyScfU0Q8dx9B6WCKRERzjNt6e8nybQsc9O67nY022siSfqo1b70u1Ynp2DGsXbLBKPiDT7PqzjZaQk8tUTwDK2vlxUsBq1PIolkeMiYz2IsrT5KLF3qViC5u_CU2TRYHZIJkV1ompuQwoT3hH5tUpDSEqY1RmMFNDk01OqNXpgKPxRIl3klvM/s2244/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%2008.48.09.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="2244" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWC1bqlJyScfU0Q8dx9B6WCKRERzjNt6e8nybQsc9O67nY022siSfqo1b70u1Ynp2DGsXbLBKPiDT7PqzjZaQk8tUTwDK2vlxUsBq1PIolkeMiYz2IsrT5KLF3qViC5u_CU2TRYHZIJkV1ompuQwoT3hH5tUpDSEqY1RmMFNDk01OqNXpgKPxRIl3klvM/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%2008.48.09.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>Intact and fragmented bronze sculptures, including two Heads of the Roman emperor Caracalla and the Bust of a Lady, which had been looted from Boubon, the ancient region known as the Cibyratis some 20 km south of Gölhisar, near the village İbecik in the Turkish province of Burdu. This site was extensively looted in the 1960s.</p><p>The two heads—one depicting a younger Caracalla previously held in the collection of the Fordham Museum of Art and the other featuring an older Caracalla from the Metropolitan Museum of Art had been confiscated in March 2023. </p><p>According to investigations conducted at the New York District Attorney's Office in Manhattan, the 160-180 CE Bust of a Lady was initially removed from Boubon and later transported to Switzerland via the now-deceased American antiquities dealer, Robert Hecht, where it was later purchased by the Worcester Art Museum, where it was exhibited until its confiscation in June 2023.</p><p>Some of these pieces had been in circulation via Jerome Eisenberg of Royal Athena Gallery and Michael L. Ward of Michael Ward & Co.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2ehv6vXteRj8jng7ITgqwbskr_uy8WN-furV47b3cYtJ0h3LMcQbaaA6EgiIYnku0vb6IZPuSG1rS-16-NA1ONO8a6J3pS2KiRsu7S9fuOfXgRm-13C97QGMX5jjIGMfnc-Ha-jhrAMZqE7EpPn1ngkUwkHIozXZN4bdLf201OF5Gyd-O9FTIF3ZmPw/s4683/joined.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1358" data-original-width="4683" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2ehv6vXteRj8jng7ITgqwbskr_uy8WN-furV47b3cYtJ0h3LMcQbaaA6EgiIYnku0vb6IZPuSG1rS-16-NA1ONO8a6J3pS2KiRsu7S9fuOfXgRm-13C97QGMX5jjIGMfnc-Ha-jhrAMZqE7EpPn1ngkUwkHIozXZN4bdLf201OF5Gyd-O9FTIF3ZmPw/w400-h116/joined.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Other objects returned include various terracotta vessels, marble statuettes, and ancient armour.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVKAki25MTKENhSHe0ftw_k3uiFolRWp3kqaVuMAjmDBumzEKvUg_yvvKJ9_yQUTmsRmpSFQRygcbxKTPJ_teC_U0f7xZBooYkUa3OjOU1rfp0M3DBpyDJHrUgIu-p-p2uBWwK6cYXcba9s4hmOetYswLJiyrA8elQNYMA7P8f8GuTTuGjhOx4J1hN1Ww" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1084" data-original-width="1600" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVKAki25MTKENhSHe0ftw_k3uiFolRWp3kqaVuMAjmDBumzEKvUg_yvvKJ9_yQUTmsRmpSFQRygcbxKTPJ_teC_U0f7xZBooYkUa3OjOU1rfp0M3DBpyDJHrUgIu-p-p2uBWwK6cYXcba9s4hmOetYswLJiyrA8elQNYMA7P8f8GuTTuGjhOx4J1hN1Ww=w400-h271" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Turkey's Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Gökhan Yazgı thanked the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and its team as well as HSI-ICE for cooperating with Turkish institutions in the recovery of these artefacts, emphasising these returns were the fruits of a “hard-working and dedicated team” within the relevant institutions of the two countries, collaborating for 5 years, which has resulted in the return of these cultural assets. </div></div><p>Image and Video Credits: Fatih Aktaş - Anadolu Agency</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-29279161855753380882023-12-03T15:54:00.001+01:002023-12-09T11:22:48.695+01:00Claiming Legacies: Italy, Germany, and the Post-WWII Ownership Battle for the Discobolus<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhby0o6HEYOe1kLPE6rxsy6lMMeQs3O-OmzWd4DVCDcFVaurqX-p_1RTxcGYHOrjJrcQFfi6AWEPVKyRsGf-gujcq_fhFqj_zBe_S_EqpDJYUuSWLULk5rNZ1u5ld8vNmf1Wao5zde5VeVTR23UZGA4UyTcf8kI9OhYKEIcaZxBehSgC_TBLtd1XVKdRTk/s2929/Arte%20Liberata%201937-1947-%20Masterpieces%20Saved%20from%20War.