The exhibit, which went online in the spring, consists of almost 4,000 digitized drawings, prints, photographs and sketches of historic Rome from the 16th to 20th centuries.
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| Kader Batcha |
The Idol Wing sleuths had on Monday arrested special sub-inspector N Subburaj, attached to the Koyambedu police station for allegedly robbing three idols from a man in Madurai at gunpoint with the help of Batcha when both were working in the Idol Wing in 2008. The duo threatened and assaulted two men who had stumbled upon the ancient idols in Madurai while ploughing the land. [...] After robbing the idols from Madurai, he and Subburaj brought three idols — Siva- Parvathy and Amman — to Chennai and sold two idols for `25 lakh to city dealer Dheenadayalan who was a well-known art dealer then. “It looks like Kader Batcha knew Dheenadayalan from 2005 and his illegal activities of smuggling out antique idols. So he used that contact to sell the idols of Siva - Parvathy which reached Subash Kapoor's gallery in Manhattan within a few weeks. A buyer from Bangkok purchased it from there,” a police official said.Anti-collector activists opposed to the private ownership of artifacts fail to see that many objects leave the country of origin through the activities of corrupt local officials.
Duncan Finch comments on the growing conviction in some circles that terrorist groups are being funded by money supplied by coin collectors: There are numerous 'well-meaning' people who keep claiming that groups like ISIS support themselves by smuggling works of art, including, of course, coins. When people active in numismatics ask where these supposed floods of rare coins (which finance so much) actually are, since there seems to no even vaguely abnormally flood of such things on the market, they are told, "oh, bad dealers are hiding them for 10/20 years until they are less hot." This implies that there are dealers or buyers who are happy to pay large amounts of money for things they cannot sell for up to 20 years, thus losing huge amounts of money in lost interest. How does this work do they think? Normal dealers now, if they buy a large group of coins, try to sell them off as fast as possible in order to make back their investment. This is because wholesale prices are usually very high. This can be compared to the old days, when Jacob Hirsch could buy the balance of the Rhousopoulos collection in 1905 at a price so low that he still had large numbers at his death in 1955, So if the supposed buyers from ISIS are buying coins now, they have to buy them at fantastically low prices, otherwise they will lose their shirts (or thobes as the case may be). Does this supply ISIS with vast sums of money (low, low wholesale)?. I bet that if these characters do find silver or gold coins they have them melted down to infinitely more convenient and readily salable bars of bullion.Mr Sayles confirms that the latter is the case:
Duncan; Thank you for sharing this rational view. I served in the U.S. Air Force for 20+ years and four of those years were in source countries where ancient coins were technically illegal to sell or purchase. In visiting the public market places, which was a popular off-duty pastime for many, it was not a bit unusual to find buyers and sellers of scrap metal. One could find objects of virtually every sort of metal just heaped in piles mainly by the composition of the item. I have on numerous occasions seen metal washtubs full of copper and bronze coins — from every era including the ancient past — being sold by the kilogram. What one does not see in those shops, are coins struck in precious metals. Not even coins completely devoid of images nor damaged beyond usefulness as collectables. I suspected, even then, that the coins with intrinsic value were being melted down and reworked into jewelry or other salable objects.This is confirmed by other distinguished observers with experience in the matter:
When I met Bill Spengler, after I had retired from the military, he confirmed that he had witnessed that same activity in the bazaars of Afghanistan and Pakistan where he served with the U.S. State Department as Consular General. He actually observed ancient and medieval coins being melted down for that purpose — sometimes an entire hoard of coins being lost, along with the knowledge that could have been extracted and preserved by a reasonable antiquities policy and legitimate market. The problem, of course, is that ideological, political and diplomatic interests always have outweighed reason and probably always will.
Brian Daniels, of the Smithsonian Institution and one of the expert witnesses invited to testify, suggested during the hearing that some of the bigger claims of how much wealth ISIS and Al-Qaeda have pulled in from looting art are overblown. Those estimates, which range up into the billions of dollars, are difficult to corroborate, said Daniels. In particular, Daniels argued that the problem is seen too much through the lens of trade, rather than financial crimes such as money laundering.In other words it is not collectors or respectable antiquities dealers that are the problem, but money launderers. This is the problem that needs to be addressed - rather than acceding to the demands of those that would like to put an end to collecting. More attempts to smear the art market follow:
The panel also touched at times on instances of domestic art smuggling—in particular from traditional Native American burial grounds. Like the international crime rings, the experts indicated that they believe that the domestic illegal art trade is also often linked to organized drug trafficking, particularly in methamphetamine.
