The fabric of life...
I love all of the great cotton commercials, I especially love all of the beautiful homes they take place in, so dreamy...
Ai WeiWei's Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads: Only Silence by Those Supporting the Repatriation of the Originals
Jailed Chinese dissident artist Ai WeiWei's exhibition of animal heads has finally opened in New York. See http://www.zodiacheads.com/?page_id=17
One would think that archaeological advocacy groups like Saving Antiquities for Everyone (SAFE) would publicise the exhibit, which is inspired by sculptures that were taken from the famous Yuanming Yuan (Summer Palace) in the aftermath of the Opium Wars. After all, SAFE and others have loudly supported the repatriation of the originals and other artifacts from the Summer Palace back to China. See
http://safecorner.savingantiquities.org/search/label/Yuanmingyuan
But nothing but silence.....
One wonders if there is a concern that publicising this exhibit by a dissident artist would be bad for archaeological business in China.
One would think that archaeological advocacy groups like Saving Antiquities for Everyone (SAFE) would publicise the exhibit, which is inspired by sculptures that were taken from the famous Yuanming Yuan (Summer Palace) in the aftermath of the Opium Wars. After all, SAFE and others have loudly supported the repatriation of the originals and other artifacts from the Summer Palace back to China. See
http://safecorner.savingantiquities.org/search/label/Yuanmingyuan
But nothing but silence.....
One wonders if there is a concern that publicising this exhibit by a dissident artist would be bad for archaeological business in China.
Posters No Substitute for Publication Efforts
Coins Weekly is advertising a call for posters to publicise the theme of �Numismatics and Archaeology: coins, stratigraphies and contexts� at a conference being held in Italy. See http://www.coinsweekly.com/en/News/4?&id=577
But posters are no substitute for actual publication efforts. During consideration of the renewal of the Italian MOU, the numismatic trade presented to CPAC a report cataloguing in detail Italy's poor stewardship of the coins already in State collections. For instance, a very cursory survey of Italian museums reveals at least 27 institutions with respectable numismatic holdings, but which have failed to publish full catalogues of even part of them.
It's even my understanding that no one has ever gotten around to publishing the coins excavated in Rome even before Italy became a unified nation-- some 150 years ago!
In my opinion, it is cynical in the extreme to claim as archaeologists have that import restrictions on "coins of Italian type" are necessary to further numismatic research when Italy's record in that regard is so poor and will certainly not improve anytime soon given the extreme budgetary pressures facing Italy's cultural establishment.
But posters are no substitute for actual publication efforts. During consideration of the renewal of the Italian MOU, the numismatic trade presented to CPAC a report cataloguing in detail Italy's poor stewardship of the coins already in State collections. For instance, a very cursory survey of Italian museums reveals at least 27 institutions with respectable numismatic holdings, but which have failed to publish full catalogues of even part of them.
It's even my understanding that no one has ever gotten around to publishing the coins excavated in Rome even before Italy became a unified nation-- some 150 years ago!
In my opinion, it is cynical in the extreme to claim as archaeologists have that import restrictions on "coins of Italian type" are necessary to further numismatic research when Italy's record in that regard is so poor and will certainly not improve anytime soon given the extreme budgetary pressures facing Italy's cultural establishment.
Labels:
CPAC,
double standards,
Italian MOU,
Italy,
numismatics,
poor stewardship
AIA Gala-- Are the AIA's Donors Informed of the AIA's Postions on Collecting?
The AIA's annual gala has attracted the notice of the Wall Street Journal:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704187604576289372374487528.html#articleTabs%3Darticle
Such events underscore the elitist nature of the organization, something that carries over to the AIA's approach to ancient artifacts: small time collectors and the small businesses of the coin and antiquities trade are vilified. Meanwhile, collectors wealthy enough to afford high end antiquities with demonstrable provenances back to 1970 attract little criticism-- particularly if they give money to support archaeological research.