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2776" data-original-width="2929" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhby0o6HEYOe1kLPE6rxsy6lMMeQs3O-OmzWd4DVCDcFVaurqX-p_1RTxcGYHOrjJrcQFfi6AWEPVKyRsGf-gujcq_fhFqj_zBe_S_EqpDJYUuSWLULk5rNZ1u5ld8vNmf1Wao5zde5VeVTR23UZGA4UyTcf8kI9OhYKEIcaZxBehSgC_TBLtd1XVKdRTk/w400-h379/Arte%20Liberata%201937-1947-%20Masterpieces%20Saved%20from%20War.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Credit: Exhibition Arte Liberata 1937-1947: Masterpieces Saved from War.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>This past week Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper stirred up a long-standing dispute between Italy's National Roman Museum and Germany's Antikensammlungen state antiquities collection regarding who is the rightful owner of the Discobolus Lancellotti, also known as the Discobolus Palombara. Frozen in a moment of dynamic tension, much like the ownership debate, the marble depiction of an athlete stands as a remarkable example of the classical aesthetics that characterised the ancient world. </p><p>Believed to be a 2nd Century CE marble copy modelled after the original bronze Greek masterpiece created by Myron of Eleutherae around 450 BCE, the Roman version has endured through the centuries and offers its viewers a fascinating glimpse into the Roman's appreciation for the athletes and artistry of the Greeks, as well as the contentious nature of provenance. The statue depicts the sportsman frozen in a moment of athletic intensity, poised like a coiled spring wound in high tension, to intricately render the disk thrower's musculature and balance. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JOkO4HbOyrQK5ZPPKFb_oQHlpXWlceHcLYGqTGp7h74eLt8jwC8QDN3fR9Kfdms3gE1l3JMNrnIQGMSx0foMxtXx51lWwP1gvmbwgZhUUiP4k53r-3nQcC6hCiVSKMeE9feh8ZgVrmn0bkYRxEeRvEzt1dSccX5hmzcRvPiiN5O7AWZRHT93yOr3A0Q/s2048/Discobolus%20Palombara%20anatomy.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1535" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JOkO4HbOyrQK5ZPPKFb_oQHlpXWlceHcLYGqTGp7h74eLt8jwC8QDN3fR9Kfdms3gE1l3JMNrnIQGMSx0foMxtXx51lWwP1gvmbwgZhUUiP4k53r-3nQcC6hCiVSKMeE9feh8ZgVrmn0bkYRxEeRvEzt1dSccX5hmzcRvPiiN5O7AWZRHT93yOr3A0Q/w300-h400/Discobolus%20Palombara%20anatomy.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The anatomy of the discobolus, <br />as drawn by the talented @PaulCarneyArts</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Rediscovered on the Esquiline Hill in Rome on March 14, 1781 during an excavation carried out by workmen working for the Marquise Barbara Savelli Palombara (1750–1826) and her husband Papal postmaster Camillo Francesco Massimo (1730–1801), the statue was unearthed on the grounds of the 17th century Villa Palombara sull'Esquilino. There, the accidental archaeology of the diggers unearthed what would turn out to be an extraordinary collection of ancient artistic masterpieces, only one of which was the life-size, 156 centimetre-tall Discobolus. <p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieFI9AmyPj4Yjaq1Juocy5z-LRC0gj6aLxI3VWON_z5-DyNh0X9lm6FYx0sOdMA1oBSvXN9RsHunpmUdttC1JTij5a9qVLMpnTBD0L4VmBZm7UaqsOrf2Qv2_G1npY8_QQNlN2rVqB9vpSd4NqZ3NzJjJz534Amc3xYcdQvqPVI3Nxy_gfnYJMG6I1-fY" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="740" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieFI9AmyPj4Yjaq1Juocy5z-LRC0gj6aLxI3VWON_z5-DyNh0X9lm6FYx0sOdMA1oBSvXN9RsHunpmUdttC1JTij5a9qVLMpnTBD0L4VmBZm7UaqsOrf2Qv2_G1npY8_QQNlN2rVqB9vpSd4NqZ3NzJjJz534Amc3xYcdQvqPVI3Nxy_gfnYJMG6I1-fY=w400-h208" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ancient Villa Palombara in a map engraved by <br />Giovanni Battista Falda (1676).</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Initially cleaned in the 18th century by Giuseppe Angelini, it was Italian soon-to-be archaeologists Giovanni Battista Visconti and Filippo Waquier De La Barthe who first published on the<a href="https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_5Cl6U2LrFScC/page/n13/mode/2up?view=theater" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;"> the marble sculpture as a Roma copy of Muron's bronze original</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> </span>in 1801, augmenting their research with an illustration by Carlo Fea. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYQDWXgHOa9ZIrM7_997earJjrHbhW0bshcjTNoOGL9NlLEyVcrQpcSiMx2jE-p4AlO-Tr80hFS5Tzd0RRGLqxquZQN40zmvXg-roZjDsMw042ltQ6Amcc-82t38rAkMlhYDt541JZ1kVJn8V4xSBCYWTpJZjIQ-m0fqrJqj75LuSwRu60JG-Kz4wLrQ/s1484/Screenshot%202023-12-03%20at%2013.54.23.