March 22, 2001
CONTENTS:
- A New search option has been added to the Museum Security Network website:
http://www.museum-security.org/search.html
- Museum lighting and CCTV
- Afghan Taliban reopen museum after statue demolition
- Russia to list looted war treasure for claimants
- Sotheby's scraps award, stuns art world
- CLOSURE OF MUSEUM SHATTERS OPERATOR'S RELATIONS WITH CITY
- Bond art fraud case settled
- Press release: Department for Culture, Media and Sport
TEMPORARY BAR PLACED ON EXPORT OF A PAIR OF PANEL PAINTINGS BY
BARTOLO DI FREDI CINI: ST JOHN THE BAPTIST AND ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST
A New search option has been added to the Museum Security Network website:
http://www.museum-security.org/search.html
From: David_Tremain@pch.gc.ca
To: securma@xs4all.nl
Date sent: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 12:01:56 -0500
Subject: Museum lighting and CCTV
I just learned from a paper conservator in Canada who was called in to take environmental readings of a collection of hand-coloured prints in a museum that he was informed by the security guard that all the spot lights were left on at night, after they had been turned off by curators, to make it easier for the CCTV cameras to see. Presumably, these cameras did not have an infrared capability. Furthermore, the main overhead lights were cranked up by the cleaners when they came in in the morning. During the rest of the day all lighting was reduced to recommended museum norms of 50 lux or thereabouts. He also discovered that this is happening in many institutions in Canada. If this is the case, then it makes a mockery of trying to make recommendations for the safe display of light-sensitive artifacts during an average 8 hour day, if they are being further damaged in the name of security by exposing them to higher light levels for what amounts to 15-16 hours. I would be interested to hear from others about this problem and how they deal with it.
David Tremain
Conservator, Preventive Conservation Services
Canadian Conservation Institute
1030 Innes Road
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0M5
Canada
(613) 998-3721
Fax: (613) 998-4721
david_tremain@pch.gc.ca
Afghan Taliban reopen museum after statue demolition
Afghanistan's ruling Taliban on Thursday allowed foreign journalists to visit the statueless Kabul museum for the first time since the demolition of "false idols". Museum chief Naqibullah Ahmadyar showed the visitors around the almost empty, war- shattered building. "I can describe it as our rich, Islamic museum," he said. Once the home to priceless figures from Afghanistan's pre-Islamic history, the museum has been left with only a few pieces of broken pottery, wooden engravings and ceramics. "You know what has happened to the statues, they have been destroyed according to the decree," Ahmadyar said, standing inside the main hall that used to display an ancient sitting Buddha figure. The Buddha was among at least a dozen other figures apparently destroyed inside the museum in February before the Islamic militia's leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, ordered the destruction of sculptures to stop idolatry. Visitors were strictly barred from the museum while the iconoclasm took place. Access to the remains of the famous Buddha statues in central Bamiyan province is still being denied. Mr Ahmadyar declined to reveal how many statues had been destroyed and what happened to the debris. "After the decision was made, an authorized team came and destroyed them," he said, stressing that other pre-Islamic pieces, excluding statues, would be preserved. "We reopened the museum for you to see that we do our utmost for the preservation of Afghanistan's cultural heritage. We keep the pieces which do not clash with Islam."
Looting
Kabul Museum was one of the richest in the region until it was closed in 1992 after mujahideen groups toppled the pro-Moscow communist regime. On an active frontline for several years, it was subjected to merciless looting by the mujahideen fighters before the Taliban conquered the capital in 1996 and restored order with their strict version of Islamic law. Ahmadyar said 70 per cent of the museum's pieces were looted and many have found their way to private collectors in neighbouring Pakistan, Europe and Japan. It was reopened for the first time in August last year, but following the latest round of officially sanctioned destruction the main attraction is a huge marble grail from the Buddhist period which has been converted into an Islamic piece with masterful calligraphy on its exterior. Another interesting piece is an inscription in the Greek alphabet dating back to the 2nd century AD that was found in Surkh Kotal in northern Samangan province. Afghanistan's most famous historical monuments, the two huge Buddha figures carved into cliffs in Bamiyan at least 1,500 years ago, were dynamited in line with Omar's decree, despite international protests.