Still, one wonders to what extent the AIA's donors are informed of the AIA's position that unprovenanced antiquities should be deemed stolen.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704187604576289372374487528.html#articleTabs%3Darticle
Such events underscore the elitist nature of the organization, something that carries over to the AIA's approach to ancient artifacts: small time collectors and the small businesses of the coin and antiquities trade are vilified. Meanwhile, collectors wealthy enough to afford high end antiquities with demonstrable provenances back to 1970 attract little criticism-- particularly if they give money to support archaeological research.
Still, one wonders to what extent the AIA's donors are informed of the AIA's position that unprovenanced antiquities should be deemed stolen.
CQ Reports on CPRI Capitol Hill Forum
Congressional Quarterly, a periodical widely read on Capitol Hill, has reported on the recent CPRI forum that explored whether the Cultural Property Implementation Act is working as intended. Hopefully, someone in authority at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is aware of the serious problems that have been described and will take corrective action.
An Artifactual Dispute
By Shawn Zeller, CQ Staff
When Congress passed legislation nearly three decades ago to help prevent the looting of cultural �artifacts� around the world, it took pains to reach a compromise between archeologists fearful of the destruction of �artifacts� and collectors eager to buy them.
A key element in the deal was a Cultural Property Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to the �State� Department on rules for the import and export of �artifacts� � rules that �State� can include in agreements with other countries.
Now the deal is in danger of breaking down. Late last month, some former members of the committee said they think the panel is siding too closely with archeologists and has cost museums and collectors the chance to acquire treasures. In fact, committee member Robert B. Korver, a Texas rare-�coin� dealer appointed by President George W. Bush, quit the panel to protest rules the Obama administration had adopted to restrict imports of ancient Roman �coins� from Italy.
Instead of a balance of interest on the committee, Korver wrote Obama, the wishes of members like him are routinely overruled �by the advocacy and directives of staff bureaucrats operating under a carefully defended veil of secrecy.�
Meanwhile, some former committee members spoke out at an event on Capitol Hill held by the Cultural Policy Research Institute, a Santa Fe, N.M.-based group representing people involved in the �artifacts� trade. Jay I. Kislak, another Bush appointee, said the committee was �useless.�
Kislak, who chaired the committee for five years, is an art collector who donated 4,000 books, maps, paintings and �artifacts� related to the history of the Americas to the Library of Congress in 2005.
James Fitzpatrick, a lawyer with the firm Arnold & Porter who has represented art dealers, says that although the rules are designed to conform with a 1970 U.N. convention on cultural �artifacts�, U.S. implementation of the convention is stricter than other countries� and allows the market for �artifacts� to shift overseas.
The State Department declined to comment, but it�s clear archeologists on the committee disagree with the criticism. Nancy Wilkie, an archeology professor at Carleton College in Minnesota who�s been on the panel since 2003, says it has done a commendable job of eliminating incentives for looters to raid archeological sites.
An Artifactual Dispute
By Shawn Zeller, CQ Staff
When Congress passed legislation nearly three decades ago to help prevent the looting of cultural �artifacts� around the world, it took pains to reach a compromise between archeologists fearful of the destruction of �artifacts� and collectors eager to buy them.
A key element in the deal was a Cultural Property Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to the �State� Department on rules for the import and export of �artifacts� � rules that �State� can include in agreements with other countries.
Now the deal is in danger of breaking down. Late last month, some former members of the committee said they think the panel is siding too closely with archeologists and has cost museums and collectors the chance to acquire treasures. In fact, committee member Robert B. Korver, a Texas rare-�coin� dealer appointed by President George W. Bush, quit the panel to protest rules the Obama administration had adopted to restrict imports of ancient Roman �coins� from Italy.
Instead of a balance of interest on the committee, Korver wrote Obama, the wishes of members like him are routinely overruled �by the advocacy and directives of staff bureaucrats operating under a carefully defended veil of secrecy.�
Meanwhile, some former committee members spoke out at an event on Capitol Hill held by the Cultural Policy Research Institute, a Santa Fe, N.M.-based group representing people involved in the �artifacts� trade. Jay I. Kislak, another Bush appointee, said the committee was �useless.�
Kislak, who chaired the committee for five years, is an art collector who donated 4,000 books, maps, paintings and �artifacts� related to the history of the Americas to the Library of Congress in 2005.
