Dutch judge failes to grant return stolen Nok terracottas
from http://www.michelvanrijn.com/artnews/artnws.htm: An ignorant Dutch judge failed to grant the return of five stolen Nok terracotta sculptures to Nigeria. He's flying against the wind of change, which will see such looted artworks repatriated. (The Nigerian GOV has announced to appeal). The verdict goes against a decision already handed down in Paris against the Louvre. The looting of archaeological items and the destruction of archaeological sites in Africa are a cause of irreparable damage to African history and hence to the history of humankind. http://icom.museum/redlist/english/intro.html#top
Fake Antiques Hit U.S. Market
MEMPHIS, TENN. -- Fantastic fakes or the real deal? Unfortunately for collectors, the answer most times is the former.
An outbreak of fake antiquities that began in England this summer is spreading across the United States, according to Millicent Creech, a Memphis dealer in 18th-century British antiques. "Many dealers are very upset about the situation," she says, "because other so-called 'legitimate' dealers are buying and selling themÑeven though they know they are wrongÑand mixing them in with legitimate pieces." One of the fields affected by this is ceramics, where forgers are making Martinware pottery, a type of Victorian art pottery, and distributing it in the United Kingdom and France. Copies of "signed" Martinware grotesque bird tobacco jars are turning up that have the right size and feel, and are difficult to discern from authentic originals. In addition to making outright fakes, dishonest artisans are restoring pieces of porcelain to "perfect" condition by attaching thin, clear plastic sheets to both sides and then repainting the piece. The new process does not fluoresce under a black light, the usual tell-tale sign of a restoration. According to a retired London dealer in porcelain, who wishes to remain anonymous, Staffordshire is being faked as well. He knows of one man who uses old molds, strikes them lightly to get some abrasion, buries them in a damp place in his backyard and leaves them there for two years before selling them as originals for thousands of pounds.
A confidential scholarly source says Chinese porcelain also is a minefield, especially export wares from the Yuan (1279-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911). He described a typical Yuan scam as follows: "If you are known as a buyer of Yuan porcelain, you will begin to hear about newly discovered excavation sites. If you show interest, you will be taken to a site and be given a broken but genuine Yuan piece to take away for testing. After you are satisfied with the results, you will be offered a high-quality copy at a top price, but one that is still lower than the market price in London, Hong Kong or New York City." The scam artist will tell the potential buyer that he is the first to learn of the new site and that he must decide quickly because another customer is eager to buy the piece. Even more ingenious is the shipwreck scam, in which a potential buyer is taken to a shipwreck site where divers repeatedly surface carrying porcelain items. These fakes are made, the source says, by placing new porcelain in a tank filled with salt water and sand. A motor agitates the sand which rubs the porcelain surfaces. "One day in the tank is equal to 100 years in the natural sea," the source says, "so for a ÔMingÕ porcelain, they only need to spin the piece for five days."
Another expert, who also speaks on condition of anonymity, advises collectors to "approach all ceramics with suspicionÑat auctions, fairs and shops." Creech adds that many of these fakes will undoubtedly turn up on online auction sites this fall. There are ways for potential buyers to protect themselves against fakes and overly restored porcelain wares. The way to check for breaks and restoration in porcelain is to hold the piece up to a 500-watt light bulb. An anonymous expert on export porcelain says that when the fake piece is spun in the water, its surface will show the spinning pattern in only one direction. In the case of heavily restored porcelain the source says, there is a technique using a coin or a small spoon that enables it to be detected. With the permission of the owner, gently scratch around the mouth rim and the surface of the piece with the coin or spoon. While doing this, listen to the sound the scratching of the porcelain makes. If it gives off a dull sound, then it is restored. Another surefire technique, but one the owner is likely to be reluctant to allow, is to place a small amount of acetone--nail polish remover--on a piece of cotton and sweep the porcelainÕs surface. If it has been restored, the color will come off; if itÕs an original, the color will hold. Another method of faking porcelain involves imitating "crackle" wares heating the piece in a microwave and then chilling it in the refrigerator, which causes it to crack. Another area where fakes have run rampant is Queen Anne silver, where, according to one source, "the fakes are so good that it now casts doubt on the genuine pieces so that there isnÕt much trade at all, except for pieces that have provenance." In addition, excellent Israeli-made "FabergŽ" pieces have been around for some time and miniature silver rocking chairs marked as Georgian, with an Irish harp stamp, which denotes a fake. "They were being sold all over the place," she says, adding that "some dealers who bought them did not want to believe that they had been so easily fooled. When something seems too good to be true, thatÕs usually because it is."
