Greek Court Dismisses Case Against Ex-Curator
By ANTHEE CARASSAVA
Published: November 28, 2007
ATHENS, Nov. 27 — An appeals court here dismissed a criminal case on Tuesday against Marion True, a former curator for the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles who had been accused of conspiring to acquire an ancient gold wreath that Greece says was looted from its soil.
Related
Times Topics: Marion True
The unanimous decision by the three-member appeals court came eight months after the Getty formally handed over the disputed funerary wreath and a week after Ms. True’s lawyer filed a motion for dismissal.
In his motion the lawyer, Yannis Yannides, cited a California state law that sets a three-year statute of limitations for prosecutions once the whereabouts of a stolen artifact have been established. (The Getty bought the wreath in 1993 for $1.15 million.)
In dismissing the charges, the appeals court appeared to accept his argument that Greek law requires its courts to defer to the statute of limitations in the country where the acquisition was made known.
Mr. Yannides said: “The rule of law was applied. That’s all we wanted. That’s all we asked for. This may not be a legal triumph, but it brings significant closure to my client.”
Ms. True has been on trial since late 2005 in Italy on similar charges of conspiring to acquire illicitly excavated antiquities. She has denied the charges in both cases and did not attend Tuesday’s hearing here.
The threat of criminal prosecution has emerged as a crucial tool for archaeologically rich countries as they press American museums for the handover of artifacts acquired in recent decades.
Prosecutors in Italy and Greece have generally asserted that the criminal cases and the drive to reclaim objects are independent of each other. Still, they concede that their strategies are interrelated. Christos Koumbis, a state prosecutor, disclosed for the first time on Tuesday that he had recommended that the charges be dropped. If “the wreath had not been returned, then we may have decided differently,” he said in a brief interview. Greek Culture Ministry officials declined to comment on the outcome of the case.
In August the Getty agreed to return 40 ancient treasures to Italy after long and contentious negotiations. The criminal charges against Ms. True remain in effect there, although related civil charges were dropped in August.
The wreath is believed to have been unearthed about 15 years ago. Greece first laid claim to it in the mid-1990s, although its precise site of excavation was not yet known. Last year, however, its government sent the Getty a dossier of evidence, including documents and photographs, to support its claim that the wreath had been illegally removed from northern Greece and passed on to a market through Germany and Switzerland before being sold to the Getty in 1993 for $1.1 million.
The deal to return the wreath and a fourth-century B.C. kore, or statue of a young woman, was brokered last December. In July of last year, the Getty also acceded to Greece’s request that it return a large stele, or grave marker, it acquired in 1993 and a small marble relief bought by the museum’s founder, the oil magnate J. Paul Getty, in 1955.
Ms. True would have faced up to 10 years in prison if she had been tried and found guilty of receiving a stolen artifact. She still faces lesser charges related to at least 29 unregistered antiquities that were found in her summer villa on the Greek island of Paros during a police raid last year.
Her lawyers have said that the objects were there before she bought the property in 1996 and that the charges are a form of harassment.
Ms. True was the Getty’s chief antiquities curator from 1986 to 2005. She resigned the post in October 2005 over what the museum said was an impropriety related to the 1996 purchase of the villa on Paros.
The Los Angeles Times reported then that Ms. True had used a lawyer recommended by the London antiquities dealer Christo Michailidis to arrange a real estate loan for the house the previous year.
Under Getty policy, such a loan would have posed a conflict of interest, because he was a close associate of another dealer with whom the Getty did business.
Harry Stang, Ms. True’s lawyer in Los Angeles, said she was gratified by the appeals court’s decision on Tuesday. “She was pleased that the court ruled as it did on her Greek counselor’s motion,” he said. “She was fully prepared if necessary to defend the case on the merits.”
“While we’re all very pleased that the Greek law was properly applied with respect to the statute of limitations,” he added, “it also should be noted that at no time during these proceedings have the Greek prosecutors provided any evidence as to the existence of a crime.”
A spokesman for the Getty, Ron Hartwig, said the museum was “pleased that the charges against Marion True have been dismissed.”
The wreath is now on view in an archaeological museum in Salonika, Greece.
