View the missing paintings: http://www.hdnews.net/news/codyart/art.html By PHYLLIS J. ZORN Hays Daily News
A lucky break Monday afternoon led police to 12 stolen paintings by internationally known Hays artist John Cody. As police were questioning two suspects in the early morning aggravated robbery of a Hays man, one mentioned that a third man might have some stolen property. When the third man was questioned, he provided the location of stolen goods he was storing for one of the robbery suspects, Hays Police investigator Bill Lovewell said. When Lovewell told him the value of the missing paintings, the man accompanied police to the residence where the items were being stored and gave police permission to remove the goods, including the paintings, from the property. The first tip that one of the robbery suspects could be tied to the theft of the paintings was that his car had a spare tire that didn't match the car's tire size and an extra jack, Hays Police Detective Tom Meiers said. A spare tire and jack were stolen last week from the same car in which the paintings were stored.
When Cody arrived at the police department to pick up the paintings Monday afternoon, he was pleased at their condition. “They look perfect. Not even scratched or anything,” Cody said. In the Monday morning robbery, a 46-year-old Hays man was allegedly beaten at his residence after he earlier showed off a sizable amount of money at a Hays bar, police said. His attackers made off with about $1,800. Police say the man positively identified his attackers and that two 26-year-old Hays men are in custody under suspicion of the robbery. At this time only one of the men is a suspect in the stolen paintings. The paintings, watercolor renderings of Saturniid moths, are insured for about a quarter of a million dollars. Though Cody never has sold any of his paintings, he said that when they are loaned to museums and transported from place to place, they ordinarily are insured for $20,000 each.
The paintings had been loaned to Commerce Bank for a July exhibition. Hays Arts Council executive director Brenda Meder, who agreed to see to the hanging and removal of the paintings, left the paintings in the trunk of her car after she picked them up from the bank. The car, whose keys were left in the ignition, was stolen from in front of Meder's house. When the car later was recovered, the paintings and other items had been removed from it. http://wire.dailynews.net/
Police arrest 2 in theft of Higashiyama artwork
Two men were arrested on suspicion of stealing five works by an early Showa era (1926-1989) painter from a museum in Minokamo, Gifu Prefecture, police said Tuesday. The men are Satoshi Kawai, 56, and Tsutomu Hosokawa, 33, both of whom have previously been indicted for theft. Kawai and Hosokawa allegedly broke into the Minokamo Municipal Museum on Feb. 18 and stole five of eight sketches and woodblock prints by Kaii Higashiyama (1908-1999). The stolen works are estimated to have a combined value of 13 million yen. The two suspects admitted to the theft, but have not revealed what they did with the works, police said. The stolen pieces have yet to be found.
The Higashiyama family and the museum reportedly told police that they had received letters and phone calls in April and May requesting that they buy back four of the stolen works. http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/
Archaeologists searching for Genghis Khan's tomb accused of grave desecration
By MICHAEL KOHN, Associated Press Writer
ULAN BATOR, Mongolia - Archeologists searching for the tomb of the legendary Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan stopped work after being accused by a prominent politician of desecrating traditional rulers' graves. The grave site is one of archaeology's enduring mysteries. According to legend, in order to keep it secret, his huge burial party killed anyone who saw them en route to it. Servants and soldiers who attended the funeral were also massacred. Last summer, a team of Americans and Mongolians financed by private investors and led by an American university professor announced it had found a possible tomb site. But work stopped this summer after former Prime Minister Dashiin Byambasuren wrote to President Natsagiin Bagabandi accusing the team of driving cars over sacred soil and erecting buildings near a historic wall. Byambasuren said they had defiled the remains of the dead and called for expelling the team from the site. He said the team, called the Genghis Khan Geo-Historical Expedition, had commercial interests associated with the excavation. "I regret that our ancestors' golden tomb has been disturbed and the purity of our burial places tainted for a few dollars," said the letter, published in the Daily News newspaper. "This place should remain pure for the souls after death."