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| Gypsum facade saved from Moslem wreckers |
The five sites included Leptis Magna in the city of Al-Khums, the ancient city of Sabratah, the city of Cyrene in Shahat, the rock art site of the Akakus Mountain in the far south of Libya and the ancient city of Ghadames. The GTA said in a statement that these sites were registered on the danger list without any regulatory, legal or logical actions, in the absence of Libyan government representation, both in the 39th session that took place in the German capital Bonn in 2015, or in the 40th session held in 2016 in Istanbul. The statement called on state authorities, Libya's representative to the United Nations, civil society institutions and the municipalities that locate these cultural sites to shoulder their responsibilities and take necessary measures to protect and preserve cultural heritage found in the Libyan territory. The GTA also urged all World Heritage organizations concerned led by UNESCO to play their part and encourage affirmative actions that will ensure the protection of these sites in accordance with the provisions of the World Heritage Convention.It seems that the archeologists of UNESCO are overreaching in their attempts to show that Libya's heritage is 'ëndangered" by looters and this has been going on a long time (Libya's Antiquities Department refutes UNESCO report on Leptis Magna August 07, 2016) -
the city is totally secured and UNESCO’s decision was baseless. Archaeologist Ezzedin Fagi, told The Libya Observer on Saturday that upon touring Leptis Magna, one can see that there are none of the vandalism or sabotage acts the UNESCO talked about when it decided to put the archaeological site on the “in danger list” in Istanbul conference,, saying the Control Committee is carrying out anastylosis works in the site so that it maintains the glamour of the city. “What we’re doing to preserve Leptis Magna should place it on the list for top world heritage sites not on the World Heritage in Danger List.” Fagi added, pointing out that the UNESCO placed five Libyan archaeological sites on the “in danger” list even though there was not a single Libyan representative in the Istanbul Conference. He also confirmed that the ancient city of Sabratha and old town of Ghadames, both were also placed by UNESCO in the danger list, are in good condition.It seems clear that the deceptions of UNESCO are to pave the way for yet another anti-collecting campaign.
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| Theater at Sabratha, Libya. Photo by Vince Michael for GHF. |
It remains to be seen how a country with two competing governments, that is over-run by militias and which remains in danger from ISIS can meet its obligations under UNESCO and the CPIA to protect and preserve is own cultural property let alone that which may be repatriated from the US under the terms of any agreement. Libya needs our help, but that help should be focused on protecting its world class archaeological sites from the depredations of ISIS and other radical Islamic groups. Turning US Customs loose to seize and forfeit "undocumented" "Libyan" artifacts will only harm legitimate trade and the appreciation for Libya's ancient cultures. It certainly won't help protect Libyan archaeological sites and museums from their greatest threat, which is hammer and explosive wielding religious fanatics.The total blindness of the opponents of collecting to such threats is disturbing, to say the least.
If Libya fails to meet its Unesco obligations, which looks highly likely, what then? I'll wager the same idiots who denigrate US foreign policy at every opportunity and US collectors in particular, will demand US military action. In other words, they will expect, nay demand, US troops to risk their lives to save ancient monuments, museums, and other Libyan cultural icons. Far better in my view, that those in the archaeology circus, strap on a four foot long piece of timber to strengthen their backbones, and go and do their own dying and fighting. If Libya's heritage is that important to them, let them die for it.I think we all wish them all dead anyway. Of course they may try to get our young men to do the job for them by claiming that Libyan heritage is being used to generate ISIS dollars.
the continued hype about the supposed value of ISIS looted material ($80 million!) as well as surprising claims that cultural heritage preservation fights terrorism and fosters minority rights seem calculated to sway Trump Administration and Congressional budget officials as much as anything else. [...] If anything, the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) should be subject to serious scrutiny from appropriators given the $900,000 taxpayer costs of ASOR's cooperative agreement with the State Department, ASOR's efforts to lobby on issues related to that same contract, and the continuing efforts of ASOR members to hype the value of looting by ISIS long after other, more disinterested sources have questioned such hype.We need to drain the swamp and clear the air around Foggy Bottom.