http://www.abc.net.au/
From: Appraiserl@aol.com
Date sent: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 22:26:16 EST
Subject: Russia to list looted war treasure for claimants
To: securma@xs4all.nl
Russia to list looted war treasure for claimants
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said Wednesday it was compiling a catalog of booty seized during World War Two, to allow owners to reclaim stolen art treasures. Culture Minister Mikhail Shvydkoi said a new government committee set up to deal with art claims was due to complete the reference tome by the end of the year. "The published information can then be used by interested states, religious organizations, charity foundations and victims of Nazism to identify their property and make a claim," Shvydkoi told a news conference. "With regard to Germany, only items that belong to religious organizations, private charities and victims of Nazism will be regarded as exceptions (and be subject to claims)," he said. In March 1997, the Russian parliament passed a law banning the return of priceless treasures seized by the Red Army from Germany during World War Two, souring Moscow's ties with Berlin. Shvydkoi said the government committee was also compiling a catalog of Russian art and treasures lost during World War Two, with the aim of bringing them home. Most Russians regard the "trophy art" as compensation for the 20 million Russians who died and the massive destruction during the conflict. But after a challenge by the then President Boris Yeltsin, Russia's top court ruled in 1999 that works owned by victims of Nazi repression, or stolen by German troops when they occupied much of wartime Europe, should be returned to their owners.
Reuters/Variety
Sotheby's scraps award, stuns art world
SANJUKTA SHARMA
MARCH 21: The decision of Sotheby's, the London-based auction house, to put an abrupt end to its three-year-old annual Sotheby's Award for Indian artists, has taken the art world by surprise. After its conspicuous lull following an ignominious loss of its license to auction antiquated works of Indian art nearly four years ago, Sotheby's returned to India with a bang, with the institution of the award for contemporary Indian art in 1998-99, which, many critics interpreted as ``a damage-limitation exercise.'' A ``damage'' caused by British arts journalist Peter Watson's unearthing of dubious connections between art smugglers and auction houses, naming a few senior functionaries of Sotheby's. And which was perpetuated by Sotheby's: The Inside Story, a Channel Four film, which vividly captured shots of such smuggling by Sotheby's, including a rare Yakshi sculpture from India. While artists, gallery owners, art critics and art administrators reacted to the discontinuation of the three-year-old award with shock, inside sources in the art industry have their own speculations based on close association with Sotheby's and the people involved. According to these sources, a primary reason could be the going away of Savita Apte, former representative of Christie's in India, who had taken great initiative in making the award a success. It could also be a feud within the auction house, between the Sotheby family and the management. Or perhaps a logical loss of interest in the art of this particular region of the world, based on low response to contemporary Indian art in international auctions, conjectured experts, on condition of anonymity. While Savita Apte was unavailable for comment and the London office of Sotheby's is silent about the sudden move, Anupa Mehta, who runs Artworks, the art management company, responsible for the publicity of the award here, refused to divulge details. ``Yes, the award has been stopped, but I am not in a position to talk about the reasons behind it,'' Mehta said. While the mystery behind this sudden move has piqued many in the art community, almost everyone regrets the decision. Saryu Doshi, Honorary Director of the NGMA, refusing to speculate on the reasons says, ``Since Sotheby's is such a well-known organisation the award was a great boost to young, contemporary artists. It is a great loss, especially to Indian artists of the younger generation.'' On behalf of the artistic community, Atul Dodiya, who was nominated for the award and is relatively better known in the international art market, said, ``For whatever reason the Sotheby's Award was instituted, it was monumental for the younger lot of Indian artists, who are doing good, exciting work. While The Lalit Kala Academy Award amounted to a meagre Rs 10,000, this award was a whopping three lakhs, something on the lines of the controversial British Turner Award. Even the Harmony Award instituted by Reliance cannot replace the Sotheby's Award because this award had an established name tagged to it.'' Senior artist Jehangir Sabavala succintly voices a similar regret, ``I have no knowledge of why the award was stopped, but it is certainly an immense loss.''
http://www.indian-express.com/
CLOSURE OF MUSEUM SHATTERS OPERATOR'S RELATIONS WITH CITY
From Tribune news services
March 22, 2001
MUNCIE, INDIANA -- Philip Robinson's fruit jar museum has drawn thousands of visitors over the years, and his contributions to local tourism were duly noted when the mayor declared a Philip Robinson Day.
But the sweet relationship between Robinson and City Hall has soured. After he suggested to a deputy mayor last month that the city take over his collection and move it to a new welcome center, a building inspector told him the museum was violating a zoning law. "I had to close down the museum and remove all the signs and not promote it as a business," said Robinson, who wasn't charging admission.