Genghis Khan overran much of Asia before his death in 1227, gaining a reputation as a ruthless tyrant and mass murderer. In Mongolia, however, he is a hero — a reminder of an era before this sparsely populated land was dominated by its giant Chinese and Soviet neighbors. He appears on the currency and his portrait hangs in the entry hall of the Foreign Ministry. The site excavated by the team, called Oglogchiin Kherem, is located 200 miles (322 kilometers) northeast of Ulan Bator in Hentii province, the homeland of Genghis Khan. The team discovered a series of flagstones that covered 11-foot- long trenches. Horse teeth, animal bones and a human skull were found amid the rocks, though no grave was sighted. Team members say the site may have been used for sacrificial rituals. "We hope we can go back next year, but for now the future of the expedition is unknown," said historian John Woods, a University of Chicago professor and leaders of the expedition. Expedition founder Maury Kravitz has been trying to find the grave for 40 years and organized investors who provided dlrs 1.2 million. The Mongolian government, which has already issued permits to excavate the site, has not responded to Byambasuren's letter.
The National Security Council demanded to know what commercial interests were at stake, and Kravitz said a documentary was being prepared, along with a movie about Genghis Khan's life. Woods said he had tried to reassure Byambasuren about the expedition, noting that a majority of its members are Mongolian and that it had followed Mongolian law. Woods said the graves were being handled "according to standard international procedures. And I don't think we have anything to apologize for." "If it's a person's personal opinion that people who are buried should not be disturbed, I have no answer for that." Woods said investors will raise money abroad from the movie and documentary. In 1993, Japanese archaeologists ended a search for the tomb after a poll in Ulan Bator found the project unpopular. According to Mongolian tradition, violating ancestral tombs destroys the soul that serves as protector. "Genghis was the greatest khan of them all, and I pray that his soul will protect Mongolia," said Batulga Badral, a student. "The grave should remain a secret, and the expedition should change its goals and find something else to study." Genghis Khan united warring tribes to become leader of the Mongols in 1206. After his death, his descendants expanded his empire until it stretched from China to what is now Hungary.
One legend says thousands of horses were raced over Genghis Khan's grave to erase any trace of it. Another says he was buried in the bed of a river, the water temporarily diverted before going back to its original course. The site is surrounded by a 2-mile-long wall that stands nine feet high in places. One man from the region said his ancestors had been protecting it for generations, though he didn't know why. "If the tomb was found, some people would become very rich," said Baatariin Bayar, a shopkeeper in Ulan Bator. But, he said, "I would be afraid to touch that soil, because bad things would follow me and my family." http://story.news.yahoo.com/
International Journal of Cultural Property -- Table of Contents Alert
A new issue of International Journal of Cultural Property has been made available:
URL: http://www3.oup.co.uk/intjcp/hdb/Volume_11/Issue_01/
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Article: "For the Greater Glory of Indian Art": The Life of an Endangered Art Treasure in Modern India Tapati Guha-Thakurta, pp. 1-27
www3.oup.co.uk/intjcp/hdb/Volume_11/Issue_01/111001.sgm.abs.html
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Article: The Trade in Looted Antiquities and the Return of Cultural Property: A British Parliamentary Inquiry David Gill and Christopher Chippindale, pp. 50-64
www3.oup.co.uk/intjcp/hdb/Volume_11/Issue_01/111050.sgm.abs.html
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Case Note: One Premier's Obsession? The McMichael Legislation in Ontario Kenneth R. Cavalier, pp. 65-79
www3.oup.co.uk/intjcp/hdb/Volume_11/Issue_01/111065.sgm.abs.html
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Case Note: U.S. District Court Decision Allows Lawsuit Claiming Looted Artworks in Austria to Proceed David B. Vogt, pp. 80-106
www3.oup.co.uk/intjcp/hdb/Volume_11/Issue_01/111080.sgm.abs.html
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Document: UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage pp. 107-128
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Document: The Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity pp. 129-136
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Document: Scheme for the Protection of Cultural Heritage within the Commonwealth pp. 137-160
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Conference Report: The UNESCO-ICRC Regional Seminar for SADC States on Implementation of International Humanitarian Law and Cultural Heritage Law: Pretoria, South Africa (June 19-21, 2001) Jan Hladik, pp. 161-163
