Comments on Cultural Heritage in Danger: It’s All the Same: the Looting of ‘High Art’ vs. t...

See now "Bulgaria's Police Busts Antiques Smugglin...

2007-10-25T18:08:00.000-04:00

See now "Bulgaria's Police Busts Antiques Smuggling Channel. Thirteen people were arrested in the police raid that took place from October 22 to 24, among them a well-known businessman from the city of Pazardzhik" at http://msn-list.te.verweg.com/2007-October/008434.html

Regarding the topic of the trade in undocumented '...

2007-10-19T19:28:00.000-04:00

Regarding the topic of the trade in undocumented 'minor' antiquities, David Gill's post on the sale at Bonham's may be of interest: http://lootingmatters.blogspot.com/2007/10/old-collections-at-bonhams.html

Dear David,Thank you for the links. It is interes...

2007-10-15T11:01:00.000-04:00

Dear David,
Thank you for the links. It is interesting to see how this review of Roger Atwood's book, for which you provided a link, misrepresents the book, Artful Crafts, by Vickers and Gill (1994) and Vickers' other articles. Clearly, these works were not intended to dissuade contemporary collectors from collecting ancient Greek vases, but rather to address a purely academic question: 'how were painted vases used and regarded by contemporary viewers?' I recall from my Vase Painting Seminar that we studied Vickers and Gill and the arguments surrounding the ceramic imitation of metal vessels and we never discussed anything about contemporary collecting; it was/is a purely academic debate. Contrary to the "review's" assessment, the debate on the issues the book raises is far from settled and scholars can come down on either side of the issue. I even had an examination question on these issues on my doctoral comprehenisve examinations - and one doesn't get easy questions for which there is an obvious and easy answer. It is distressing that some are willing to skew serious academic research and misrepresent its purpose in order to promote an agenda in Washington.

Best,
Nathan

NathanYour observations remind me of the submissio...

2007-10-15T04:05:00.000-04:00

Nathan
Your observations remind me of the submission made by Sayles to the Committee on Ways and Means in September 2005. In it he quotes (in full) an online review by Alan Walker which discusses some of the very issues you raise. I have commented on Walker's position in a review article in the Journal of Field Archaeology earlier this year.
Best wishes
David

Mr. Sayles, If I understand you correctly, you are...

2007-10-14T18:04:00.000-04:00

Mr. Sayles,

If I understand you correctly, you are saying that as long as crimes are being committed, having laws against them are not the solution and are unnecessary. Or, are you saying as long as there are some successful arrests, laws against these crimes are no longer the solution and and are unnecessary? Or, are you saying that as long as crimes are committed in foreign countries we (Americans) should play no role in helping to stop them even if we had signed an Agreement, such as UNESCO and we should ignore requests from foreign governments to help regulate the flow of illicit material into our own country? You said that "import restrictions are not the solution. Effective laws and law enforcement are." Since import restrictions have been made into US law with CPIA, are you saying that CPIA specifically is not effective? If so, do you have any statistics and facts to share with us, showing that in countries with which we have signed agreements, looting has not been diminished (the whole purpose of the law, I assume you'd agree) as a result of the import restrictions? I ask because it seems to me that if indeed CPIA has not been at all effective, then why would these countries continue to seek renewal of these bilateral agreements and why would the our government keep granting them?

Also, if we agree that countries should make progress in enforcing their own laws by arresting and prosecuting looters and smugglers, is it not reasonable these countries would seek import restrictions on ancient and archaeologically significant objects that are illegally exported in order to deter would-be looters and smugglers and assist that country in recovering illicitly exported material? Is it unreasonable for our nation, as a significant importer of illicitly exported cultural goods, to make efforts to stop such material, the transportation and excavation of which has already violated that sovereign nation's law, from entering the U.S.? Would our government not expect foreign nation's to respect our own requests to protect our cultural patrimony or to refuse anything else that is being exported from our borders illegally?

If I misread your response to my post I apologize in advance, but please do clarify for our readers.

Best,
Nathan

Successful arrests and prosecution of smugglers in...

2007-10-14T01:17:00.000-04:00

Successful arrests and prosecution of smugglers in places like Romania point out in the most graphic way that import restrictions are unnecessary. When source countries effectively enforce their own laws, or create reasonable laws that citizens will not flaunt, there will be no illegal exports. Every arrest of "looters" publicized in the world press strengthens the argument that import restrictions are not the solution. Effective laws and law enforcement are.

Wayne G. Sayles