Gary Bottomley, a British silver dealer, warns of Hester Bateman fakes being made in Israel. "They are sometimes just off in weight and the marks are a little large," he says, "but others are incredibly good and difficult to discern. One example he cites is a Hester Bateman apostle spoon that recently was sold on eBay. "Apostle spoons were not made in the 18th century," he says. "These are tablespoon shafts with re-shaped bowls and apostle terminals added. He also tells of caddy spoons, especially Irish ones, that are made with teaspoon handles that have been cut down, reshaped and fitted to a caddy spoonÐshaped bowl. "They are dead obvious to those in the know," he says, "but some collectors have been caught." According to Bottomley, Victorian vesta cases (match safes) with hallmarks and racing and hunting scenes also are widely faked. Creech has made a crusade out of exposing faking techniques and warning collectors, but she does not want to scare people out of buying antiques. "We all get stung," she says. "My plea for those who have bought fakes is that they use them as educational tools to keep others from getting stung, rather than trying to pass them off at auction or on eBay." She adds that since eBay has a "hands off" policy, many members must e-mail the buyer or the seller directly about problems with authenticity and condition.
--Amy Page http://www.artantiquesmag.com/
Czech Libraries in Floods
About fifty Czech libraries were inundated, more than 600.000 volumes were soaked and consequently 150.000 of them had to be frozen. Books that have not been frozen or dried promptly are being liquidated. From more rare prints 1 incunabula, thousands of old prints from 1501 - 1800 and tens of thousands volumes of periodicals from 19th and 20th centuries and similar number of books which represent Czech and foreign scientific literature from the same period were soaked and frozen. From other documents for example research reports were afflicted equally. Most (hundreds of thousands) of destroyed books in municipal and local libraries represent contemporary Czech publications that can be replaced. Much more damaged documents are concentrated in archives of various institutions including those which keep unique historical documents (for example Architecture Archives of National Technical Museum, Military Historical Archives etc.). Most of these documents are publications of various institutions (Municipal Court, registries of various ministries etc.) that have not historical or cultural value and it is possible to destroy them according to schedule. Most of archival documents have been frozen.
Frozen publications are being collected in the only enterprise Mochovske mrazirny (Cooling Plant Mochov), in the subsidiary plant Kladno near Prague where they could be also dried and treated subsequently. Afflicted institutions established mutual contacts and four coordination centers were established for collecting information about the extent of damage and mediating offered aid:
Libraries: National Library of the Czech Republic, Jiri Polisensky, phone +420 2 81013309, fax: +420 2 81013107, e-mail: Polisensky.Jiri@cdh.nkp.cz
Museum and galleries: Associations of Museum and Galleries: Mrs. Dagmar Fialova phone +420 2 24210037, fax: +420 2 24210047, e-mail: amg@vol.cz
Archives: State Central Archives, Michal Durovic, phone +420 2 61447472, fax: +420 2 61447215, e-mail: sua10@mvcr.cz
Scientific institutes: Academy of Science of the Czech Republic, Petr Nejedly, phone +420 2 2321252, fax: +420 2 2322962, e-mail: nejedly@ujc.cas.cz
The National Library itself did not suffer any damage on books, but, on the other hand, substantial parts of its technical infrastructure located in basements of Klementinum have been destroyed or damaged, i.a. namely electrical transformation unit as well as the central gas- heating unit. The cost for the recovery is estimated for ca 20 Mil. CZK (670 Tho. EUR). At present, the supply of electricity has been re- established by means of provisional arrangements, which means that one can use light, network, telephones, elevators etc. On September 9, after four weeks of closure, the Library was able to open for the public.
