El robo de una prueba de la originalidad artística guaraní | UltimaHora.com

El robo de una prueba de la originalidad artística guaraní

http://www.ultimahora.com/notas/500845-El-robo-de-una-prueba-de-la-originalidad-artistica-guarani

Februray 4, 2012

Correo Semanal | 15:46 | Viernes, 03 de Febrero de 2012

Estas piezas son muy importantes, ya que prueban la originalidad de los escultores guaraníes, a quienes los mismos jesuitas creían simples copistas, y que en este caso tallaron iconografías inexistentes en Europa.

Una de las obras de la colección, La Piedad. | Gentileza

Por Darko Sustersic

Investigador

Como autor del libro Imágenes Guaraní-Jesuíticas, Paraguay, Argentina y Brasil, publicado recientemente por el Museo del Barro, me siento consternado por la pérdida que significa la desaparición de parte de la Colección Duarte-Burró del Paraguay. Pero ese sentimiento no es solamente resultado de que en mi libro figuran varias piezas desaparecidas en el robo de la noche del 14 a 15 de enero último. Mi enorme preocupación y tristeza son consecuencia de que han desaparecido piezas de gran valor artístico y también afectivo, cuya calidad e importancia las vuelven irreemplazables, tanto para el corpus del patrimonio cultural paraguayo en general, como de la familia Duarte-Burró en particular, además de ser fundamentales para el estudio de la Historia de Arte de ese patrimonio y de los talleres donde esas obras se gestaron. Un ejemplo que ilustra esta afirmación es el de la bella Piedad del siglo XVII, donde la Virgen sostiene en sus brazos al Cristo Muerto y en cuya expresión de dolor contenido no hay vestigios de la retórica barroca que más tarde caracterizaría a buena parte de las imágenes misioneras jesuíticas del siglo XVIII. Tan notable como su sobria gestualidad es su estilo de pliegues típicos, que documenta el paso de los pliegues verticales y paralelos de las primitivas "estatuas horcones" a otras combinaciones, como son los pliegues horizontales paralelos que nos dan la sorpresa de la presencia de un estilo similar al de las "estatuas columnas" del arte arcaico griego, distante dos milenios de estas expresiones, entre las más auténticas de la cultura y estética guaraníes, en ambas versiones, la franciscana y la jesuítica. Otro valioso ejemplar es el Niño Jesús envuelto, que en la mencionada colección se exhibían dos y que parece se han salvado ambos.

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El robo de una prueba de la originalidad artística guaraní | UltimaHora.com

Temen el robo de los tesoros del Costa Concordia

http://www.lv7.com.ar/2012020358823/noticias/internacional/temen-el-robo-de-los-tesoros-del-costa-concordia.htm

Februray 4, 2012

En el crucero hundido en la costa mediterránea quedaron joyas y miles de objetos de arte. Temen que la Mafia use submarinos especializados para ir por el botín.

Temen que roben los tesoros del Costa Concordia. (Imagen: Web)

En la evacuación del Costa Concordia,pasajeros y tripulantes abandonaron casi todo a bordo del crucero: joyas, dinero, champán, antigüedades y miles de objetos de arte, incluyendo xilografías de un artista japonés de hace 300 años.

Ahora, un verdadero tesoro yace bajo las cristalinas aguas italianas en las que encalló el mes pasado el lujoso crucero.

Aunque algunos objetos casi seguramente van a desintegrarse, hay suficiente botín para tentar a cazadores de tesoros.

more: Temen el robo de los tesoros del Costa Concordia

Arnold Peter Weiss’ 46 donations to RISD Museum of Art | CHASING APHRODITE

Arnold Peter Weiss’ 46 donations to RISD Museum of Art

http://chasingaphrodite.com/2012/02/03/arnold-peter-weiss-46-donations-to-risd-museum-of-art/

Februray 4, 2012

The Rhode Island School of Design has provided a complete list of donations made by former museum chairman Arnold Peter Weiss, the Providence doctor and collector of ancient coins who was arrested in New York last month for possession of a coin he allegedly knew had been recently looted in Sicily. (See our earlier stories here, here andhere.)

Dr. Arnold Peter Weiss

Weiss donated 46 objects to the museum between 1997 and 2010, according to museum spokeswoman Donna Desrochers. Sixteen of those donations were ancient coins. We’ve posted the complete list of the Weiss donations, with images, here.

Below are the ownership histories for the ancient coins, with select images:

Six Lycian staters, 1997.42.1-6 cf. L. Mildenberg, “Mithrapata und Perikles,” Atti, Congresso Internazionale di Numismatica, Roma 11-16 Settembre 1961 (Rome 1965), 24, pl. 4; N. Olçay and O. Mørkholm, “The Coin Hoard from Podalia,” Numismatic Chronicle, 1971, nos. 26, 27, 414-418.

