National Archaeological Museum of Spain acquired a 22 antiques, perhaps illicitly exported from Italy.

National Archaeological Museum of Spain acquired 22 ancient objects that have been found and possibly deported illegal way from Italy. As the investigators suggest that these objects could in due course to pass through the hands of an art dealer Giacomo Medici (Giacomo Medici) and Gianfranco Bekkina (Gianfranco Becchina).

in 1995 in Geneva, Italian police discovered a huge store, where art dealer Giacomo Medici had many ancient artifacts, papers and photographs taken on Polaroid artisanal. Archives de 'Medici was arrested, but most dealer in 2004 in Rome, was found guilty of illegal transportation and sale of ancient artifacts. Medici was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, but in July 2009 the Court of Appeal in Rome decided to reduce his sentence to 8 years. The dealer will also be obliged to pay the state a fine of 10 million euros in compensation for damage to the cultural heritage of Italy.

And in 2001 it became known that another dealer - Gianfranco Bekkina - owns three stores in Basel, filled with thousands of suspect artifacts and photographs, as well as customer base, customs documents, invoices and bank statements. The investigation Bekkina just beginning. He denies any involvement in the illegal export of art objects.

Background

in early 1970 in Italy swept sometimes violent "raid" on the antique value. As a result, tens of thousands of archaeological sites were looted and vandalized, no less than a million illegally harvested artifacts were on the market and, scattered throughout the world, permanently lost their names and biographies. These ancient treasures were numb, transformed into simple articles of interior, have lost all connection with their place of origin. Spread subjects was inevitable because of how they were caught, a little reminiscent of the archaeological survey: antiquities dealer washed its prey better than the drug mafia. Con artists exhibiting for sale the leading auction houses, usually in London, illegally obtained items, sometimes using aliases, but often under their same names, or through their own company. It happened that after some time scammers themselves ransomed them back down, thus questionable provenance these works.

As a result of the stolen items scattered around the world. And especially a lot of them have settled in America. American museums were buying the best finds, closing their eyes to their murky provenance, the unscrupulous dealers or middlemen, "black" archeologists. However, many respected historical organizations ignorantly fall into the trap of the "black market". They simply have no idea questionable past artefacts. In this case, their actions when buying a hard call illegal. But to retain the items after verification of their provenance would be unethical. If museums exhibiting stolen items, then they are better than looters boasteth himself prey? Such actions distort the very idea of the museum as a vehicle of culture in society.

Purchase

items, which now goes it has been purchased by the National Archaeological Museum of Spain in 1999. The museum, founded in 1867 by Queen Isabella II, owns one of the richest art collections in Madrid and throughout Spain. Controversial artifacts are part of a large collection of 181 subject Etruscan, Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Spanish origin. The collection sold for $ 12 million 82-year-old collector and businessman Jose Luis Varese Fisa (José Luis Várez Fisa). In 2009, Fisa was rated at two hundred leading collectors, compiled by the magazine ARTnews. His collection also includes pictures of Goya (Goya) and Velazquez (Velázquez).

In 1999, the National Archaeological Museum is very proud of your purchase at the Fisa collection of antiquities: acquiring collection of such scale and of such quality, museum immediately escaped to the rank of the leading museums in Europe and the USA.

Investigation

Collection Fisa first presented to the public in autumn 2003, accompanied by an exhibition full 500-page catalog.

In 2006, this catalog of Madrid accidentally got in sight Italian archaeologist Daniel Rizzo (Daniela Rizzo) and paperwork Maurizio Pellegrini (Maurizio Pellegrini). Both the specialist previously assisted the prosecutor in Rome, Paolo Giorgio Ferri (Paolo Giorgio Ferri), who led the case of Giacomo Medici. They are on different sources were studied data on tens of thousands of ancient objects illegally exported from Italy from 1970 to the present day, and often traces of artifacts found in the archives of the Medici and Bekkiny. Rizzo and Pellegrini, so long studied the pictures of stolen items that, leafing through the catalog of Madrid, almost immediately found a match. Within days of twenty-two photographs from the catalog they picked up "a couple" of those arrested archives art dealers (see photo).

• In the top row - photos of items from the archive of the Medici"
  In the bottom row - items from the catalog of the Madrid Archaeological Museum
  Source: theartnewspaper.com

at some pictures from the archives of fraud from ancient amphorae, even not brushing all the earth, as if they just dug. On the other - things are not glued completely lie pieces. Obviously, photographing finds, dealers in a hurry. Sometimes fixing took place before sending items to the professional restoration. As we found out, one artifact from the archives of the Medici - Apulian bell-crater 330 BC - visited the restoration of the family office of Fritz and Harry Burke (Fritz and Harry Bürki) in Zurich. This company is known in another case about the theft of antiquities. Father and son Burke often gave to the restoration of questionable items dealer Robert Hecht (Robert Hecht). The legal case of Robert Hecht, begun in 2005, is still ongoing.