James Fitzpatrick, a lawyer with the firm Arnold & Porter who has represented art dealers, says that although the rules are designed to conform with a 1970 U.N. convention on cultural �artifacts�, U.S. implementation of the convention is stricter than other countries� and allows the market for �artifacts� to shift overseas.
The State Department declined to comment, but it�s clear archeologists on the committee disagree with the criticism. Nancy Wilkie, an archeology professor at Carleton College in Minnesota who�s been on the panel since 2003, says it has done a commendable job of eliminating incentives for looters to raid archeological sites.
AIA Issues Preservation Report
The Archaeological Institute of America has uploaded its 2011 Site Preservation Report on its website. See
http://www.archaeological.org/sites/default/files/files/2011%20Annual%20Report%20pdfa.pdf
While I'm all for the AIA soliciting private funds for site preservation, I wonder if the AIA's donors have been informed that their money also goes to lobbying activities directed against antiquities and coin collectors and the small businesses that supply them with artifacts and coins.
http://www.archaeological.org/sites/default/files/files/2011%20Annual%20Report%20pdfa.pdf
While I'm all for the AIA soliciting private funds for site preservation, I wonder if the AIA's donors have been informed that their money also goes to lobbying activities directed against antiquities and coin collectors and the small businesses that supply them with artifacts and coins.
SAFE Seeks Its Pound of Flesh
Saving Antiquities for Everyone has posted its plea for harsh justice to be meted out in the Four Corners case. See http://safecorner.savingantiquities.org/2011/04/will-sentencing-continue-to-disregard.html
It's not unexpected that the SAFE fanatics want their pound of flesh, but I find it interesting that SAFE President Cindy Ho first thought it necessary to ask the federal judge who is sentencing the defendants for his permission to publish their letter, but when that permission was not received, she published her letter anyway.
More importantly, its also worth noting that Ho's correspondence concludes,
We believe that the intentional violation of federal laws cannot be justified for certain communities or individuals. Even those who disagree with a particular aspect of the law must uphold it. If they do not, they should be held accountable for their actions.
That begs the question whether SAFE also feels that lawless behavior by the State Department Cultural Heritage Center as catalogued by Urice and Adler and at the recent CPRI Capitol Hill seminar should also subject State Department employees to discipline. Or, do the ends justify the means as far as SAFE is concerned?
Addendum: Derek Fincham has a thoughtful post on this issue contrasting the views on this sentencing. He notes that the Defendants in question include a mother and daughter whose husband and father committed suicide in the wake of the allegations. See
http://illicit-cultural-property.blogspot.com/2011/05/looting-and-criminal-sentencing-in-four.html It would seem they have suffered enough.
It's not unexpected that the SAFE fanatics want their pound of flesh, but I find it interesting that SAFE President Cindy Ho first thought it necessary to ask the federal judge who is sentencing the defendants for his permission to publish their letter, but when that permission was not received, she published her letter anyway.
More importantly, its also worth noting that Ho's correspondence concludes,
We believe that the intentional violation of federal laws cannot be justified for certain communities or individuals. Even those who disagree with a particular aspect of the law must uphold it. If they do not, they should be held accountable for their actions.
That begs the question whether SAFE also feels that lawless behavior by the State Department Cultural Heritage Center as catalogued by Urice and Adler and at the recent CPRI Capitol Hill seminar should also subject State Department employees to discipline. Or, do the ends justify the means as far as SAFE is concerned?
Addendum: Derek Fincham has a thoughtful post on this issue contrasting the views on this sentencing. He notes that the Defendants in question include a mother and daughter whose husband and father committed suicide in the wake of the allegations. See
http://illicit-cultural-property.blogspot.com/2011/05/looting-and-criminal-sentencing-in-four.html It would seem they have suffered enough.
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