Organization: JFK University
Subject:
Re: Looted Art and Congress
Although I am not from Benin, I am of African descent and I agree with Mr. Buffalo. However, I once encountered a curator who, when asked if African art that was stolen should be returned he replied that Africa was too unstable (politically) to be entursted with objects of such value and significance. Of course beacuse i was working at this museum and I wanted to be respectful of this person, i bit my tongue until it bled. I found myslef wondering if museums or western countries actually had the right to deny a people their cultural property based on a western standard of political stability without factoring in colonialism and neo-colonialism? I read a book by bell hooks and she says that as a student in Paris, she was amazed at the amount of African art in French museums. Her theory about why there was sucha plethora of objects to chose from was this ( and i am paphrasing) if a people are forced to lose touch with their ability to create then they can easily be conquered.So lets suppose that various African groups decide to ask that their art be returned. Would this process be the responsibility of the U.N. or would ICOMOS be involved, or just exactly who? As a former Poli Sci student, I think this would be an interesting process to follow. How about you?
Shana
On Tue, 3 Feb 1998, Janice Klein wrote:
> A terrific question, since many of the Benin bronzes were looted during the
> British Punitive Expedition and (it is my understanding) that the museum in
> Benin City has very little (if any) original work. This of course, brings
> us to the larger (probably unsolvable) question, do those who "made" the art
> have a right to have it in their community or does "great art" belong to
> the world?
> I did once get an interesting answer from Jonathan Buffalo, the Meskwaki
> historical preservation coordinator, in regard to the "sharing" of his
> tribes' cultural property: give it all back and we'll lend you some for
> exhibit.
> Janice Klein
> Registrar, The Field Museum
> klein@fmnh.org
(Museum-L)
From: Claire Lyons
Subject:
Museum hosts antiquities sale
Dear Colleagues,The following article was published last week, describing the St. Louis Museum of Art's plan to sponsor a sale of ancient gold jewelry and ornaments in its Sculpture Hall on Feb. 6-8. The artifacts will be provided by several New York area antiquities dealers, including Merrin Gallery, Fortuna Fine Arts, and Antiquarium Ltd., with the proceeds to benefit both the dealers and the museum. Aside from the questionable practice of museums selling actual artworks and artifacts on behalf of the trade, there is no indication that issues of provenience have been taken into account in accordance with the ICOM Code and the prevailing ethical standards of most professional organizations. In addition to the strict policies of archaeological associations, even the Museum Store Association has established clear guidelines against this sort of activity. The *sale of wearable art* set a poor example and encourages the collecting of undocumented antiquities, an activity that in so many cases directly contributes to site looting and illicit trafficking.
In view of the Archaeological Institute of America's strong position and the efforts it has made to educate the public and the professionals on this issue, I would encourage list members to register their concerns for the protection of archaeological heritage and the responsible presentation of ancient artifacts to Dr. Sidney Goldstein, Associate Director and Curator of Ancient and Islamic Art, St. Louis Museum of Art, 1 Fine Arts Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63110; fax 314/721-6172; email sgold@slam.org.
Claire Lyons
AIA Vice President, Professional Responsibilities
*******
St. Louis Post Dispatch Article:
>http://www.stlnet.com/Saturday, January 24, 1998 Section: LIFESTYLE
GOOD AS GOLD
By Becky Homan, Post-Dispatch Fashion Editor>
THEY MAY HAVE set the first gold standard - those Assyrian, Eqyptian, Greek, Roman and Etruscan ancients who fashioned elegant rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces from gold. > Their work has endured over the centuries. Some of it even retains a burnished, molten look that no new gold can replicate. And now, pieces of this ancient, wearable gold are to go on sale in the St. Louis Art Museum's Sculpture Hall, Feb. 6-8, as part of the museum's even more important exhibit called, "Ancient Gold: The Wealth of the Thracians," Feb. 6-April 5. > The jewelry sale represents "the first time ancient jewelry has been offered at the museum," says Sid Goldstein, associate director of the museum and curator of ancient and Islamic art. "And most people assume this sort of material doesn't exist or isn't available for sale," he adds. "But it is, and it's quite beautiful, and much of it is quite stable and wearable." > Indeed, the beauty is obvious in a pair of Greek earrings from the 5th century B.C., shaped as golden flower petals curling up around circles of stamens. The same may be said for a gold Roman ring, inset with carnelian that accents a carving of the goddess Minerva. > These pieces are not inexpensive, with prices ranging from around $250 up to $50,000 and beyond. But people do buy and wear them - especially when they're carefully, artfully reinforced. Others buy to collect. Meanwhile, at the time of this sale, the museum's gift shop also will offer reproductions of ancient jewelry in the more affordable $15-to-$75 range. > Here's a quick look at the East Coast dealers who will be coming to Sculpture Hall. They include: > - Antiquarium, Ltd., at 948 Madison Avenue in New York, is bringing dozens of ancient gold pieces ranging from "$1,000 to tens of thousands," says Robin Beningson, director of the fine- and ancient-arts gallery. The pieces