Stater of Locris Opuntia, 2001.81.1 ex CNG private purchase, 1999; ex US dealer; ex Edward Gans Collection, 1940s-50s

RISD 2001.81.2

Tetradrachm of Amphipolis, 2001.81.2 CNG Mail Bid Sale 49, 19 March 1999, lot 158 ex California collection, early 1970s-1990; ex English collection, 1940s

Decadrachm of Syracuse, 2001.81.3; ex CNG direct purchase; ex Zurich auction, late 1990s; ex Swiss collection, early 1900s

Tetradrachm of Amphipolis, 2007.89.1
ex Gemini III, 9 January 2007, lot 88; ex LHS Numismatik, auction 95, 25 October 2005, lot 559; ex MMAG auction XIX, 5-6 June 1959, lot 372; ex Charles Gillet Collection, Lausanne

RISD.2007.89.2

Stater of unknown Ionian mint, 2007.89.2
ex NFA auction XVIII, 1987, lot 95 ex von Hoffmann Collection; cf. Price, “A Field in Western Thrace” (Coin Hoards 2, no. 1, 1976)

Tetradrachm of Thebes, 2008.60.1
ex CNG Triton IX, BCD Boiotia Collection, 10 January 2006, lot 439; ex BCD Collection; ex MMAG XXII 1961 auction, lot 467

Tetradrachm of Rhodes, 2008.60.2
ex CNG Triton IX, 10 January 2006, lot 966; ex CNG Mail Catalogue Sale 63, 21 May 2003, lot 557; ex Leu private purchase, 2001; ex Marmaris hoard 1970/71 (ICGH 1209)

RISD 2010.56.1

Persian daric, 2008.60.3
ex CNG private purchase, 2005
ex Edward Gans, 1964, lot 78

Bronze 2-litrae of Syracuse, 2008.60.4
ex Gorny and Mosch, auction 156, 6 March 2007, lot 1139
ex Gorny and Mosch, auction 107, 2 April 2001, lot 75
ex Moretti Collection, Basel, 1920s

Tetradrachm of Naxos, 2010.56.1
ex Leu private sale, 2010; ex Leu, 1980s; cf. Ludwig Grabow, Rostock, 9 July 1930, lot 196

RISD 2010.56.2

Stater of Mysia, 2010. 56.2
ex Jean Vinchon Numismatique, 2007; ex Bank Leu Numismatique AG, 1969; ex Charles Gillet, Lausanne, 1952

Stater of Mysia, 2010.56.3
ex Herren Collection; ex Ready (in commerce), 1929; ex Gulbenkian Collection, 1920s

Another donation of interest, not an ancient coin, is this:

Etruscan bronze relief, 2002.114.2
ex Denyse Berend Collection, Paris and Geneva, early 1960s; ex Cahn, Basel

RISD 2002.114.2

“Cahn” is likely Herb Cahn, the Classical numismatist and antiquities dealer who was investigated by Italian authorities for participating in the illicit trade, as recounted by Robert Hecht in his unpublished memoir.

Take away? Many of the coins appear to have ownership histories going back several decades. Others are vague (“ex-California collection”) or are linked to dealers whose names come up in the Italian investigation (Cahn; Bank Leu; NFA =Bruce McNall). We leave it to our more informed readers to draw their own conclusions about these donations, and welcome your thoughts in the comments field below. We are curious if Dr. Weiss took tax write-offs for these donations, and if so how the donations were valued.

We’re grateful to RISD for their transparency on this matter, and wish other universities would take a similar stance.

Arnold Peter Weiss’ 46 donations to RISD Museum of Art | CHASING APHRODITE

Man held for selling fake Mughal-era coins

http://www.mid-day.com/news/2012/feb/020212-pune-Man-held-for-selling-fake-Mughal-era-coins.htm

Februray 3, 2012

Acting on complaint filed by rtd naval officer duped of Rs 5 L, city police arrest con artist in Nagpur and seize gold-plated brass coins

A 55-year-old man has been arrested for selling fake Mughal-era coins to unsuspecting people. Acting on a complaint, a team from the Lashkar police station seized a huge cache of fake medieval jewellery and coins from the outskirts of Nagpur city.