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="1484" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYQDWXgHOa9ZIrM7_997earJjrHbhW0bshcjTNoOGL9NlLEyVcrQpcSiMx2jE-p4AlO-Tr80hFS5Tzd0RRGLqxquZQN40zmvXg-roZjDsMw042ltQ6Amcc-82t38rAkMlhYDt541JZ1kVJn8V4xSBCYWTpJZjIQ-m0fqrJqj75LuSwRu60JG-Kz4wLrQ/w400-h314/Screenshot%202023-12-03%20at%2013.54.23.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>Depicting an athlete who competed in Greek agones (athletic competitions), the sculpture's popularity became uniquely recognisable, even to non art historians. Its discovery also provided us with a fascinating glimpse into the artistic preferences and lavish lifestyles of ancient Rome's elites, and marked a seminal moment in what we now know and understand about artistic preferences in the classical period. </p><p>Having reattached his right arm and left foot, the Discobolus sculpture was taken by the Massimo (later Lancellotti) family to Palazzo Massimo alle Colonne, the site of the family's ancestral properties, located on Via Papalis (now Corso Vittorio Emanuele II). There it was given its own private viewing room on the palazzo's <b><i>piano nobile</i></b> or main floor. Later, it would it be installed by Prince Filippo Massimo Lancellotti and Princess Elisabetta Borghese Aldobrandini at the Palazzo Massimo Lancellotti.</p><p>By January 1937 the Lancellotti family was actively shopping the sculpture for a new owner. Following the 25 January 1937 death of Princess Elisabetta Borghese Aldobrandini, we can document a 29 January 1937 letter written by Gisela Richter to The Metropolitan Museum of Art's director, Herbert E. Winlock, where the US museum director was alerted to the fact that the Discobolus had been shopped by <i>“the very difficult old lady at the head of the house”</i> to foreign museums. </p><p>Yet despite the Met's rather healthy and hastily-gathered purchase budget, capped at $300,000 including export fees, and with Joseph Brummer acting as the museum's purchasing agent through Roman antiquities’ dealers, Ettore and Augusto Jandolo, the Met moved too slowly and the marble sculpture was sold to the German state. As a consolation prize, the Met was still able to acquire a marquetry studiolo from Federico da Montefeltro’s palace in Gubbio which was sold by the Lancellotti family in 1937 to Adolph (Adolpho) Loewi, a German-Jewish art and antiquities dealer who flipped the piece to the Met before leaving Italy in 1939. </p><p><b>Germany's fascination with the Discobolus </b></p><p>Even before its purchase, the discobolus was firmly cemented in the hearts of Germans. More so when held up as the ideal in the rhetoric, propaganda, art, and architecture of National Socialism. This fascination can be seen in the evocative prologue of the 1936 film directed by Leni Riefenstahl <i>Olympia – Festival of Nations</i> which documented that summer's Olympics, held in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin during the Nazi period. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="363" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x6-0Cz73wwQ" width="437" youtube-src-id="x6-0Cz73wwQ"></iframe></div><p>Released in Germany on Hitler’s birthday on 20 April 1938, one month shy of the Nazis’ purchase of the statue, the film begins with a fanciful recreation of the ruins of the Acropolis of Athens, focusing in, with short clips, on a varying group of Greek statues before the montage concludes with a clearer image of the Discobolus as it gradually morphs into the ideal German athlete, Erwin Huber, who competed in the men's decathlon. His transformation was meant to illustrate the 'Vigour and beauty' of ancient Greece reborn in the athleticism and perfect physical form of modern Germany.