Randy Kennedy contributed reporting from New York.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
disaster preparedness resources
Northern States Conservation Center
Stanford's Conservation Online
NPS Primer for Disasters
NTHP disaster preparedness resources
Also:
Stanford's Conservation Online
NPS Primer for Disasters
NTHP disaster preparedness resources
Also:
New Group Announcement
Posted by: "Graham Stapleton" manaeus2000@googlemail.com manaeus2000
Mon Nov 26, 2007 3:58 am (PST)
I've created a new Yahoo Group for people interested (and in some
cases, worried) about Emergency Preparedness for museums, galleries,
libraries and archives.
This subject goes under several names: counter-disaster planning,
incident response, collections salvage; but with some honourable
exceptions, institutions keep it at the bottom of their agenda - until
it happens to them. Business Continuity is a newer, but established
field, whose methodologies can be applied to the needs of museums. It
probably won't unlock any more funds, but those of us with concerns can
talk, swap ideas and resources.
To find it, use the Yahoo Groups search and enter: Business Continuity
Museums. Directions for subscribing are at the bottom of the page. It
is presently empty; contributions from people with real matters will
meaningfully fill it.
Thank you
Graham Stapleton
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Project Abstract
Egyptian Faience Cartouche Rings and Pendants from the 18th Dynasty
My project focuses on the research of museum artifacts, one of the traditional tasks of the curator. I have chosen a group of similar Egyptian objects dating from the 18th Dynasty, consisting of three Egyptian faience ring bezels and two Egyptian faience cartouche-shaped beads. Each has the name of a royal person of the 18th dynasty on it, placed within a cartouche (Smenkhare, Queen Tiy, Amenhotep III, Tutankhamun and Akhenaten). The goal of this project is to develop a framework of knowledge about these fairly common objects, including information about their production, dispersal and function in Ancient Egyptian society. A study of the writing of each of the names and frequencies of the writings from known excavation contexts is also to be included. This information will then be summarized in readable and understandable labels for each of the pieces. These labels will be used in an exhibition of New Kingdom artifacts owned by the Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology which will be created next semester. The labels will follow the standard guidelines of the Egyptian section of the museum in format and provide a concise identification of each piece as well as a short introduction to this class of artifacts. The main corpus of information collected will be added to the Egyptian collection database to aid further research. The scope of the project, although focusing on research, also incorporates a number of other museum activities including exhibition planning and design, label writing and education.
Bibliography
1) Brunton, Guy and Reginald Engelbach. Gurab. London: Bernard Quaritch, 1927.
2) Frankfort, H. and J. D. S. Pendlebury. The City of Akhenaten, Part II: The North Suburb and the Desert Altars, the Excavations at Tell el Amarna During the Seasons 1926-1932. London: Egypt Exploration Society, 1933.
3) Friedman, Florence Dunn, ed. Gifts of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Faience. London: Thames and Hudson, 1998.
4) Kemp, Barry J. Amarna Reports VI. London: Egypt Exploration Society, 1986.
5) Peet, T. Eric and C. Leonard Woolley. The City of Akhenaten, Part I: Excavations of 1921 and 1922 at El-‘Amarneh. Boston: Egypt Exploration Society, 1923.
6) Pendlebury, J. D. S. The City of Akhenaten, Part III: The Central City and the Official Quarters, the Excavations at Tell el Amarna During the Seasons 1926-1927 and 1931-1936. London: Egypt Exploration Society, 1951.
7) Petrie, W. M. Flinders. Scarabs and Cylinders with Names. London: Constable and Co. Ltd., 1917.
8) Reisner, George Andrew. Unpublished Object Register of Harvard University- Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition at Giza, 1905-1937 from Giza Archives Project. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, www.gizapyramids.org, accessed 11/6/2007.
My project focuses on the research of museum artifacts, one of the traditional tasks of the curator. I have chosen a group of similar Egyptian objects dating from the 18th Dynasty, consisting of three Egyptian faience ring bezels and two Egyptian faience cartouche-shaped beads. Each has the name of a royal person of the 18th dynasty on it, placed within a cartouche (Smenkhare, Queen Tiy, Amenhotep III, Tutankhamun and Akhenaten). The goal of this project is to develop a framework of knowledge about these fairly common objects, including information about their production, dispersal and function in Ancient Egyptian society. A study of the writing of each of the names and frequencies of the writings from known excavation contexts is also to be included. This information will then be summarized in readable and understandable labels for each of the pieces. These labels will be used in an exhibition of New Kingdom artifacts owned by the Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology which will be created next semester. The labels will follow the standard guidelines of the Egyptian section of the museum in format and provide a concise identification of each piece as well as a short introduction to this class of artifacts. The main corpus of information collected will be added to the Egyptian collection database to aid further research. The scope of the project, although focusing on research, also incorporates a number of other museum activities including exhibition planning and design, label writing and education.
