Passing Through, Caught my Eye

Somtow's selfie by an Abu Dhabi
antiquities shop display

In a shop in the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi, apparently a stage on the outward journey of many antiquities of global origins, "you can buy better Mesoamerican antiquities than in a New York gallery", says Somtow Sucharitkul, artistic director of Opera Siam, currently on tour.  The shop belongs to Bakarat (branches in London, Beverly Hills and Abu Dhabi). "The Barakat Gallery unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of all the works of art as described" (that's it). Even here, on what basis? No scientific tests - or existence of separate 'condition reports' - are indicated in any of the sales descriptions.