</p><p><b>But back to the sale of the Discobolus</b></p><p>Bear in mind that in 1937 when Adolf Hitler first expressed interest in the Discobolus, Italy's cultural property was already protected by Law No. 364/1909, commonly referred to as the 'Rosadi-Rava Law. This law, approved by the Italian parliament, stated that when a good owned by an individual or a private entity is classified as cultural property, the owner remained under an obligation to preserve its integrity (Article 20(1)(a) of the CHC). Furthermore, an authorisation by the Ministry of Education was required before such objects could be moved from their current location, for example, for a showing at an exhibition (Article 20(1)(b) of the CHC)3 or for restoration (Article 20(4) of the CHC). </p><p>In the case of sale, a privately owned antiquity, classified as cultural property, might be sold, but the seller has an obligation to notify the contract to the Italian State within 30 days of the date of the sale. In case of sale, the State has a pre-emption right, to be exercised within 60 days of the date of receipt of the sale notice (Article 59 of the CHC), all this to say that cultural property of a historic interest to the stated should not have been exported from the national territory on a permanent basis. </p><p>Despite this, Benito Mussolini forced the hand of his then-Minister of Education, Giuseppe Bottai, by tacitly approving an export waiver to Adolf Hitler and not stepping in to deny the statue's export. On 18 May 1938 Galeazzo Ciano, Mussolini’s son in law and the Foreign Minister of Fascist Italy from 1936 to 1943, completed the sales transaction for the Discobolus. The selling price was five million lire, ($252,000, as calculated later by the US Office of Military Government [OMGUS]), paid out over the protests of Giuseppe Bottai, Minister of Education, and the scholarly community. The German government then paid an additional 1,485,000 lire in export tax to complete the acquisition. </p><p>On 29 June 1938 the Discobolus was shipped by train to Germany and was put on display at the Munich Glyptothek, with Hitler in attendance for its opening premiere on by 10 July 1938. Some say Hitler opted for the Munich museum over the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin as a technique of oneupmanship. One hundred years earlier, Ludwig I, the King of Bavaria, had sought to purchase the famous statue for his own collections. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8KNNSVNRC9ueDS2cUpGZEFS9A6J9dHDt2DxeGI8DhCYHvTmTD9PA01j7jwN_ZdoLTo6inOxy3Ygw7cSltjUfSdUW9aty9hyQVG0Vrw2W3CGq3311baUVXb7O6VgVX_KD2MHynP6xaVChokNfQq952CxrljAQ8Pe-uYy6Sj130hawrjH24RtE_3oq1I4/s700/Adolf%20Hitler%20in%20the%20Munich%20Glyptothek%20with%20the%20Lancellotti%20Discobolus,%2010%20July%201938.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="700" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8KNNSVNRC9ueDS2cUpGZEFS9A6J9dHDt2DxeGI8DhCYHvTmTD9PA01j7jwN_ZdoLTo6inOxy3Ygw7cSltjUfSdUW9aty9hyQVG0Vrw2W3CGq3311baUVXb7O6VgVX_KD2MHynP6xaVChokNfQq952CxrljAQ8Pe-uYy6Sj130hawrjH24RtE_3oq1I4/w400-h296/Adolf%20Hitler%20in%20the%20Munich%20Glyptothek%20with%20the%20Lancellotti%20Discobolus,%2010%20July%201938.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adolf Hitler in the Munich Glyptothek with the Lancellotti Discobolus, <br />10 July 1938 - Image Credit US Library of Congress</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The Lancellotti Discobolus then spent a decade in Germany, enduring the tumultuous period of World War II and escaping the heavy damage to the Glyptothek in the summer of 1944, when the museum was badly hit by Allied bombing raids. Thankfully, the bulk of the Glyptothek collection of sculptures and works of art had previously been brought to safety in monasteries. What had to be left behind, and not immediately destroyed by the bombing, suffered severe damage in the waning years before its restoration, as the cultural heritage institution was left without a roof. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYK2Zw3zLlLkoi5qZtAf5pn4h-GtIv6XrENirTQv2qhTVobVy90cBorkVVMSJMbSeE5StUeYLRmgV3BfWi-OqfthI5WPHMGvrPoz-8REA12HAl0uDqoXte5zoOVFqAwr48leOnBdWoS29YPSVuZhkIIron2nVF1XeRxMiOeJSV8JY4hlgfKrGHz-uKnk/s1376/Screenshot%202023-12-03%20at%2015.22.42.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="1376" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYK2Zw3zLlLkoi5qZtAf5pn4h-GtIv6XrENirTQv2qhTVobVy90cBorkVVMSJMbSeE5StUeYLRmgV3BfWi-OqfthI5WPHMGvrPoz-8REA12HAl0uDqoXte5zoOVFqAwr48leOnBdWoS29YPSVuZhkIIron2nVF1XeRxMiOeJSV8JY4hlgfKrGHz-uKnk/w400-h279/Screenshot%202023-12-03%20at%2015.22.42.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The remains of the Roman Hall of the Munich Glyptothek in 1945</td></tr></tbody></table>.