Nevertheless, these provisional technical arrangements are not of permanent character and give no guarantee of secure functionality. Very soon they should be changed into permanent and stable measures, which is, of course, question of money. But the ministry of culture or the government is not in a position to promise anything very certain for the time being, but to send us some small amounts, fare to be sufficient. And, in addition to the electricity issue, the repair of the heating unit is still open and unclear, so open and unclear is the date of start of heating season in Klementinum; no need to say that the heat may become necessity in a few weeks. The National Library have been organising information and coordination activity for libraries affected by floods, since the days of water culmination, and plays a role in communication with those, both from the country and abroad, offering assistance. In addition, the NL takes part in cooperation with other partners from "memory sector" - museums and archives in relief efforts, as well as with the ministry of culture, who is active in this field, as well. Now more detailed data on destroyed and frozen publications are being collected as a source material for further decision-making. Coordination at the higher (i.e. governmental) level is being discussed. This discussion should result in common coordinated activities (de-freezing, drying, restoring, reformatting etc.) and central financing.
We presuppose that drying frozen documents will necessitate the application of various technologies. The best technology for the treatment of the rarest documents could be vacuum freezing (freeze drying); in the case of less valuable documents it is necessary to test industrial drying technologies. The treatment of such a large number of frozen documents necessitates many years and high expenses before they are allowed to be used again for their original purposes. Workplace where books will be dried need vacuum freezing device that have not been used in the Czech Republic yet. We are also discussing various drying methods with enterprises which go in for drying hops and wood. Such a technology enables to regulate the gradual increase of temperature and humidity of drying air. As none of Czech institutions is experienced with the application of these technologies we embrace any professional aid and advice. National Library of the Czech Republic is negotiating with the Ministry of Culture about extending the current research project by testing some drying technologies and comparing their results among various types of documents. National Library of the Czech Republic along with State Central Archives accepted the kind offer of Swiss government, which sent to our country professional restorer Mr. Quido Voser who has been dealing with freezing and drying paper documents. During visits in cooling plant and in some libraries and archives he is being acquainted with our situation and is able to give additional information in this field.
Other experts, e.g. from Great Britain, Spain, France, or Poland, and some other countries are promising to come, or even expected to come these days. Besides, appropriate technical devices have been promised, both as donation, and for loan, and some of them are on the way.
Missing equipments and materials in conservation laboratories in the Czech libraries and archives
Low vacuum suction tables of different types (f.e. co Bello, Germany)
a) with dome - for relaxation and humidification of materials
b) wedge shape - for repair of bound volumes
Humidification chambers (by co Lascaux, SZ are optimal)
Leave casting machine (co Per Larsen, Denmark)
Equipment for water preparation for deacidification - Herco System
Various materials: - Japanese paper - Handmade paper for repairs and endleaves - Brushes of different sizes an thickness (f.e. co Nao, Japan) - Parchment and Leather of good quality for bookbinding
Restitution of Ethiopian Artefacts
The Obelisk and the Aeroplane Tsehai
By Richard Pankhurst
What has happened to the Aksum Obelisk?"
Readers from all over the world keep asking: "What has happened to the Aksum Obelisk looted from Ethiopia by Mussolini in 1937, and other articles of loot thus far not returned?".
The situation about the Obelisk is as follows:
The Italian Peace Treaty
The Obelisk should have been returned within 18 months of the signing of the Italian Peace Treaty in 1947. The relevant article, Article 37, is reproduced on this page, together with the Italian signature of the agreement (kindly copied from official archives).
The treaty also bears the signatures of all the then victorious United Nations, in the following order: the USSR, the UK, the USA, China, France, Australia, Belgium, Bielo-Russia, Brazil, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia, Greece, India. the Netherlands, New Zwaland, Poland, Ukraine, and the Union of South Africa".
Several further promises of restitution were later made, most notably in the Ethio-Italian Agreement of 1997. In it the Italian Government undertook to return the stele within that year - a promise of restitution which has up to now not been implemented.