The raid followed a complaint filed by a retired naval officer, Commodore Devendra Sood (63). Sood was allegedly duped of Rs 5 lakh by one Khetaram Mansingh Pawar. He was sold some gold-plated coins and

was told they were from the Mughal era.

more: Man held for selling fake Mughal-era coins

Babies of Walloon statue attacked with angle grinder and shocks Cr David Pahlke and community | News, events and sport for Ipswich | The Courier-Mail

http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/ipswich/rosewoods-bronze-babies-of-walloon-statue-attacked-with-angle-grinder-and-shocks-cr-david-pahlke-and-community/story-fn8m0yo2-1226260744057

Februray 3, 2012

• by: Jane Chudleigh, Ipswich News
• From: Quest Newspapers
• February 02, 2012 11:54AM

One of the Babies of Walloon was stolen overnight on February 1, 2012. Source: Quest Newspapers

The Babies of Walloon Source: Quest Newspapers

How could they? Rosewood's Cr David Pahlke is shocked at the theft of one of the Babies of Walloon. Source: Quest Newspapers

One of the Babies of Walloon was stolen overnight on February 1, 2012. Source: Quest Newspapers

One of the Babies of Walloon was stolen overnight on February 1, 2012. Source: Quest Newspapers

The theft of an iconic Walloon statue has left Cr David Pahlke fuming.

Some time overnight one of the 'Babies of Walloon' was sheared off from the base in a shocking attack on the famous statue.

An outpouring of community outrage at the vandalism and theft has led to calls for fundraising efforts to replace the statue.

Katherine Plint, founder of Laidley-based Hannah's Foundation, said families in the region who had lost a child to drowning had a strong emotional and sentimental connection to the statue of the Broderick sisters.

"It's a sanctuary for a lot of families. There are families that regularly visit the park and sit with Bridget Kate and Mary Jane and reflect,'' she said.

more: Babies of Walloon statue attacked with angle grinder and shocks Cr David Pahlke and community | News, events and sport for Ipswich | The Courier-Mail

World Society for the Protection of Animals seeks museum for unique Wildlife Crime display | Culture24

http://www.culture24.org.uk/science & nature/animals/art375218

Februray 3, 2012

Tigers have been among the animals affected by wildlife crime in London
© Christopher Ratcliffe

A 10-day-old "decorative" stuffed tiger cub and a three-metre long polar bear skin will feature in a carousel of curiosities when the Wildlife Crime Unit – a branch of the Metropolitan Police cutting out the trafficking of animal-related products – finds a venue for a one-off display of some of the amazing items it has seized.

Organisers are looking for a home for an interactive exhibition to highlight the impact of crime on exotic animals whose populations are often already dwindling. It will also celebrate the resurgence of the Unit, whose modest team of one Police Sergeant, one Constable and a civilian police member appeared under threat themselves during the recent government funding cuts.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Richard Benyon fought to save the force in Parliament, causing the World Society for the Protection of Animals to step in and provide funding. The move is the first of its kind between a charity and the Met.

"We had the exhibition put together for our partnership launch, as we wanted to really bring alive the great work that the police do," said the Society's Katharine Mansell.

"But it seems a shame to simply put these pieces away, particularly when they tell such an interesting, little-known story of wildlife crime in our capital and the impact it has on some of the world's most iconic animals.

"It would be wonderful if a London museum wanted to take it on as a temporary – or even permanent – exhibit.

"Both the World Society for the Protection of Animals and the WCU are happy to do all we can to help make this a reality."

Museums have been particularly affected by rhino horn theft. Two weeks ago, a man was charged with the theft of two replica rhino horns from the Natural History Museum in Tring last year.

The Ipswich Museum suffered the loss of a horn from its rhino – acquired from the Natural History Museum more than a century ago – during a midnight raid last August, and dozens of incidents were reported across Europe last year, including a stun gun attack at the Museum of Hunting and Nature in Paris.

Stolen horns sell for huge prices in Asia, where they are valued for use in traditional medicine.

Simon Pope, the Head of External Affairs for the charity, said the expertise of the Unit has saved London from widespread wildlife crime.

"This is not some niche, illicit trade carried out by petty part-time villains," he explained.

"It is a major source of revenue for a global network of hardened criminals, gangs and drug lords, all growing rich from the trafficking of wildlife and not about to have a crisis of conscience and stop what they are doing."

The authority has seized more than 30,000 endangered species items since 1995, including thousands of pounds worth of raw ivory products, a range of UK-manufactured items including 24 whole elephant tusks, and the world's largest haul of rhino horn, in Kensington in 2011, which contained 129 individual horns.

The deal has allowed the Unit to employ a further Constable and civilian officer, guaranteeing its future as well as allowing the Society to share more than 30 years of wildlife protection experience.