often are set with semi-precious and precious stones and detailed with tiny gold beading and granulation. Roman coins also are fashioned into earrings and pendants set in 22-carat gold. Ancient gold rings are carved with images of deities and patron saints, worn for good luck as well as symbols of social status," she says. > - Fortuna Fine Arts, Ltd., 984 Madison Avenue, is bringing some 40 examples of wearable earrings, rings, necklaces, pendants, cameos and other ornaments from the 2nd century B.C. to the 12th and 13th centuries A.D. Prices range from $1,000 to $50,000. A specialty of Fortuna are seal rings with carved precious and semi-precious stones that served as ancient calling cards for men and women. > - Noele and Ronald Mele of Westport, Conn., bringing some 100 examples of Greek, Roman, Etruscan and Assyrian gold jewelry, including plain, round, gold earrings from Roman times costing around $300 to elaborate Helensic [sic] earrings for $50,000. "This is somewhat unique," Ronald Mele says of the sale to art-museum visitors. "As a rule, our clients are mainly in Europe as museums and private collectors." > - The Merrin Gallery, 724 Fifth Avenue in New York, is bringing some 40 pieces of pre-Columbian and ancient Mediteranean [sic] jewelry ranging from about $1,500 to $30,000. Its vice-president, Linda Schildkraut, says the gallery obtains these pieces from collectors who may be going through "life changes, like divorce, or they're people who are older, not interested anymore in the responsibility of a collection."(Schildkraut's own life changes include once working at the St. Louis Art Museum during her graduate-school days at Washington University).
From: Chris Stanley
Subject:
Re: (Fwd) Re: (Fwd) Re: Looted Art and Congress
Away with all this political correctness!
Jason Kaufmann's arguments are reasonable enough. For most museum curators
the motto is 'what we have we hold'. Once a precedent has been set for
handing back items that are the 'booty of war' or of conquest then, yes, we
logically only stop when our institutions are denuded. However,there may
come a time when Benin City is on everybodies itinerary to visit and a time
when it is fitting that the Benin bronzes should be repatriated. Until then,
come to London and see what else we've nicked over the years such as the
Parthenon Marbles (we're still saving them from the Turks, of course), all
that ancient Egyptian stuff including the Rosetta Stone and Cleopatras
Needle., looted Viking graves etc.
By the way, a significant proportion of any mineralogical collection in the world represents material which has been stolen, most commonly removed from a mine by a miner without the mineowners permission and sold on to a dealer who then sells the specimen or exchanges it to a museum. Proof of title can be very difficult to establish.
/., Chris J Stanley BSc PhD MIMM CGeol - Ore mineralogist, economic geologist, consultant, etc.
Environmental Quality research theme chairman,
Deputy Head of Mineralogy Department, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, LONDON SW7 5BD,UK Tel. +44 171 938 9361 Fax. +44 171 938 9268
Museum web site at: http://www.nhm.ac.uk
Personal Web site at: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/mineralogy/stanley/stanley.htm
From: Jason Edward Kaufman
To: Museum Security Mailinglist
Subject:
Re: (Fwd) Re: Looted Art and Congress
On what basis does one propose that makers keep their creations in perpetuity? An object's function is not limited to its intended context. Should all the liturgical objects and religious paintings of the Middle Ages be returned to France, Belgium, and Germany -- to countries which did not yet exist at the time of the objects' manufacture? Should all the Rembrandts in the world be consolidated in the Rijksmuseum and all the Holbeins in Basel and London? If no, why need the argument differ with respect to African and Native American objects?Most claims for restitution are unsustainable on both legal and moral grounds. Were the objects removed against the wills of the makers? If so, were they taken during time of war? Do laws exist providing a framework for restitution? Should warmakers make reparations for loss of property (and life) suffered by the vanquished? Should the vanquished make reparations to their conquerors who themselves suffered losses? That is not the way the world works. We cannot make laws to undo millennia of barbarism and pillage.
Moreover, many "losses" occurred through commerce, but the makers now regret their past agreements. Should they now be rescinded on moral grounds? Surely not.
As we anxiously await the wisdom of the various international groups in resolving the matter of WWII booty, let me offer the following proposal:
Perhaps we yet aspire to correct past injustices. If we are to do so, it must be by consensus. I propose that in cases where nation States are the present owners of objects illicitly obtained, they should provide compensation to the victims. An international panel could determine the fair market value and direct the holders of looted art to repay their rightful owners accordingly. However, private owners of objects should be allowed to decide their fate. Should they wish to do so, they may return them. And should they wish to enter into negotiation to determine a just form of compensation, various avenues should be open. I favor relinquishing title to the victim in exchange for an agreement to donate the piece to a public collection of the present owner's choosing. The victim would therefore enjoy a tax benefit for the value of the donation (in countries where such tax laws exist). If the private owner wished simply to retain the object, I cannot foresee a reasonable international legal device that would compel the owner to forfeit the property, regardless of the circumstances of its acquisition.