A letter on the matter, written by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on 8 November of last year sadly failed to produce any immediate response. It is assumed that anti-restitution elements were at work to prevent one being sent.
The Obelisk in Rome was, however, subsequently struck by lightning, on 28 May of this year. It was widely argued that the Italian authorities were culpable of attaching a metal strengthening pin which attracted lighting, as well as of failing to attach a lightning conductor for the stele's protection. Prime Minister Meles subsequently visited Rome to attend a meeting of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, but was, strangely enough, denied an opportunity to discuss the Obelisk issue with the Italian Government.
The damage to the Obelisk, followed by the apparent slight to the Ethiopian Prime Minister, resulted in numerous protests by Ethiopian officials, as well as by the Ethiopian public at large. Protest demonstrations were also held outside Italian Embassies in both Washington and London. The matter at the same time acquired an African dimension when Ethiopia raised the matter at the inaugural Africa Unity meeting in Johannesburg - and won resounding pan-African support. Excitement reached such a height that it is no secret that at least one Italian diplomatic mission abroad urged the Berlusconi Government to display greater sensitivity on the Obelisk restitution issue. There was a realisation that the loot from the Third World could not remain indefinitely in the hands of the looters. The Italian Cabinet, according to the Italian press, was at last induced to discuss the future of the Obelisk at a meeting on 19 July of this year.
Signor Berlusconi's Letter
Signor Silvio Berlusconi, according to an Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs source, thereupon wrote to Meles Zenawi, on 25 July.
"Highest … value"
In this important letter Berlusconi stated that Italy recognised the "highest religious, cultural and political value" of returning the Obelisk to its original home. i.e. Ethiopia; and declared that his Government, recognising Italy's responsibility to return the Obelisk, had decided to carry out this obligation. He went on to observe that for his part he wished to underline that his Government's decision to return the Obelisk represented not only Italy's wish strictly to abide by its international obligations, but also to make a gesture of friendship to the people of Ethiopia and Africa. He also spoke of his conviction that the obelisk's restitution would facilitate "relations of friendship and co- operation" between Italy and Ethiopia.
Ethiopia: "Privileged Partner of Italy"
Berlusconi went on to declare that he considered that Ethiopia was a "privileged partner of Italy in the strategic area of the Horn of Africa", and added that the Obelisk's return could "only but strengthen the ties between Italy and the countries of the region".
Invitation to Visit Rome
The letter ended with an invitation to the Ethiopian Prime Minister to visit Rome to discuss "the development of bilateral relations between the two countries".
Prime Minister Meles's Reply
Prime Minster Meles in his reply, dated 2 August of this year, thanked Silvio Berlusconi for his delayed reply to his message of 8 November, about the "vexed issue" of the Aksum obelisk, and added: "Let me assure Your Excellency that there is nothing more that I desire at the present time than putting this issue behind us so that both of us can concentrate on ways and means of further enhancing our partnership and strengthening our co-operation.
Speedy Restitution: "Important"
"I am pleased that Your Excellency realizes how important the speedy restitution of the obelisk is for Ethiopia and its people, and the enormous significance it has for preserving confidence between Italy and Ethiopia. "I am therefore encouraged by your message that the year 2002 will witness the end of this saga. I am also pleased to accept your invitation to visit Italy which I have no doubt will afford us an opportunity to discuss issues of mutual concern... It is my conviction that my visit would have the necessary symbolic significance if it were to coincide with the beginning of the transportation phase of the obelisk. It is my earnest desire for this to take place before the end of the year 2002"
"Taken by our grandfatheres"
Several Italian newspapers have meanwhile been arguing that the Obelisk was "taken by our grandfathers", and that it was therefore the right of Italians of this generation to vote by referendum as to whether it should or should not be returned. This is an example, we may comment, of democratic ideas run mad! Someone carries out an act of theft, and his grandchildren are to be asked whether or not the stolen property should be returned!
Comment
Silvio Berlusconi's letter, suggesting as it does that the Obelisk will soon be returned, is to be welcomed - though it is only fair to add that similar promises have been made by Italian luminariess in the past, and have thus far, for one reason or another, not been followed by action. It is only when we see the monument actually being dismantled that we can fully be assured that its return is to take place, and that he opponents of restitution have at long last been silenced.