"The knowledge contained in the Unit is an irreplaceable asset to London, national and international enforcement communities," added Pope.

more: World Society for the Protection of Animals seeks museum for unique Wildlife Crime display | Culture24

Stolen sculpture sold as scrap

http://azdailysun.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/stolen-sculpture-sold-as-scrap/article_dbbcf48b-6dd5-5af8-b61d-f79c84fe92b1.html

Februray 3, 2012

The Flagstaff Police Department recovered a large, stolen bronze sculpture on Wednesday morning after an employee from Flagstaff Auto and Metal Recyclers called to say they had recently purchased the $12,000 piece as scrap metal.

On New Year's Eve, a man reported the Frederick Remington replica statue had been stolen from the yard of his second home in the Country Club neighborhood off East Broken Rock Loop Road sometime in the previous week.

The piece, which is 4 to 5 feet tall and weighs several hundred pounds, depicts a Native American man precariously perched on a horse with a gun tucked in his waistband.

more:

Stolen sculpture sold as scrap

Scoperta in Sicilia una scultura lignea di SantAgostino del 1600 trafugata in una chiesa di Mondovì 30 anni fa - Quotidiano online della provincia di Cuneo

http://www.targatocn.it/2012/02/02/leggi-notizia/argomenti/cronaca-1/articolo/opera.html

Februray 3, 2012

L'operazione, condotta dai Carabinieri, è stata possibile anche grazie al web: la statua era stata infatti messa in vendita su un sito di aste on line

I carabinieri di Palermo mostrano la statua di Sant'Agostino trafugata a Mondovì nel 1982

E' stata ritrovata in Sicilia una statua di Sant'Agostino rubata 30 anni fa a Mondovì. Si tratta di una scultura lignea della fine del 1600 raffigurante Sant'Agostino che fu trafugata alla fine di settembre del 1982 dalla chiesa di San Francesco Saverio, nel capoluogo monregalese. All'epoca si pensò subito ad un furto con destrezza, dato che non erano stati rinvenuti segni di effrazioni.

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Scoperta in Sicilia una scultura lignea di Sant'Agostino del 1600 trafugata in una chiesa di Mondovì 30 anni fa - Quotidiano online della provincia di Cuneo

Piden desestimar caso de cuadro italiano supuestamente robado por los nazis - Terra Colombia

http://noticias.terra.com.co/internacional/piden-desestimar-caso-de-cuadro-italiano-supuestamente-robado-por-los-nazis,27f34154e3045310VgnVCM10000098f154d0RCRD.html

Februray 3, 2012

Fiscales de Estados Unidos y los herederos del propietario de un cuadro pintado en 1538 que se cree fue robado por los nazis en la II Guerra Mundial solicitaron hoy a un juez de Florida desestimar el caso tras alcanzar un arreglo extrajudicial.

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Piden desestimar caso de cuadro italiano supuestamente robado por los nazis - Terra Colombia

Cultural Heritage Lawyer Rick St. Hilaire: Court Orders Odyssey Marine to Return Treasure to Spain

http://culturalheritagelawyer.blogspot.com/2012/02/court-orders-odyssey-marine-to-return.html

Februray 2, 2012

A Spanish galleon.

The U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has denied Odyssey Marine’s motion to stay a decision ordering the commercial salvor to return coins and objects to Spain. The items were taken from a sunken 19^th century Spanish galleon discovered by Odyssey in 2007 “lying at a depth of approximately 1100 meters, beyond the territorial waters or contiguous zone of any sovereign nation approximately 100 miles west of the Straits of Gibraltar,” according to court records.

The case has persisted since April 9, 2007. That is when Odyssey Marine filed a complaint in federal district court in Tampa, Florida under admiralty and maritime law (known as an admiralty in rem action). The salvor argued that it should either own the shipwrecked vessel under the law of finds (a type of “finders keepers” claim) or it should be entitled to “a liberal salvage award” from the vessel under the law of salvage. Odyssey lost the case, and the case now captioned as Odyssey Marine Exploration v. Kingdom of Spain et al. continues.

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Cultural Heritage Lawyer Rick St. Hilaire: Court Orders Odyssey Marine to Return Treasure to Spain

Netherlands Returns Two Paintings Looted by Hermann Goering to Jewish Heir - Bloomberg

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-02/netherlands-returns-two-paintings-looted-by-hermann-goering-to-jewish-heir.html

Februray 2, 2012

Enlarge image

"Portrait of a Man With a Dog"

Dutch Restitutions Committee via Bloomberg

The anonymous 16th-century painting, "Portrait of a Man With a Dog,'' will be returned by the Dutch government to the heirs of a Jewish antiques dealer who survived the Nazi occupation of Paris. The painting was looted by Hermann Goering for his country estate.