<br /><div>After the war, the Discobolus was ordered to be returned to Italy, as part of a broader repatriation effort termed the “Exceptional Return of Works of Art” by Allied authorities. Rodolfo Siviero, Italy's postwar representative dedicated to repatriating art taken from the country since 1937, was known to have played a pivotal role in advocating for the return of the marble statue and other contentious works of art. These pieces, all acquired by the National Socialist government, were contested on the grounds that the export permits were illegal, and in violation of the law of 1909. </div><div><br /></div><div>But the return of the Discobolus was not without its controversies. On Germany's side, letters of protest were sent to the U.S. Secretary of State, as well as to President Truman. One of these was signed by thirty-six German staff members working at the Munich Central Collecting Point (CCP). Another letter of protest, organised by a professor at the University of Munich, was signed by eighty-eight German officials. </div><div><div><br /></div><div>Calls for the decision's repeal were subsequently directed to the colonial authority known as the Office of Military Government, United States, (OMGUS) in Berlin and ultimately culminated in the resignation of Herbert S. Leonard, in November 1948, from his position as director of the Munich Central Collecting Point (CCP). Leonard having resigned in opposition to OMGUS's fixed decision to return seventeen paintings and the sculpture to the Italian government.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Italian authorities have always maintained that the collection was seized by Fascist leaders and gifted to the Nazis. While Leonard and others working on the provenance of objects held at the collecting point pointed to the fact that sculpture had been purchased by Nazi Germany in 1938 after Mussolini declared an "axis" between Germany and Italy on 1 November 1936 and prior to the start of World War II on 31 August 1939 and was therefore <b><i>not</i></b> an under duress sale.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once back in Italy, in 1948, the Discobolus became part of the collection of the National Roman Museum at Palazzo Massimo. More recently it has been part of an exhibition at the Scuderie del Quirinale titled <i style="font-weight: bold;">Arte Liberata 1937-1947: Capolavori Salvati dalla Guerra </i>dedicated to the theme of cultural heritage at risk during World War II. Afterwards, following a major reorganisation which is anticipated to take three years, the statue is expected to be moved permanently to Palazzo Altemps, close to Piazza Navona. As for whose property the statue is, well I will leave that debate to the lawyers. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNpbTBmVAHAPwogAKYkWmIbHo-_ZMY37OUuPy8Dl4nVZMT9XTEDX23cqrmChmjOM0TvBH9UWy6MDaUzQbccJWCwVzcbVZjfc-HveCDHwdWuTZUFclwf7FjNaxQRFkZVGpQIQGxMWC7F-eCVTd1Wg_6uqHO_moOc2MTiEsRGyT5189kL5ElqSY3tH634E8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1707" data-original-width="2560" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNpbTBmVAHAPwogAKYkWmIbHo-_ZMY37OUuPy8Dl4nVZMT9XTEDX23cqrmChmjOM0TvBH9UWy6MDaUzQbccJWCwVzcbVZjfc-HveCDHwdWuTZUFclwf7FjNaxQRFkZVGpQIQGxMWC7F-eCVTd1Wg_6uqHO_moOc2MTiEsRGyT5189kL5ElqSY3tH634E8=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br />By: Lynda Albertson</div><div><br /></div><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3425507272157287074.post-65854653936726804392023-11-27T15:44:00.005+01:002023-11-27T15:50:02.629+01:00Marking the return of 12 pieces to Libya recovered from Spanish gallerist Jaume Bagot of J. Bagot Arqueología<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpkL8znBOW-M74rUMhPI4go_fm79U8V0XtH-AeEN8XeutN79TukwZ4G5uRhROgSa4id3TBivTVBRvukNf3l13l-ykRbMdG0gbM9S1BfndZGIBqCgqHttdX1PtHiL88d3kjjCJxM6-XpPEimK_Tf0xrbOX0867-A6nIhDh7BHg6ToHo2gcSIDVuloKwM8g" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpkL8znBOW-M74rUMhPI4go_fm79U8V0XtH-AeEN8XeutN79TukwZ4G5uRhROgSa4id3TBivTVBRvukNf3l13l-ykRbMdG0gbM9S1BfndZGIBqCgqHttdX1PtHiL88d3kjjCJxM6-XpPEimK_Tf0xrbOX0867-A6nIhDh7BHg6ToHo2gcSIDVuloKwM8g" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Credit: Archaeology IN - Libya</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>Following the order of the Central Court of Investigation number 6 of