Bibliography
1) Brunton, Guy and Reginald Engelbach. Gurab. London: Bernard Quaritch, 1927.
2) Frankfort, H. and J. D. S. Pendlebury. The City of Akhenaten, Part II: The North Suburb and the Desert Altars, the Excavations at Tell el Amarna During the Seasons 1926-1932. London: Egypt Exploration Society, 1933.
3) Friedman, Florence Dunn, ed. Gifts of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Faience. London: Thames and Hudson, 1998.
4) Kemp, Barry J. Amarna Reports VI. London: Egypt Exploration Society, 1986.
5) Peet, T. Eric and C. Leonard Woolley. The City of Akhenaten, Part I: Excavations of 1921 and 1922 at El-‘Amarneh. Boston: Egypt Exploration Society, 1923.
6) Pendlebury, J. D. S. The City of Akhenaten, Part III: The Central City and the Official Quarters, the Excavations at Tell el Amarna During the Seasons 1926-1927 and 1931-1936. London: Egypt Exploration Society, 1951.
7) Petrie, W. M. Flinders. Scarabs and Cylinders with Names. London: Constable and Co. Ltd., 1917.
8) Reisner, George Andrew. Unpublished Object Register of Harvard University- Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition at Giza, 1905-1937 from Giza Archives Project. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, www.gizapyramids.org, accessed 11/6/2007.
Exit Condition Report on the Neil Nokes Collection of African Art
Condition reports are employed to protect and guide museums by documenting the state of preservation of any loaned property. By recording the physical condition of loaned objects, the examiner is offering protection to both the loaner and borrower. A careful condition report is one of the museums preeminent methods of managing the liability that may arise after the loaned collection is returned to its original owner. These reports are an imperative component of the monitoring process and should be conducted on a regular basis. Upon obtaining the collection from the lender, the condition of the objects should be checked against the lender’s original report. Prior to the return of the collection to the lender, the objects should be re-examined once more by the borrower.
For my final project, I will perform an exit condition report on the 198 items on loan from the Neil Nokes Collection of African Art. In this project, I will review the incoming condition reports and assess a new one based on three considerations: insecurity (such as weakness of materials), damage (such as advanced deterioration) and disfigurement (such as physical violence or chemical change). The methods I will employ in the condition report will take into account the three attributes of defects: nature, location and extent. In this project, I will handle sculptures, ceramics and textiles where, according to the object material, I will use the correct methodology necessary for its proper examination and recording. Within this methodology, I will familiarize myself with a working knowledge of common terms that are utilized by collections managers and registrars. This will give me the ability to link the reports together in a coherent and manageable form. Upon completion of a physical inspection of each object, I will do a physical inventory and finalize my project by including the original condition report with the revised version.
Bibliography
Buck, Richard D. “Describing the Condition or Art Objects.” Museum News 56
(July/August, 1978): 29-33.
Burke, Robert and Sam Adeloye. A Manuel of Basic Museum Security.
Leicester: International Council of Museums, 1986.
Dudley, Dorothy and Irma Bezold Wilkinson. Museum Registration Methods.
Washington D.C.: American Association of Museums, 1979.
Keene, Suzanne. “Audits of care: a framework for collection condition surveys”. Care of
Collections. Ed. Simon Knell. New York: Routledge, 2006.
O’Reily, Priscilla and Allyn Lord. Basic Condition Reporting: A Handbook.
New York: Southeastern Registrars Association, 1988.
Phillimore, Elizabeth C. A Glossary of Terms Useful in Conservation with a
Supplement on Reporting on the Condition of Antiquities. Ottawa:
Canadian Museums Association, 1976.
Condition reports are employed to protect and guide museums by documenting the state of preservation of any loaned property. By recording the physical condition of loaned objects, the examiner is offering protection to both the loaner and borrower. A careful condition report is one of the museums preeminent methods of managing the liability that may arise after the loaned collection is returned to its original owner. These reports are an imperative component of the monitoring process and should be conducted on a regular basis. Upon obtaining the collection from the lender, the condition of the objects should be checked against the lender’s original report. Prior to the return of the collection to the lender, the objects should be re-examined once more by the borrower.