The museum, a small, white building, is next to Robinson's home. Visitors find an extensive collection of fruit and jars. Deputy Mayor Charles Bebout said Robinson wanted $300,000 to keep the collection in Muncie. "He wanted to get out from under it and also had a buyer from Ohio," Bebout said. "I told him the city did not have that kind of money." Robinson, 78, said his collection is valued at more than $300,000, but he wanted only $150,000.
http://chicagotribune.com/
Bond art fraud case settled
Mar 22 19:55
AAP
Long-running legal action against failed Australian businessman Mr Alan Bond over alleged art fraud was settled in the South Australian Supreme Court on Thursday. Mr Richard England, liquidator of Mr Bond's former flagship company, Southern Equities Corporation, fomerly Bond Corporation Holdings, said details about the terms of settlement were confidential. Mr England said the settlement had resulted in the creditors of Bond Corp receiving full compensation. "The settlement with the Bond family involves the payment by them of a very substantial sum of money," he said. Mr England said he was pleased with the result of what had been a highly complicated case. "I've never had anything as complex or as involved or as convoluted to do in my life," he said. The Bond family would not be making any public comment but had made no admission as to liability. The settlement is the culmination of five years of litigation arising from the alleged sale of 13 paintings and a sculpture owned by Bond Corp, including the famous Portrait of Captain Cook by John Webber. Mr England was originally claiming $13 million in compensation, alleging the artworks were sold in a sham transaction which defrauded the company and resulted in a loss to Bond Corp of $13 million. The claims were denied by defendants Mr Alan Bond, his sons Craig and John, and family accountant Delores Caboche. The trial began in Feburary and was expected to run until at least June, with evidence to be taken in Adelaide, London and the US.
http://afr.com/australia/
Press release: Department for Culture, Media and Sport 2-4 Cockspur Street London SW1Y 5DH
http://www.culture.gov.uk
85/01 21 March 2001
TEMPORARY BAR PLACED ON EXPORT OF A PAIR OF PANEL PAINTINGS BY
BARTOLO DI FREDI CINI: ST JOHN THE BAPTIST AND ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST
Arts Minister Alan Howarth has placed a temporary bar on the export of a pair of panel paintings by Bartolo di Fredi Cini (1330-1410), entitled St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist. This will provide a last chance to raise the money to keep the paintings in the United Kingdom. Alan Howarth's ruling follows a recommendation by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art that the export decision be deferred. The decision reflects the major importance of the paintings as an outstanding example of this Sienese artist's work, and their potential for the study of Italian art of the late 14th century. The deferral will enable purchase offers to be made, at or above the following recommended price: - A pair of panel paintings by Bartolo di Fredi Cini, St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist, deferred until after 21 June 2001 at the recommended price of £1,081,081. If, by the end of that period, there is a serious intention to raise funds with a view to making an offer to purchase, the deferral period could be extended until after 21 September 2001. Anyone interested in making an offer to purchase the panel paintings should contact the owner's agent through: The Secretary The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art Department for Culture, Media and Sport 2-4 Cockspur Street London SW1Y 5DH
Notes to Editors
A pair of panel paintings by Bartolo di Fredi Cini (1330-1410), St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist. The paintings are oil on panel and measure 170.4 cm x 52.3 cm (St John the Baptist) and 169.5 cm x 52.5 cm (St John the Evangelist). Bartolo di Fredi Cini was a typically conservative and extremely prolific Sienese painter and one of the most successful of his generation. These panels probably come from the chapel dedicated to Saint John the Baptist in San Domenico, San Gimignano, and were painted around 1374. They were almost certainly the flanking panels of the Adoration of the Shepherds which since 1925 has belonged to the Metropolitan Museum, New York. These are the only autograph works by Bartolo di Fredi Cini in the United Kingdom. The small Adoration of the Magi (32.8 cm x 45.3 cm) in the National Trust Collection at Polesden Lacey, is considered by Gaudenz Freuler in his monograph on the artist (Bartolo di Fredi Cini, 1994), to be the product of his workshop. These two impressive panels are ranked very highly by Freuler, in very good condition and show Bartolo di Fredi at his best, particularly in the draperies, the detailing of the Baptist's camel-hair shirt, the Evangelist's beard, and the psychological characterisation of the two saints. Not only are these panels representative of the artist, but they are also rare examples of panels from a late 14th-century Sienese polyptych, and iconographically and stylistically typical of Sienese painting of that period. Contemporary Sienese paintings are represented only on a small scale in public collections in the United Kingdom and these examples would be extremely useful for the study of history of art.