Most of the artifacts he collected were an assortment of pottery, bowls, and ladles, mostly from ancestral Puebloans, as well as some rare necklaces and beadwork, when he was working as an archaeologist in the 1980s. “Back then, you could buy those items at a flea market,” Reynolds said. “They all came from legal places, but at some point I figured it wasn’t right that they should be bought, so I just stopped.” [...] Larry Young, manager at Animas Mini Storage who alerted Reynolds, said there hasn’t been a theft at the storage facility for about seven or eight years. While there is a secured gate, there is no surveillance footage that would help in identifying the thieves, he said. “Nothing else (at the storage facility) was taken,” Young said. “It’s kind of like someone knew he had it in there.”This is upsetting for two reasons. the first is those who insist that collectors reveal what they own and where it comes from are clearly unable to appreciate the security risk involved in revealing such information. What comes out very clearly in this story is the need for increased security and secrecy, not splashing information out in the public domain, it is a matter of protecting your property.
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| They are Laughing at US |
More than 150 years after British and French troops sacked and razed the Summer Palace, in Beijing, the incident is regularly revisited in the Chinese press. Articles usually appear around the October anniversary of the destruction, after yet another announcement of plans to catalog looted antiquities now overseas, or when Summer Palace items appear at foreign auction houses. As well as their incomplete and inaccurate descriptions of the palace and its destruction, these stories often contain transparently false accusations against foreign institutions holding collections of Chinese treasures, as well as unsustainable claims of a legal right to them and demands for their uncompensated return. Even the most outrageously distorted claims often go unrefuted by timid governments and cultural institutions, perhaps for fear of complicating more important diplomatic negotiations or voiding loan arrangements and cultural exchanges. [...] Requests for a response to the Chinese campaign for repatriation of just about anything Chinese, with its insinuation that even legally purchased items are loot, are answered slowly, if at all.This climate of fear should not be tolerated. After detailing a whole series of lies by the Chinese government intended to wrong-foot those who argue for a more international approach to cultural property, the text ends:
During the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, Red Guards confiscated 613,600 antiques and jade pieces from their Beijing owners in just one month, according to the book Mao’s Last Revolution (2008), few of which were ever seen again. More than 70 per cent of 6,843 officially designated places of cultural or historical interest in the city were destroyed, and what remained or had been rebuilt of the Summer Palace sustained further damage. According to SACH itself, destruction in recent times has continued apace. Of about 225,000 historic sites in China on an incomplete list compiled in 1982, 30,995 had disappeared by 2009. That foreign destruction, looting and purchase of China’s cultural heritage is statistically insignificant compared with the towering catastrophe the Chinese have achieved for themselves does not provide any excuse for it. The Greeks, the Egyptians and the people of Benin in West Africa are among others pressing more honestly for the return of “stolen” antiquities, and engaging in debate. It’s long past time certain museums also stood up for their own reputations and against Chinese propaganda, and demanded that accurate and complete accounts be given of both historical events and existing collections.The author is to be commended for all his hard work and incisive cutting through the slanty-eyed lying to reveal the truth about the Chinese campaign against western museums and collectors.The article is too long to adequately summarize here at this point in time, maybe I will return to some of the stories discussed later as they certainly do deserve to be better known among collectors. We have an import restrictions MOU with these people which is based on lies like this. Collectors should make it their business to make sure the China MOU is cancelled or at least not prolonged.
"a great story about the efforts of Virginia State authorities, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and CNG, Inc. to find the owner of a box of ancient coins that had been lost. A happy ending about how government officials and private industry worked together to reunite a collector with his collection".Given the comments of the opponents of collecting who point to an inability to provide documentation of provenience as one of the flaws of the trade they wish to ban, I think it rather sad that this case shows that when they really want to, dealers can work out years afterwards who they SOLD coins to, but when asked by collectors to supply that information do not have proper records where those coins came from... I think when we see something like that, it does make you ask yourself why that should be and whether our critics do not have to some extent a point. It all seems rather amateurish.
The drafters of the CPIA contemplated that import restrictions would give breathing space for source countries to get their own house in order, but they were never supposed to go on forever. Yet, the State Department and US Customs have extended import restrictions on Peruvian goods for the fourth time. ("Import Restrictions Without End").I am no expert but am not sure that this matches the stated aim of the program:
The expanding worldwide trade in objects of archaeological and ethnological interest has led to wholesale depredations in some countries [...] Restrictions on importation are intended to reduce the incentive for pillage by discouraging the trade in undocumented cultural materials, and encouraging a legal trade in documented materials.It seems our government envisages this being a permanent effect rather than a temporary interim solution.