Madrid on 24 November 2023, it was announced last week that Spain had <i><b>provisionally delivered</b></i> a grouping of antiquities including four marble sculptures and eight mosaics, recovered during Operación Harmakis to the Libyan authorities at the country's embassy in Spain. </p><p>Hardly covered in the English speaking press, the pieces were formally transferred at a ceremony held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Madrid, the pieces were delivered to Mohamed Alfaloos, the general director of Museums and Archeology of Libya, and representatives of the ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs. Seized during investigations conducted by Spain's law enforcement authorities, each of the artefacts has been earmarked by the Court as having been looted in the North African country, coming from Balagrae (modern day al-Bayda), Apollonia (modern day Marsa-Susa), and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Cyrene (near modern day Shahhat). They will remain at the Libyan embassy in Madrid, in the custody of the Libyan ambassador to Spain, Walid Abu Abdulla, as per the court's ruling, until the legal case surrounding them has concluded. </p><p>The recovery of these artefacts dates back to late March 2018, when, after three years of investigations involving some fifty law enforcement officers, including the Spanish Policía Nacional, the UDEV Central de la Comisaría General de Policía Judicial and the UCIE de la Comisaría General de Información formal charges were brought against ancient art dealer Jaume Bagot and his partner Oriol Carreras Palomar. During which, the pair were taken into custody under suspicion for their alleged participation in a crime of financing terrorism, belonging to a criminal organisation, concealment of contraband and use of forgery for their roles in facilitating the sale of illicit antiquities.</p><p>During the 2018 Harmakis action, five property searches were conducted, three in Barcelona and two in Argentona, with police inspecting a restoration studio, a deposit/warehouse where the artworks were stored, Bagot's residence and his Barcelona art gallery and the home of Oriol Carreras Palomar. During the execution of these search warrants, artefacts from multiple countries and circulation documentation were retained by police as evidence in a criminal investigation. </p><p>On March 28th of that same year, the Policía Nacional in Barcelona released a video which depicts part of the searches in which some of the objects sequestered during their investigation can be identified. In this opensource video, some of the mosaics handed over to the Libyan authorities can be seen beginning at 0.38 seconds into the video. In addition, the marble head of Demeter is depicted from 0.58 until its boxing at 1.11 and the Roman togatus can be seen at 1.19. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="330" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/irvwKCHSf4E" width="397" youtube-src-id="irvwKCHSf4E"></iframe></div><p>Answering to the charges in Spain, Jaume Bagot and Oriel Carreras appeared before Judicial Magistrate Diego de Egea of the Central Court of Instruction Number 6 of the National Court on March 26, 2018 where each were formally informed of the allegations and charges pending against them. During the hearing the magistrate granted both men release pending trial, while imposing a financial surety (bond) of €12000 and a series of pretrial release conditions which include the forfeiture of their passports, a mandate to remain within the territory of Spain, and biweekly court appearances as conditions of their release while awaiting trial.</p><p>Standing by the all too familiar, <b><i>I didn't know</i></b> approach, which has, for so long, contributed to some of the challenges of prosecuting individuals for the illegal trafficking of cultural objects, Bagot pleaded his innocence in handling blood antiquities in an March 30, 2018 interview with Crónica Global Media. When asked the carefully-worded question --Do you claim not to have <b><u>bought any objects from sellers in Iraq, Libya or Syria</u></b>? The Spanish dealer responds cleverly:</p><p><i><a href="https://cronicaglobal.elespanol.com/vida/20180330/nunca-vida-comprado-piezas-irak-libia-siria/295970411_0.