The anonymous 16th-century painting, "Portrait of a Man With a Dog,'' will be returned by the Dutch government to the heirs of a Jewish antiques dealer who survived the Nazi occupation of Paris. The painting was looted by Hermann Goering for his country estate. Source: Dutch Restitutions Committee via Bloomberg

Enlarge image

``Landscape With Cattle in a Shallow River''

Dutch Restitutions Committee via Bloomberg

``Landscape With Cattle in a Shallow River'' by Theobald Michau was looted by Hermann Goering for his private collection. Goering later included the picture in a batch of 140 artworks that he exchanged for one painting he believed was a Vermeer and later turned out to be a forgery.

``Landscape With Cattle in a Shallow River'' by Theobald Michau was looted by Hermann Goering for his private collection. Goering later included the picture in a batch of 140 artworks that he exchanged for one painting he believed was a Vermeer and later turned out to be a forgery. Source: Dutch Restitutions Committee via Bloomberg

The Dutch government said today it will return two paintings that were looted more than 70 years ago by Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering for his country estate to the descendants of a Jewish antiques dealer in Paris.

Edouard Leon Jonas shipped the contents of his Paris antiques store to Bordeaux for safekeeping after the 1940 Nazi invasion. One of Goering’s art advisers seized them and sent them to Germany. Among them were an anonymous 16th-century oil- on-wood “Portrait of a Man With a Dog,” and Theobald Michau’s 18th-century “Landscape With Cattle in a Shallow River.”

The Dutch Restitutions Committee, which advises the government on Nazi-era art claims, recommended the paintings be returned to Jonas’s heirs, whom it didn’t name. It said the heirs’ title to the paintings is “proved with a high degree of probability” and “possession of them was lost involuntarily due to circumstances directly related to the Nazi regime.”

Goering stashed as many as 1,800 artworks at Carinhall, his country home outside Berlin, many of them stolen from French Jewish families. About 80 percent of his loot -- most of which was safely evacuated before his home was bombed -- has since been traced and returned to the rightful owners, according to Nancy Yeide, author of a comprehensive catalog of Goering’s art.

He deluded himself that he wasn’t stealing. “During a war, everybody loots a little bit,” he said in an interview with a psychiatrist in Nuremberg, where he was convicted of crimes against humanity after the war and committed suicide before he was to be executed. “None of my so-called looting was illegal.”

Duped by Forgery

The Dutch Restitutions Committee said the two claimed paintings also featured on a list of 140 works that Goering forfeited in his fervor to get hold of a work by Johannes Vermeer. He traded them in 1944 for what he believed would be the jewel in his collection, a Vermeer called “Christ and the Adulteress.”

It later turned out to be the work of master forger Han van Meegeren. As a result of that ill-advised exchange, the two paintings found their way to the Amsterdam dealership that had traded with Goering, Goudstikker-Miedl. After the war, they entered the Netherlands National Art Collection. One was housed in a government depot; the other was on loan to a museum in Maastricht.

The Netherlands was one of 44 countries that, in 1998, endorsed international principles on returning art stolen from the mainly Jewish collectors who were victims of Adolf Hitler’s regime. To implement the guidelines, the Dutch government founded a Restitutions Committee in 2002. The panel since has made recommendations on 107 claims for art in state hands.

To contact the writer on the story: Catherine Hickley in Berlin at chickley@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Manuela Hoelterhoff at mhoelterhoff@bloomberg.net.

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Netherlands Returns Two Paintings Looted by Hermann Goering to Jewish Heir - Bloomberg

Stolen Aboriginal art for sale on eBay « AMA

http://www.artmediaagency.com/en/36084/stolen-aboriginal-art-for-sale-on-ebay/

Februray 2, 2012

Canberra, 1 February 2012, Art Media Agency (AMA).

The Australian authorities are carrying out an enquiry about the theft of a piece of Aboriginal art, which was allegedly then put up for auction on eBay. The piece was later taken down from the site after there was a warning from the website that the piece may have been stolen.

The person who had registered the piece on the site had done so under a false identity. Jenny Thomas, head of communication at eBay Australia, stated that the site would help the authorities to carry out their enquiries. She added that ”If you do provide false information when you register on eBay, you will be very quickly found out because it is a very traceable situation. Anyone thinking of attempting to sell a stolen item on the site would be very foolish.”