I would be most interested in MSN members' responses.
Sincerely,
Jason Edward Kaufman
US Correspondent
The Art Newspaper
From: MediaNPCA@aol.com
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 1998 10:26:04 EST
Subject: NPCA News Release:
NPCA Applauds FY 1999 Budget, Land Acquisition Requests
NPCA APPLAUDS FY 1999 BUDGET, LAND ACQUISITION REQUESTS Increases in NPS Budget Begin to Address Infrastructure Backlog Washington, D.C. -- The National Parks and Conservation Association (NPCA) applauded the main features of President Clinton's Fiscal Year (FY) 1999 National Park Service budget today, particularly its commitment to addressing long-standing maintenance needs and increased funding for the preservation of historic resources. NPCA, the nation's leading park advocacy group, also cheered a number of items on the Administration's list of Park Service land purchases for national parks including winter range for Yellowstone National Park's bison The total NPS budget request of $1.8 billion is an increase of $94 million over the final FY 1998 budget enacted by Congress. "It is encouraging that the National Park Service and the Administration have recognized the need to address the staggering backlog of maintenance needs in the parks," said NPCA President Tom Kiernan. "Too many parks have gone too long with deteriorating buildings and untended trails." The Administration's budget includes a $69 million increase for maintenance within the parks, with $60 million of those funds earmarked for maintenance projects that have been put off from previous years. Repairs and rehabilitation of park structures will account for $37.4 million of the $60 million for deferred maintenance projects, while the rest will go toward ensuring timely routine preventive maintenance. For the first time, the Administration is also taking steps to prioritize park infrastructure needs and allocate funding to the most urgent projects. NPCA also called on Congress to fund the new Millennium Grant Program, which the President proposed in his State of the Union address, to preserve America's cultural treasures for the next century. The budget requests $50 million to preserve significant records, buildings, papers, films and other objects through the Millennium program. Another $100.6 million is budgeted for historic preservation in the Park Service budget, nearly $60 million more than the funding appropriated for FY 1998. "The parks are too often thought of as just scenery. Yet, they also house many of the most cherished artifacts of America's history," said Kiernan. "The Park Service is in critical need of a sufficiently funded, comprehensive program to preserve its collections and archives." LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND A number of projects that NPCA promoted were included on the Clinton Administration's request to Congress today for how to spend $699 million in funds allocated through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) in the FY 1998 appropriation. Among those projects are the $13 million purchase of the 13,000 acre Royal Teton Ranch outside Yellowstone, which would provide a safety zone for bison that leave the park, and $6.4 million to purchase private holdings in the Cumberland Island National Seashore. ... more -2- "This funding can go a long way toward purchases that are critical to the integrity of a number of our parks," Kiernan said. "We regret that this appears to be a 'one time only' use of this tremendous conservation tool and that the Administration siphoned off $10 million from this fund for more maintenance. The fund should be used as the law prescribes to complete the conservation promises made when our parks were established." Also among the items in the Administration LWCF request are: · $86 million to purchase land and demolish one of two dams along Washington state's Elwha River · $11 million to purchase 1,200 acres of Civil War battlefield sites · $1.45 million to purchase 574 acres at Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota, among the last remaining private holdings in the park · $1.4 million to acquire the last 37 acres of privately owned oceanfront property at Acadia National Park in Maine · $600,000 to acquire 52 acres in the core area of the Glorieta Battlefield at Pecos National Historical Park in New Mexico. Despite the good news, NPCA was concerned that plans to enhance natural resource protection, as well as further land purchase needs were not properly addressed in the 1999 budget. "The budget, while addressing some very pressing needs in maintenance and cultural restoration, forces parks to put off proactive natural resource protection activities," Kiernan said. "We are still being asked to choose from among very legitimate and real needs. For example, NPS has a $1.5 billion land allocation backlog while Congress refuses to spend money piling up in a $11 billion trust fund from offshore oil drilling leases." Except for the maintenance initiative, the Park Service budget for basic park operations remains relatively flat. The NPS Land Acquisition and state assistance program is budgeted at $138 million, with the South Florida Ecosystem Initiative receiving $81 million of that amount. The National Parks and Conservation Association is America's only private nonprofit citizen organization dedicated solely to protecting, preserving and enhancing the U.S. National Park System. An association of "Citizens Protecting America's Parks," NPCA was founded in 1919 and today has nearly 500,000 members.
(Museum-L)
From: Janice Klein
Subject:
Re: Looted Art and Congress
A terrific question, since many of the Benin bronzes were looted during the British Punitive Expedition and (it is my understanding) that the museum in Benin City has very little (if any) original work. This of course, brings us to the larger (probably unsolvable) question, do those who "made" the art have a right to have it in their community or does "great art" belong to the world?I did once get an interesting answer from Jonathan Buffalo, the Meskwaki historical preservation coordinator, in regard to the "sharing" of his tribes' cultural property: give it all back and we'll lend you some for exhibit.
Janice Klein
Registrar, The Field Museum
klein@fmnh.org
