US Collectors: "Monopolists and Guardians of the Truth"

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US dugup collector Thomas Albert remarks on the current situation in 'antiquities'. His comments are typical of those of part of the no-questions-asked portable antiquity collecting milieu. This shows what we are up against:

[It] Seems there is more and more elsewhere happening that so similar in nature it is not funny in the slightest. Sadly, there are more and more tragic stories coming out which should encourage the State Department to calm the retoric (sic) and start dealing with the facts, that even with our economic issues, we are by the far the most stable place on the planet for cultural items from around the world. Even as our country is going through a major transformation, like it always does about this time during the century (similar events occurred in 1810 and 1910), we are guardians of world treasures and we ensure that all the world knows about them and who produced them. We provide an unbiased world view of history, untwisted with propoganda (sic), except perhaps our own national history. The MoUs to repatriate cultural property that is supposedly looted, does not stand up to scrutiny, especially in light of the fact that we see events like these occurring more and more often [link], [link] especially since we also realize that many of these objects recovered will still end up on the black market because of the very officials in charge becoming the source within a few years as cash becomes an issue. I am sorry to say this, but there is looting like what is going on in Greece, and it is making it's (sic) way into the legitimate market, and in many cases through back door channels provided by those in power. However, the buyer in cases is not aware of that and are buying from known sources. So, what the State Department has to consider, are they actually doing something benefical, or political? Because in either case, this is just a merry go round, because at some point in the future, private collectors, legitimate of otherwise will once again safe guard these treasures, as history has proven repeatedly. It's just with government involvement, fewer objects will manage to survive the time.

So buying stolen and smuggled artefacts is all about 'rescuing' them - in other words saving them from falling into the hands of somebody else. Somebody who will use them to tell other stories maybe. I marvel at the man's confidence that US historiography is the only truly unbiased in the whole world ("except perhaps our own national history" - yep, and that of the dugup and driven out injuns too which I am sure Mr Albert will not lightly consider part of his "national history"). Oh, and they have a rather odd approach to Europe in the Middle Ages, approaching it mainly from the point of view of what can be carried off to the US - so a bit scant on the earthier side of the evidence.

In fact the way that these dugup ancient objects are used in US collections (both private and institutional) is far from neutral and unbiased. They are used in a specific arrangement of assemblages to create a past tense for a specific and imagined identity for their owners, users and viewers.

According to Mr Albert, "those in Power" driven by the rhythms of the Clockwork of Time ("it's that time of the century agin folks!") will lead to licit becoming illicit and the Euphronios vase will be on its way back to the Met. Because looting is allegedly contaminating the licit market (through the back door) that pesky State Department should reconsider its rhetoric and as a result of that leave that back door wide open so that US collectors, whether legitimately or not, will become the sole righteous guardians of the world's treasures which apparently collectors like Mr Albert think is their Manifest Destiny. The depth of this feeling of entitlement and shallowness of thinking behind it are breathtaking in their audacity.

Mr Albert seems unaware that the CCPIA combats smuggling, not looting, and applies to unlawfully exported items.