Stolen Aboriginal art for sale on eBay « AMA

Loot at the Dallas Museum of Art? Museum Responds to Almagia Investigation | CHASING APHRODITE

http://chasingaphrodite.com/2012/02/01/loot-at-the-dallas-museum-of-art-museum-responds-to-almagia-investigation/

Februray 2, 2012

The Dallas Museum of Art contacted Italian authorities this month seeking information about three objects the museum acquired for antiquities dealer Edoardo Almagia, who is currently under investigation for trafficking in looted antiquities.

Almagia has been under investigation since at least 2006, when US Customs agents raided his New York apartment, and was the subject of a New York Times story in 2010 that revealed he and Princeton curator Michael Padgett were the target of an Italian investigation into the illicit antiquities trade.

Dallas’s inquiry came last month — two weeks after our initial inquiry about the objects and a week after Italy’s Carabinieri art squad held a press conference announcing that some 200 objects and fragments tied to Almagia had been returned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Princeton University Art Museum. (See our earlier post here.)

A museum spokeswoman said Italian authorities have not (yet) made a request for the return of the objects. ”The press conference in Rome on January 20, 2012 prompted a review of acquisitions made by the DMA that were connected with Edoardo Almagia,” said museum spokeswoman Jill Bernstein. “Our director Maxwell Anderson emailed [Carabinieri] Comandante Pasquale Muggeo and Avv. Maurizio Fiorilli on January 27 to alert them to the presence of three works sold to us in 1998 by Almagia, and soliciting any information they might have about these works.”

The museum has since listed the objects on the AAMD’s object registry, as noted by David Gill at Looting Matters. Here are the Almagia objects, along with their collecting histories, which were provided by the DMA:

Two Etruscan funerary shields from the 6th century BC depicting the man-bull deity Acheloos. The museum purchased the shields from Almagia in 1998. They were “reputedly in a European collection” prior to sale, but the museum has no additional information about that collection.

The DMA’s website notes that “comparable examples have been found stacked up in a tomb near Tarquinia,” a UNESCO World Heritage site whose Etruscan necropolis has been devastated by looting.

Volute krater by the Underworld Painter. This Apulian vase from the 4th century BC represents the twelfth labor of Hercules, in which he saved the Golden Apples of the Hesperides from the giant Ajax.

The DMA bought the object in 1998 from Almagia, who claimed it came from an “unnamed English collection.”

Such vases from the South Italian region of Pulia have been the subject of widespread looting, as documented in the groundbreaking study by Boston University archaeologist Ricardo Elia’s “Analysis of the looting, selling, and collecting of Apulian red-figure vases: a quantitative approach.” (In Trade in illicit antiquities: the destruction of the world’s archaeological heritage, edited by N. Brodie, J. Doole, and C. Renfrew, pp. 145-53. Cambridge: McDonald Institute, 2001)

We asked the DMA about several other acquisitions of ancient art purchased in recent years, when most museums were tightening their standards in the wake of revelations about their role in the illicit antiquities trade. Several of the DMA’s acquisitions were purchased from dealers or auction houses who have been tied to the alleged sale of looted or stolen art in the past. Most of the objects have only vague ownership histories.

A few examples:

This red-figured column krater was purchased in 2008 from Jerry Eisenberg of Royal-Athena Galleries in New York City. It was “reputedly in an English collection” before that. As we reported here, Eisenberg recently returned a bronze statue to Italy that had been stolen from an Italian museum in 1962. UPDATE: Eisenberg noted via email that the vase was also sold at Bonham’s London in October 1999.

The museum has purchased several objects from Robert Haber of Haber and Associates, including this 4th Century Greek funerary wreath. Haber was implicated in the Steinhardt case involving a golden phiale illegally exported from Italy. The wreath’s ownership history lists the Moretti collection from Lugano, Switzerland and George Zacos – the same dealer tied to the Met’s acquisition of the Lydian Hoarde from Turkey.

We’ve posted the list of all 15 DMA objects we inquired about here. These are just a random sampling of recent acquisitions made by the museum.

Maxwell Anderson, the DMA’s new director, has been an outspoken advocate for reform in his past positions, and it will be interesting to watch how he handles these issues at his new post in Dallas. For starters, we hope that Anderson encourages Dallas to be more transparent by posting the provenance information for its considerable collection online. Dallas and other museums should also be more proactive in their investigation of the objects purchased from dealers who have been tied to the illicit trade.

Loot at the Dallas Museum of Art? Museum Responds to Almagia Investigation | CHASING APHRODITE

Guilty Plea Expected In Theft Of Abraham Lincoln Signed Documents From MD Historical Society « CBS Washington

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/02/01/guilty-plea-expected-in-theft-of-abraham-lincoln-signed-documents-from-md-historical-society/

Februray 2, 2012

Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (CBSDC/AP) — A presidential historian has indicated he will plead guilty in a case in which he is accused of stealing documents signed by President Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon Bonaparte and other well-known leaders from around the world.