Some items from the Madrid catalog appeared in earlier editions, such as an extensive catalog of the German "Coins and Medals", published by Bekkina close friend, or directory Royal-Athena Galleries in New York antique dealer Jerome Eisenberg (Jerome Eisenberg). As stated on the website of the gallery, she "has sold more than 30,000 works of leading museums in the U.S. and Europe" and has "an enormous collection of antique objects from around the world." Images of nine Madrid artifacts were first published in catalogs Eisenberg from 1993 to 1997. According to the owner, all the objects that have passed through his gallery from 1988 to 2005, tested by Italian police. And they are all "clean", with the exception of the eight items that Eisenberg had voluntarily returned to Italy in 2007.

Head of Sotheby's London antiquities Felicity Nicholson (Felicity Nicholson) told the prosecutor about the Ferry that Giacomo Medici was its principal client in auctions of antiquities. He sold the items under two pseudonyms, and then re-bought them in person. In store Medici in Geneva, many items have a seal Sotheby's. The photograph of one vase has a sign with red paste handwriting Robert Hecht with lots of exclamation marks: "Amphora, which bought it, not the one we sent to Sotheby's!» Medici was active not only in London but in New York. Between 1991 and 1995, his front company Editions Services bought 135 lots at auction Sotheby's. Only London's Sotheby's gave the Italian investigators three weighty dossier on their relationship with the Medici. Since 1997, Sotheby's stopped holding auctions of antiquities in London.

Threads "Traffic»

Some artifacts from the Madrid catalog has never before been published. The archive Bekkina both sides photographed Italian amphora in oriental style with the image of a wounded deer. The subject is dated VII century BC, the height of its rather impressive - 52 centimeters. Such information about the vessel, give the documents Bekkina. And in Madrid catalog in the caption to photos of the same amphora said: "whereabouts are unknown, making it difficult to determine the specific Italian studio».

Negative from the archives of the Medici portrays a jug of wine Oynohoyya 660 years before our era of Etruscan origin. Spanish catalog place of origin of the same object calls Cerveteri (Cerveteri) near Rome and at the same time said that it was acquired by Swiss antiques market. New image of the pitcher appeared in the catalog "Coins and Medals».

Another Attic black-figure amphora 520 BC depicts a trip to the chariots. Its author considered the master of Priam (Priam Painter). The first time this amphora was introduced in December 1997 in New York's catalog Sotheby's. However, Pellegrini contends that the same artifact appears at three Polaroid photographs from the archives of the Medici - the truth is not a glued and covered with earth. This made it possible to assume that excavated it was not so long ago. And this same amphora flashed in yet another "dark" archive - a former art dealer Robin Simes (Robin Symes). Archive at his villa in the Cyclades Greek police have arrested and accused of looting Simes.

The archive Medici is another black-figure amphora. It depicts the battle of Hercules with the Amazons. Amphora VI century BC, reaching almost half a meter in height. Madrid museum of its author calls the master Antimenesa (Antimenes Painter). Photos Medici portrayed it before the restoration.

Black-figure amphora with Heracles and grappled Triton 530 BC, may have been found together with the previous one. It was sold to the Medici in the New York Sotheby's auction in May 1989.

Whose fault?

It is important to attention to the fact that while there was no evidence of Jose Luis Vares Fisoy direct transactions with the Medici or Bekkinoy. Both the dealer, as a rule, scrupulously record all sales operations. Direct references to the name Fisa not found. In addition, Fisa know the details of the items purchased provenance. Perhaps these artifacts come to him for negligence. National Archaeological Museum of Spain has not yet commented on the situation.

Nevertheless, this case demonstrates is the ease with which have been compiled many of the modern collections, and how the major world museums acquired the stolen items through ignorance or deliberately turning a blind eye to their origin.

Material prepared Maria Onuchina, AI

On the topic see also:
Getty Museum reconciled with Italy
Getty Museum returns Italian regular value
Another Pompeian fresco return to Italy

references to the work of Giacomo Medici is here:
Two precious artifact back to Italy
Christie's are asked to withdraw from the auction stolen antiquities

Sources: theartnewspaper.com , artinvestment.ru