www3.oup.co.uk/intjcp/hdb/Volume_11/Issue_01/111161.sgm.abs.html
----------------------------------------------------------------- Conference Report: The British Red Cross Conference "Heritage under Fire: The Protection of Cultural Property in Wartime": London, United Kingdom (June 26, 2001) Jan Hladik, pp. 164-165
www3.oup.co.uk/intjcp/hdb/Volume_11/Issue_01/111164.sgm.abs.html
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Conference Report: The NATO/PFP Seminar "Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict-A Challenge in Peace Support Operations": Bregenz, Austria (September 24-28, 2001) Jan Hladik, pp. 166-167
www3.oup.co.uk/intjcp/hdb/Volume_11/Issue_01/111166.sgm.abs.html
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Conference Report: Fourth Meeting of Governmental Experts to Consider the Draft Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage: Paris, UNESCO Headquarters (March 26-April 6, July 2-7, 2001), The 31st General Conference of UNESCO (October-November 2001) Patrick J. O'Keefe, pp. 168-172
www3.oup.co.uk/intjcp/hdb/Volume_11/Issue_01/111168.sgm.abs.html -----------------------------------------------------------------
Book Review: Colin Renfrew: Loot, Legitimacy and Ownership: The Ethical Crisis in Archaeology Reviewed by Daniel Graepler, pp. 194-202
www3.oup.co.uk/intjcp/hdb/Volume_11/Issue_01/111194.sgm.abs.html
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Book Review: Neil Brodie, Jenny Doole and Peter Watson: Stealing History: The Illicit Trade in Cultural Material Reviewed by Daniel Graepler, pp. 194-202
www3.oup.co.uk/intjcp/hdb/Volume_11/Issue_01/111194a.sgm.abs.html
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Book Review: Neil Brodie, Jennifer Doole and Colin Renfrew, eds. Trade in Illicit Antiquities: The Destruction of the World's Archaeological Heritage Reviewed by Daniel Graepler, pp. 194-202
www3.oup.co.uk/intjcp/hdb/Volume_11/Issue_01/111194b.sgm.abs.html
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Book Review: Gerard Aalders: Berooid. De beroofde joden en het Nederlands restitutiebeleid sinds 1945 [The Looted Jews and the Dutch Restitution Policy since 1945] Reviewed by Tanya Mehra, pp. 203-206
www3.oup.co.uk/intjcp/hdb/Volume_11/Issue_01/111203.sgm.abs.html
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To receive regular information on new Oxford Law books by e-mail please go to www.oup.co.uk/emailnews
CCAHA’S DISASTER MITIGATION FOR CULTURAL COLLECTIONS
November 5-7, 2002
Chemical Heritage Foundation 315 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19106
Collecting institutions have a responsibility to ensure that their collections are preserved for future generations. The importance of this mission can sometimes get lost in the shuffle of day-to-day tasks. However, an unanticipated disaster can quickly remind us how vulnerable these collections are to damage. Disaster planning insures that institutions are prepared to respond quickly to emergencies. Disaster mitigation, or the ability to identify risks and halt some emergencies from happening, should always play a key role in an institution's emergency preparedness and planning efforts. In addition to large scale emergencies, institutions should also be aware of the danger to their collections from roof leaks, pest infestation, mold blooms, theft, and fire. The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifact's (CCAHA's) disaster mitigation workshop series will provide tools for assessing an institution's vulnerability to disaster; evaluating fire prevention, detection, and suppression strategies; determining security risks; and assessing health and safety factors related to disaster. The workshops are intended for staff who are involved in collections care activities or have responsibility for the safety of collections. They are appropriate for librarians, archivists, curators, collections managers, stewards of historic house museums, site and facilities managers, and security and safety staff. Although attending the entire series is not required, each workshop will cover a significantly different topic applicable to most collecting institutions. Individually, the workshops will provide valuable information; as a series, they will provide a framework for the development of effective and comprehensive disaster mitigation strategies.
WORKSHOPS' DESCRIPTIONS
Assessing Vulnerability and Identifying Risks
November 5, 2002
In this workshop, participants will learn how to conduct a vulnerability analysis and risk assessment to evaluate the types of emergencies that might affect their institution and its collections. This evaluation will help institutions develop effective strategies to minimize the likelihood of a disaster. A crisis communications expert will address public relations strategies for emergency situations. Representatives from the Heritage Emergency National Task Force and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will present summaries of available resources and programs available to cultural institutions at the time of a disaster.