For my final project, I will perform an exit condition report on the 198 items on loan from the Neil Nokes Collection of African Art. In this project, I will review the incoming condition reports and assess a new one based on three considerations: insecurity (such as weakness of materials), damage (such as advanced deterioration) and disfigurement (such as physical violence or chemical change). The methods I will employ in the condition report will take into account the three attributes of defects: nature, location and extent. In this project, I will handle sculptures, ceramics and textiles where, according to the object material, I will use the correct methodology necessary for its proper examination and recording. Within this methodology, I will familiarize myself with a working knowledge of common terms that are utilized by collections managers and registrars. This will give me the ability to link the reports together in a coherent and manageable form. Upon completion of a physical inspection of each object, I will do a physical inventory and finalize my project by including the original condition report with the revised version.
Bibliography
Buck, Richard D. “Describing the Condition or Art Objects.” Museum News 56
(July/August, 1978): 29-33.
Burke, Robert and Sam Adeloye. A Manuel of Basic Museum Security.
Leicester: International Council of Museums, 1986.
Dudley, Dorothy and Irma Bezold Wilkinson. Museum Registration Methods.
Washington D.C.: American Association of Museums, 1979.
Keene, Suzanne. “Audits of care: a framework for collection condition surveys”. Care of
Collections. Ed. Simon Knell. New York: Routledge, 2006.
O’Reily, Priscilla and Allyn Lord. Basic Condition Reporting: A Handbook.
New York: Southeastern Registrars Association, 1988.
Phillimore, Elizabeth C. A Glossary of Terms Useful in Conservation with a
Supplement on Reporting on the Condition of Antiquities. Ottawa:
Canadian Museums Association, 1976.
Final Project: Chucalissa Welcome Video
As my final project for this course, I am editing archived still photography and video into a completed welcome video that will be shown to visitors to Chucalissa. The purpose of the video will be to provide the visitor with a general orientation to the museum and site, as well as provide an introduction to the history of the site and the people who inhabited it. It is my goal that the video will not only provide background information, but will also engender a deeper feeling of respect for the site and the people who once lived there.
This project is a practical application of the readings in new media, and the discussions that we have had on the topic, throughout the semester. With the advent of non-linear digital video editing and digital camera equipment, providing a welcome video for the visitors of a museum may be one of the most economic and effective ways for a museum to utilize new media. Also, of all the new media technologies, a video may be the most effective in terms of the visitor’s response. People of all ages are familiar with video through the medium of television and movies, and therefore will be more likely to be receptive to it, compared to more interactive medium.
There are a few problems that have arisen in the preliminary work that I have done on the video that will need to be addressed. First, there is the technical aspect of the work. In order to make the video I must sort through over a thousand photos and arrange in them in a way that not only gives the visitor information about Chucalissa, but that is appealing visually as well. Audio narration must also be recorded then edited to fit with the existing visual materials. These aesthetic and technical aspects of the project give rise to my second concern, which is that as a non-archeologist I may somehow misrepresent information unintentionally through juxtapositions of sound and video of which I might not understand. I will attempt to avoid this type of mistake by discussing the project with Dr. Connelly as I work on the editing phase.
This project is a practical application of the readings in new media, and the discussions that we have had on the topic, throughout the semester. With the advent of non-linear digital video editing and digital camera equipment, providing a welcome video for the visitors of a museum may be one of the most economic and effective ways for a museum to utilize new media. Also, of all the new media technologies, a video may be the most effective in terms of the visitor’s response. People of all ages are familiar with video through the medium of television and movies, and therefore will be more likely to be receptive to it, compared to more interactive medium.
There are a few problems that have arisen in the preliminary work that I have done on the video that will need to be addressed. First, there is the technical aspect of the work. In order to make the video I must sort through over a thousand photos and arrange in them in a way that not only gives the visitor information about Chucalissa, but that is appealing visually as well. Audio narration must also be recorded then edited to fit with the existing visual materials. These aesthetic and technical aspects of the project give rise to my second concern, which is that as a non-archeologist I may somehow misrepresent information unintentionally through juxtapositions of sound and video of which I might not understand. I will attempt to avoid this type of mistake by discussing the project with Dr. Connelly as I work on the editing phase.
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