The Aeroplane Tsehai
While awaiting the return of the Aksum obelisk, it may be time to look at another Ethiopian item of loot, also still in Italy, the story of which has recently received publicity in the Italian press. This relates to an aeroplane which is wanted as a decoration for the exciting new Addis Ababa Airport recently designed by the distinguished French architect Jacques Dubois. Readers will recall that this aeroplane was the first ever to be constructed in Ethiopia, and probably one of the earliest anywhere in Africa. The machine, which was originally called Aethiopien I, i.e. Ethiopia I, was assembled in Addis Ababa, early in 1935, only a few months prior to the Italian Fascist invasion on 3 October 1935.
Emperor Haile Sellassie's Pilot Ludwig Weber
The 'plane was the handiwork of Emperor Haile Sellassie's German pilot Ludwig Weber. A native of Freiburg, he had come to Addis Ababa in 1933, as a representative of the German firm of Junkers, and had been commissioned to assist in the establishment of Ethiopian aviation.
A Time of Ethiopian Modernisation
This was a time when the ancient Ethiopian state was beginning actively to modernise itself.Aeroplanes were being imported and airstrips prepared. Weber based the design for the aeroplane "Tsehai" on a German model which had been built in Freiburg a year or so earlier. He began construction work in Addis Ababa on no less than three aircraft, but only one, "Tsehai" on account of the Fascist invasion, was ever completed. (See the article by Bernardo Sclerandi, "L'aeroplano del Negus", in the Italian aviation magazine "Aerei", No. 12, for 1978, pages 45-6). The aircraft was a monoplane, with a seven cylinder Walter Venus I 115 horsepower engine, and a Schwartz propeller. Its fuselage was made of steel, its wings largely of wood, and its windscreen of plastic. This historic 'plane was painted in the Ethiopian national colours,green, yellow and red; and was christened "Tsehai" by the late Emperor after his beloved daughter, Princess Tsehai.
The First Flight, and Appropriation by Fascist Italy
The 'plane's first flight took place either at the very end of 1935, or at the beginning of 1936, when "Tsehai" was flown by Herr Weber in person. The history of "Tsehai" was, unfortunately, a short one. The 'plane had flown only 30 hours when the advance of the fascist invaders obliged Weber and his staff to leave Ethiopia. They left at the beginning of May 1936, only a few days prior to the entry into the city of PietroBadoglio's fascist army. The 'plane was then appropriated by the invaders, who despatched it to Italy. By 1941, it had been acquired by the Aeronautical Museum in Caserta, but was later transferred to the more important Italian Aviation Museum outside Rome. As the first 'plane to be assembled in Ethiopia it would seem that the machine is clearly an "object of historical value", as specified in the Italian Peace Treaty. This is corroborated by the fact that the 'plane is currently in the Italian Aviation Museum: if it was not of "historical value" it would not of course be in the museum. The fact the aircraft was made under Ethiopian Government auspices, by the Emperor's pilot, and is generally referred to in Italy as "the aeroplane of the Negus", leaves furthermore no doubt that it belongs, like the Obelisk, morally to Ethiopia. That the 'plane was flown up to the beginning May 1936 shows likewise that it was taken to Italy within the period after 3 October 1935 covered by the Peace Treaty. The presence of the aircraft in the new Addis Ababa airport building would provide visual evidence of pre-war Ethiopia's heroic efforts to modernise herself, as well as dramatic evidence of the way in which the country succeeded in forging historic, and coopertative, links with other countries: in this case Germany.
An Act of Justice - and Statesmanship
The return of "Tsehai", in accordance with the Peace Treaty of 1947, would seem an elementary act of justice, as well as an act of statesmanship. It is hoped that the aeroplane can return at least as soon as the Obelisk, preferably indeed as its forerunner, and a meaningful symbol of Ethio-Italian friendship. It would surely be better to display the original aeroplane in the airport building rather than a mere replica as some people are currently suggesting as a second-best alternative.