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">Never in life. What they intend in the Civil Guard report - to which I have not had access because it is confidential - is to make the judge see that I transported these objects or that I was in charge, through third parties, of moving them from a country. in a conflict zone to another country where there is legality to buy them legally in order to justify the operation.</span></a></i></p><p><i><a href="https://cronicaglobal.elespanol.com/vida/20180330/nunca-vida-comprado-piezas-irak-libia-siria/295970411_0.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">The police say that I have expressly arranged to buy an object in Libya, take it to Dubai and sell it in Spain. But this is not the case, I don't know any people from Libya, nor do I have any contacts in Libya or anything.</span></a></i></p><p>What the Barcelona dealer failed to acknowledge in his interview was that he has bought artefacts coming from conflict and post conflict countries, via intermediary sellers, in multiple countries, who are known for brokering the sales of ancient objects from countries plagued with political and civil upheaval including, in this case, funerary sculptures of Cyrene in Libya. This demonstartes, once again, that the routes laundered "blood antiquities" travel can be circuitous and that the international flow patterns conflict, and post conflict, antiquities travel often involve intermediary countries with willing middlemen. This allows bad acting dealers in market country galleries to profess their purchases to these third-parties were made in good faith. That is, until officers leading investigations gather evidence which proves definitively otherwise. </p><p>Let's not forget that the 10th section of the Rome court in Italy sentenced Jaume Peix Bagot to 4.5 years of incarceration for his handling & laundering of the second-century headless Roman sculpture depicting the Muse Calliope which had been stolen from actor Roberto Benigni's villa in 2010. That sculpture was identified in Spain with the dealer in April 2019 and was identified as part of a multinational investigation conducted by the Spanish authorities and Italy's Comando Carabinieri per la Tutela del Patrimonio Culturale who also recovered another sculpture in the posession of another Spanish dealer that had been stolen from Villa Borghese.</p><p>ARCA would like to close this blog post with a reminder to its collecting readers that the market for illicit antiquities operates within the framework of basic economic principles, where the scarcity of authentic material and supply and demand dynamics play a pivotal role in incentivising the clandestine trade in ancient artefacts. As the demand for antiquities by collectors, private investors, and museums increases, this buying power in turn stimulates profiteering individuals to acquire more and more material, sometimes sourcing artefacts through individuals who engage in, or turn a blind eye to, where, or who, a sellable object comes from.</p><p>Collectors of ancient art who acquire archaeological material without conducting thorough scrutiny of the sellers, especially when encountering seemingly too-good-to-be-true items like a Hellenistic Greek marble head from a war torn country, inadvertently fuel a perpetuating cycle of illegal activities. Unchecked acquisitions also contribute to the ongoing destruction of archaeological sites, posing a threat to the preservation of our historical record. </p><p>A more conscientious approach involves diligent research into the provenance and legal status of what a collector or museum are purchasing, accompanied by a proactive <b>"Know Your Seller"</b> strategy. This not only shields the purchaser from potential legal complications but also plays a pivotal role in disrupting the demand side of the illicit supply chain for cultural goods, particularly antiquities from conflict-ridden regions. </p><p>Responsible acquisition practices can and does empower collectors to contribute actively to the protection of global cultural heritage. By prioritising the preservation of our shared human history over profit, collectors wield significant influence in fostering an art market characterized by ethical values and a genuine commitment to cultural preservation.</p><p>By: Lynda Albertson</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0