in the rarefied world of Antiquities sales pretty is as pretty done as a deal
sales pretty is as pretty done as a deal
sales pretty is as pretty done as a deal a we are all prostitutes you have street
a we are all prostitutes you have street
a we are all prostitutes you have street walkers and high class hookers but
walkers and high class hookers but
walkers and high class hookers but basically we are selling our three
basically we are selling our three
basically we are selling our three Michel van Rijn should know by his own
Michel van Rijn should know by his own
Michel van Rijn should know by his own admission he’s had a very colorful past
admission he’s had a very colorful past
admission he’s had a very colorful past I smuggled from Libya
I smuggled from Libya
I smuggled from Libya I stole at the time from Qaddafi
I stole at the time from Qaddafi
I stole at the time from Qaddafi smuggling is a very lucrative business
smuggling is a very lucrative business
smuggling is a very lucrative business for those who do it well Richard Ellis
for those who do it well Richard Ellis
for those who do it well Richard Ellis is the former head of Scotland Yard’s
is the former head of Scotland Yard’s
is the former head of Scotland Yard’s art an antiquity squad it’s estimated
art an antiquity squad it’s estimated
art an antiquity squad it’s estimated somewhere between three and six billion
somewhere between three and six billion
somewhere between three and six billion pounds a year his what is represented in
pounds a year his what is represented in
pounds a year his what is represented in stolen art antiques and cultural
stolen art antiques and cultural
stolen art antiques and cultural property and when van Ryan went straight
property and when van Ryan went straight
property and when van Ryan went straight he looked Ellis up we met because he was
he looked Ellis up we met because he was
he looked Ellis up we met because he was chasing me for ten years all over the
chasing me for ten years all over the
chasing me for ten years all over the world so one day I was in the Dorchester
world so one day I was in the Dorchester
world so one day I was in the Dorchester hotel and I called him
hotel and I called him
hotel and I called him we had never spoken and I said well
we had never spoken and I said well
we had never spoken and I said well you’re very welcome for a drink you know
you’re very welcome for a drink you know
you’re very welcome for a drink you know handcuffs are optional what do you think
handcuffs are optional what do you think
handcuffs are optional what do you think he said well that might be difficult if
he said well that might be difficult if
he said well that might be difficult if we have a drink together so let’s so we
we have a drink together so let’s so we
we have a drink together so let’s so we met in the bar and so they started
met in the bar and so they started
met in the bar and so they started collaborating today Michel van Rijn
collaborating today Michel van Rijn
collaborating today Michel van Rijn works to expose the art world’s dirty
works to expose the art world’s dirty
works to expose the art world’s dirty deeds
deeds
deeds recently he teamed up with Scotland Yard
recently he teamed up with Scotland Yard
recently he teamed up with Scotland Yard on the recovery of a priceless Mya
on the recovery of a priceless Mya
on the recovery of a priceless Mya headdress
headdress
headdress but despite the high-profile recoveries
but despite the high-profile recoveries
but despite the high-profile recoveries there is much that slips through
there is much that slips through
there is much that slips through transnational borders undetected
transnational borders undetected
transnational borders undetected you find whole container loads of
you find whole container loads of
you find whole container loads of Antiquities the hazard should we say of
Antiquities the hazard should we say of
Antiquities the hazard should we say of trafficking and antiquities of a pretty
trafficking and antiquities of a pretty
trafficking and antiquities of a pretty low you know since it’s venture stolen
low you know since it’s venture stolen
low you know since it’s venture stolen found fresh in the ground in Iraq Iran
found fresh in the ground in Iraq Iran
found fresh in the ground in Iraq Iran in Pakistan Afghanistan nowadays they
in Pakistan Afghanistan nowadays they
in Pakistan Afghanistan nowadays they are shipped via Dubai where they get a
are shipped via Dubai where they get a
are shipped via Dubai where they get a different passport I mean they say you
different passport I mean they say you
different passport I mean they say you know a respectable Dubai firm who will
know a respectable Dubai firm who will
know a respectable Dubai firm who will trends will re export the artwork to
trends will re export the artwork to
trends will re export the artwork to London to Paris etcetera so there are no
London to Paris etcetera so there are no
London to Paris etcetera so there are no question once in transit antiquities can
question once in transit antiquities can
question once in transit antiquities can be sold anywhere but Ellis says the
be sold anywhere but Ellis says the
be sold anywhere but Ellis says the primary destinations are New York and
primary destinations are New York and
primary destinations are New York and London but moving stolen artifacts is
London but moving stolen artifacts is
London but moving stolen artifacts is only part of the operation to get top
only part of the operation to get top
only part of the operation to get top dollar the object needs to be given an
dollar the object needs to be given an
dollar the object needs to be given an aura of legitimacy it has to be
aura of legitimacy it has to be
aura of legitimacy it has to be laundered one way is to create fake
