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Italy is one of the countries whose archaeological heritage is at risk from commercial artefact hunting. The country has an uphill battle to protect its wealth of archaeological sites from opportunistic thieves and 'tombaroli': "who feed a vast international market in looted artefacts estimated by the FBI to cause as much as $6 billion in losses each year" (Naomi O'Leary, 'Italian police recover Roman statue stolen from Pompeii', October 18, 2012). Mosty of the objects entering the market by such means, because of the clandestine means by which they "surface" (from "underground") cannot figure on any register of "stolen art". One object, a terracotta bust possiibly of Agrippina the Younger, stolen from Pompeii "between 25 and 30 years ago" was however noted as missing. When it surfaced again on the market, it was spotted:
See IlPiacenza, 'Reperto di valore inestimabile nel laboratorio di un antiquario' IlPiacenza 18 Oct 2012 for photos of the object.
While it may be difficult for dealers to shift some antiquities which for one reason and another have no verifiable collecting histories establishing licit origins, it would seem most other dealers have no problems at all shifting theirs, just as long as there are no photos somewhere (showing either that they were somewhere they should not have been, or conversely they are not now where they should be). Since that does not apply to most looted objects, as long as the market stays no-questions-asked, there are no problems for middlemen and dealers shifting them. Let's put a STOP to that.
[That includes all who genuinely care about the legitimate trade in licit antiquities.]
Italy is one of the countries whose archaeological heritage is at risk from commercial artefact hunting. The country has an uphill battle to protect its wealth of archaeological sites from opportunistic thieves and 'tombaroli': "who feed a vast international market in looted artefacts estimated by the FBI to cause as much as $6 billion in losses each year" (Naomi O'Leary, 'Italian police recover Roman statue stolen from Pompeii', October 18, 2012). Mosty of the objects entering the market by such means, because of the clandestine means by which they "surface" (from "underground") cannot figure on any register of "stolen art". One object, a terracotta bust possiibly of Agrippina the Younger, stolen from Pompeii "between 25 and 30 years ago" was however noted as missing. When it surfaced again on the market, it was spotted:
Police said the terracotta head had been hidden for years by a dentist in Parma, who had tried to sell it but couldn't because it was too conspicuous as a stolen work. The head was recovered after the 62-year-old tried to sell it through an antiques dealer from Piacenza aged 36, who accidentally alerted police as he tried to find a buyer. Both are now charged with receipt and possession of archaeological goods.It is uncler if the dentist is suspected of having taken the object in the first place, or whether a third person will be investigated and charged.
See IlPiacenza, 'Reperto di valore inestimabile nel laboratorio di un antiquario' IlPiacenza 18 Oct 2012 for photos of the object.
While it may be difficult for dealers to shift some antiquities which for one reason and another have no verifiable collecting histories establishing licit origins, it would seem most other dealers have no problems at all shifting theirs, just as long as there are no photos somewhere (showing either that they were somewhere they should not have been, or conversely they are not now where they should be). Since that does not apply to most looted objects, as long as the market stays no-questions-asked, there are no problems for middlemen and dealers shifting them. Let's put a STOP to that.
[That includes all who genuinely care about the legitimate trade in licit antiquities.]
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