Speakers:
Julie Page, Preservation Librarian, University of California, San Diego and AIC/FAIC Emergency Response for Cultural Institutions Trainer Dr. Michael Smith, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, LaSalle University
Fire Safety, Detection, and Suppression
November 6, 2002
Critical to the selection of an appropriate fire protection and suppression system is the assessment and analysis of the hazards and risks faced by an institution. This workshop will focus on the need to review current fire protection procedures and systems in historic and cultural institutions. The workshop will equip participants with the up-to-date information needed to make informed decisions about fire suppression systems.
Speakers: Dr. Jack Watts, Director, Fire Safety Institute Nicholas Artim, Director, Fire Safety Network
Understanding Health, Safety and Security Risks
November 7, 2002
This workshop will alert participants to the health and safety risks present at the time of an emergency, including air quality, fire safety, electrical hazards, structural instability, chemical and biological hazards (mold, lead, asbestos, contaminated water and soil), pests, and those hazards inherent in collections themselves (arsenic, formaldehyde). Cultural institutions also face risks to their staff and collections if they do not have the proper security procedures and systems in place. The workshop will provide participants with tools to evaluate their security risks.
Speakers: Monona Rossol, President, Arts, Crafts, and Theater Safety, Inc. (ACTS) Steven R. Keller, President, Steven R. Keller & Associates, Inc.
The Claneil Foundation, Independence Foundation, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), The Pew Charitable Trusts, and The Philadelphia Cultural Fund have provided subsidies for these workshops.
Co-sponsors are Chemical Heritage Foundation, Delaware Valley Archivists Group, Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, Museum Council of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, PALINET, Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries, and Tri-State Coalition of Historic Places.
REGISTRATION FEE:
Non-Member Fee: CCAHA/Co-Sponsor Member Fee: 1 workshop: $ 60.00 $ 50.00 2 workshops: $120.00 $100.00 All 3 workshops (Save $10.00): $170.00 $140.00
Registrations must be postmarked October 25, 2002.
For additional stipend information, workshop registration forms, information about CCAHA and its programs and services, please visit our Web site at http://www.ccaha.org or contact CCAHA's Preservation Services Office at 215.545.0613 or ccaha@ccaha.org The Art Newspaper.com
This week's top stories:
THE MUMMY RETURNS
ATLANTA, GEORGIA. The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University, Atlanta, will return an unwrapped royal mummy believed to be the body of Ramses I to Egypt, the museum announced on 9 July. http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=9856
PRINCETON RETURNS ILLEGALLY EXPORTED ROMAN SCULPTURE
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY. The Princeton University Art Museum (PUAM) has returned to Italy an ancient Roman sculptural relief it bought in 1985 but which a curator discovered had left Italy without an export permit. http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=9855
ITALY CAN KEEP VAN GOGH’S “GARDENER”
ROME. After prolonged legal wrangling, culminating in an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, Van Gogh’s “Gardener” is to become the permanent property of the Italian government. http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=9854
REWARD OFFERED FOR RETURN OF STOLEN MEISSEN COLLECTION
SALISBURY. Rewards totalling £70,000 have been offered for the recovery of Meissen porcelain and antiques stolen from Lord Chichester's Wiltshire home, Little Durnford Manor, near Salisbury http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=9853
HM TREASURY SILVER WILL NOT BE SOLD
LONDON. The Treasury has backed down over plans to sell off historic Privy Council silver. Dating from 1685-1707, the four candle snuffers and trays with the royal arms were originally put up for auction at Bonhams last October, but were withdrawn following protests from heritage groups. http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=9852
THANK HEAVENS FOR THE RUBENS
NEW YORK, LONDON. Sotheby’s is continuing to stem its losses, reporting a net loss of $5.3 million for the first half of this year, compared to a loss of $8.3 million for the same period last year. http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=9851
SISTE, VIATOR
Whether we wish to rely on it as a handbook to the burial places of Western culture's canonical figures, draw from it an admonition that the Dead White Males of this culture are definitely dead, see in it a memento mori or rejoice with it in the beauty and strange vitality of cemeteries, "Grave matters" is above all an impressive collection of evocative black and white photographs. http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=9850