Barry Landau, a 63-year-old New York City author and collector, is accused of taking documents from the Maryland Historical Society and conspiring to steal documents from that institution and others in the Northeast with his assistant, Jason Savedoff, who pleaded guilty in October.

more:

Guilty Plea Expected In Theft Of Abraham Lincoln Signed Documents From MD Historical Society « CBS Washington

Mismanagement by the museum management - The Times of India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/11721399.cms

Februray 2, 2012

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The unsigned press note by the committee of the Museum of Christian Art, Santa Monica Convent, Old Goa, evoked shock and disbelief from Goans across the country and overseas.

The renowned artist, Dom Martin, wrote to me saying: "Works of religious art and artifacts are manifestations of divine intervention. The theft or plunder of such works is an act of abominable sacrilege, and, violates the fundamental ethics to which we are universally bound and codified as conscionable human beings. To the damning detriment of religious heritage, such perpetrators and their co-conspirators callously characterize the progressive calibration of diabolic greed and gain."

The belated and weak 'explanation' from the committee on the course of unfortunate events that took place at the museum was in fact a brilliant exercise in hogwash meant to deceive the people of Goa about the real reason why on the night of January 25 their heritage was stolen.

This and earlier press comments by committee members suggest that the committee would not have provided any explanation/statement had it not been for the in-depth media reports and strong condemnation from heritage lovers.

For instance, a couple of days after the heist, committee chairman, Fr Avinash Rebello told a local newspaper: "There is very little that I know. I haven't been keeping track of what has happened." This was followed by curator Natasha Fernandes: "Whatever information you want, you can get from the police." Apropos the priceless inventory, committee member Jose Lourenco said on record: "We are in the process of putting things in place in terms of inventory." So, what exactly does the press note statement mean: 'The committee went through its detailed inventory (which includes photographs of all objects)'? Which inventory is this committee referring to? It appears it is merely indulging in damage control and improve on previous insensitive statements.

Goans will not be fooled by the meaningless verbiage of the press note. The real reason for our immeasurable loss can be encapsulated in: negligence, apathy and inefficiency of the committee.

Does the committee expect Goans to laud them for having "rushed to the site and stayed till the early hours with the police"? Nice job of shutting the stable after the horses have bolted. Perhaps the public should know that just one or two members spent just a couple of hours at the site. And the condolences to the family of the killed security guard, Luis Bogato? A fine display of crocodile tears after having put the poor man in harm's way.

It is imperative that we address the contradictory facts in the vapid statements of the press note so that Goans are aware of the crimes committed against their heritage:

1. If committee members were present soon after the incident which occurred around 6pm, why was the press in the dark until past midnight? Why and what was the committee trying to hide from the public?

2. At what time was the site sealed by the police? If the museum premises were sealed then how did one of the newspapers publish a photo of the dead security guard lying in the compound?

3. If the premises were sealed then how were strangers and museum delegates/overseas donors allowed inside the museum on January 27 without any security checks? Was the committee so confident that all evidence had been secured?

4. The committee lists the stolen items as follows: 1) Gold filigree rosary 2) Gold rosary 3) Gold waistband 4) Gold bracelet 5) Gold cross with chain. This generic description is deliberately deceiving because it gives the appearance that the stolen items are simple pieces of handicrafts made of gold and not priceless museum exhibits of timeless heritage.

Also, were they just ornaments made of gold or were they also studded with precious stones? What was the size and weight of the exhibits? Were they at least valued by a goldsmith before going on display? Was it not necessary to publish pictures and technical details of the stolen exhibits so the public could identify and value them?

5. Ironically, the inventory that was made public reflected the inadequacy and unprofessionalism in archiving and documentation of the museum's artifacts.

6. The press note clearly concedes that funds for providing adequate security for the museum since 2002 have never been a problem, thanks to government and foreign funding. Why then was there only one unarmed guard, a non-functioning surveillance camera, fluctuating lights and a non-functioning burglar alarm system on that fateful day? What are the funds being used for? What wisdom or folly motivated the committee to give the keys of the museum to the guard even after the museum was closed? It borders on criminality that in spite of ample funds, the committee in their apathy, inefficiency and negligence failed to provide a foolproof security system and related checks and balances.

more:

Mismanagement by the museum management - The Times of India

Mystère à la Villa Médicis, visitée de nuit par des cambrioleurs - LExpress.fr

http://www.lexpress.fr/actualites/1/culture/mystere-a-la-villa-medicis-visitee-de-nuit-par-des-cambrioleurs_1077969.html

Februray 2, 2012

ROME - A trois reprises, de mystérieux voleurs se sont introduits ces derniers jours dans les somptueux jardins de la Villa Médicis qui surplombent Rome, pour y dérober des sculptures mais aussi se livrer à des actes de vandalisme contre ce lieu pétri d'histoire.