laundered one way is to create fake
laundered one way is to create fake paper trails documenting its history or
paper trails documenting its history or
paper trails documenting its history or provenance provenance of an object is
provenance provenance of an object is
provenance provenance of an object is literally its history who made it when
literally its history who made it when
literally its history who made it when it was made where it was made who owned
it was made where it was made who owned
it was made where it was made who owned it another way is to misuse legitimate
it another way is to misuse legitimate
it another way is to misuse legitimate tools the Art Loss Register is a
tools the Art Loss Register is a
tools the Art Loss Register is a database of known stolen art however if
database of known stolen art however if
database of known stolen art however if the smuggler is the only one who knows
the smuggler is the only one who knows
the smuggler is the only one who knows the object even exists the database can
the object even exists the database can
the object even exists the database can help cover his tracks the gallery owner
help cover his tracks the gallery owner
help cover his tracks the gallery owner he can send a photograph of the object
he can send a photograph of the object
he can send a photograph of the object to the Art Loss Register and he will get
to the Art Loss Register and he will get
to the Art Loss Register and he will get a letter back saying it doesn’t match
a letter back saying it doesn’t match
a letter back saying it doesn’t match our archives meaning you have done your
our archives meaning you have done your
our archives meaning you have done your due diligence from that moment on you
due diligence from that moment on you
due diligence from that moment on you can turn around
can turn around
can turn around as a dealer knowingly having a stolen
as a dealer knowingly having a stolen
as a dealer knowingly having a stolen object you have laundered it and you can
object you have laundered it and you can
object you have laundered it and you can sell it to any museum in the world or
sell it to any museum in the world or
sell it to any museum in the world or you can sell it to any collector or via
you can sell it to any collector or via
you can sell it to any collector or via any option in the world furthermore
any option in the world furthermore
any option in the world furthermore while some collectors believe that their
while some collectors believe that their
while some collectors believe that their purchases are saving endangered
purchases are saving endangered
purchases are saving endangered antiquities frequently the opposite is
antiquities frequently the opposite is
antiquities frequently the opposite is true these pictures are taken from one
true these pictures are taken from one
true these pictures are taken from one of Richard Ellis’s investigations in
of Richard Ellis’s investigations in
of Richard Ellis’s investigations in each
each
each at the tomb of hetepka but once luminous
at the tomb of hetepka but once luminous
at the tomb of hetepka but once luminous hieroglyphs were sold on the foreign
hieroglyphs were sold on the foreign
hieroglyphs were sold on the foreign market tomb walls have been stripped to
market tomb walls have been stripped to
market tomb walls have been stripped to bare stone the value of the object
bare stone the value of the object
bare stone the value of the object placed on it by the marketplace can be
placed on it by the marketplace can be
placed on it by the marketplace can be vastly different to that placed on it by
vastly different to that placed on it by
vastly different to that placed on it by the archaeologists and science and when
the archaeologists and science and when
the archaeologists and science and when an object is illegally excavated it
an object is illegally excavated it
an object is illegally excavated it loses its context the cards may be
loses its context the cards may be
loses its context the cards may be stacked against the authorities but
stacked against the authorities but
stacked against the authorities but justice can prevail in 2006 Italian
justice can prevail in 2006 Italian
justice can prevail in 2006 Italian authorities were able to claim a set of
authorities were able to claim a set of
authorities were able to claim a set of Hellenistic vessels that had been looted
Hellenistic vessels that had been looted
Hellenistic vessels that had been looted decades earlier on display at New York’s
decades earlier on display at New York’s
decades earlier on display at New York’s Metropolitan Museum since 1972 the
Metropolitan Museum since 1972 the
Metropolitan Museum since 1972 the museum has agreed to return the
museum has agreed to return the
museum has agreed to return the artifacts to Italy after investigations
artifacts to Italy after investigations
artifacts to Italy after investigations into the dealings of a convicted
into the dealings of a convicted
into the dealings of a convicted trafficker revealed a faked provenance
trafficker revealed a faked provenance
trafficker revealed a faked provenance for the set examples like this one give
for the set examples like this one give
for the set examples like this one give hope that something can be done to stem
hope that something can be done to stem
hope that something can be done to stem the trade however it may only be a drop
the trade however it may only be a drop
the trade however it may only be a drop in the bucket there isn’t a country in
in the bucket there isn’t a country in
in the bucket there isn’t a country in the world that doesn’t suffer from
the world that doesn’t suffer from
the world that doesn’t suffer from cultural property theft not one
”
Be First to Comment