Le directeur de la Villa Médicis, Eric de Chassey, est atterré: "Entre la semaine dernière et la nuit de lundi à mardi, où ils ont été interrompus par le gardien qui faisait sa ronde, ils ont volé des fragments de sculpture antique", raconte-t-il à l'AFP en retraçant le parcours de ces visiteurs du soir.

Parmi les oeuvres disparues figure "une terre cuite qui était insérée dans la façade comme bas-relief". "Pour l'enlever, il l'ont cassée, donc ce n'est pas seulement un vol, c'est vraiment du vandalisme", s'indigne le directeur, qui a succédé en septembre 2009 à Frédéric Mitterrand, nommé au ministère de la Culture.

Outre cet Apollon hellénistique datant du IIe siècle avant JC, le butin de ces expéditions nocturnes comprend deux torses en marbre datant de l'époque impériale, deux têtes sculptées en marbre datant de la Renaissance et deux copies récentes de têtes antiques.

Les débris des sculptures mutilées, arrachées ou sciées de leur socle, ont été soigneusement récupérés pour permettre de procéder à une restauration des oeuvres volées dans les règles de l'art dès que l'on réussira à remettre la main dessus.

Une enquête a été aussitôt ouverte par le service des carabiniers spécialisés dans la recherche des oeuvres d'art volées, en liaison avec l'Office central français de lutte contre le trafic de biens culturels (OCBC). Aussi bien les pensionnaires que les employés de l'institution ont été interrogés.

M. de Chassey reste perplexe face à l'intrépidité des voleurs, qui n'ont pas hésité à décapiter une statue antique ornant la loggia de la Villa, juste devant son bureau, "un des endroits les plus passants et les plus fréquentés de la Villa, à toute heure".

"C'est d'autant plus bizarre qu'il faut être très préparé pour mener une opération de ce type, risquée, et emporter par exemple deux copies de têtes antiques de plâtre et de béton", a-t-il ajouté.

more: Mystère à la Villa Médicis, visitée de nuit par des cambrioleurs - LExpress.fr

Statue rubate e mutilate, da dieci giorni Villa Medici preda di ladri e vandali - Adnkronos Cronaca

http://www.adnkronos.com/IGN/News/Cronaca/Statue-rubate-e-mutilate-da-dieci-giorni-Villa-Medici-preda-di-ladri-e-vandali_312929080715.html

Februray 2, 2012

ultimo aggiornamento: 01 febbraio, ore 21:28

Roma - (Adnkronos) - La denuncia del quotidiano francese 'Liberation'. Nella sede romana dell'accademia di Francia i ''ladri sono venuti tre volte di seguito per rubare le sculture e portarle via, passando da posti ben visibili''

Roma, 1 feb. (Adnkronos) - ''Sculture strappate, rubate, mutilate: da dieci giorni

Villa Medici è vittima di orribili saccheggi

, apparentemente commessi dalle stesse persone''. Così il quotidiano 'Liberation' racconta i furti avvenuti in questi giorni a Villa Medici, sede romana dell'Accademia di Francia.

Secondo il quotidiano francese

i ''ladri sono venuti tre volte di seguito per rubare le sculture e portarle via, passando da posti ben visibili''

. Il primo furto è avvenuto lunedì 23 gennaio, quando hanno derubato una scultura posta sopra la fontana. Poi sono tornati il giovedì successivo, rubando una statua e rompendo

una scultura in terracotta del II secolo a.C.

, che ritraeva Apollo, nel tentativo di strapparla dalla sua nicchia. Poi hanno strappato la testa di una statua che si trovava nella loggia, proprio di fronte all'appartamento del direttore. Infine, nella notte tra lunedì e martedì, sono tornati per rubare i pilastri a Erma del piazzale, che hanno rovesciato per terra e decapitato.

'Liberation' riferisce inoltre che il direttore dell'Accademia di Francia, Eric de Chassey, ha chiamato il Comando Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturale, i quali stanno indagando in tutti gli otto ettari del giardino e della villa, interrogando i residenti e i dipendenti dell'Accademia.

Statue rubate e mutilate, da dieci giorni Villa Medici preda di ladri e vandali - Adnkronos Cronaca