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Illicit Antiquities |
EditorialNeil BrodieMcDonald Institute for Archaeological Research
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The main article in this issue is Recording and preserving Gandhara's cultural heritage by Professor Ihsan Ali of Peshawar University and Dr Robin Coningham of Bradford University. Its arrival on the editorial desk coincided with the opening of 'Asian Art in London', a series of events and exhibitions which ran from 10-21 November and in which the commercial and academic worlds joined together to present a celebration of Asian art. Financial support was provided by 50 dealers and there were 40 exhibitions mounted in commercial galleries. Over 4,000 lots were sold for over £8 million at fifteen separate auctions held by Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams and Phillips. Over 90 per cent of sales were to new clients, many from the United States. In commercial terms, then, 'Asian Art in London' was a great success and there was a substantial increase in the size of the market. In the November issue of the Art Newspaper Robert Knox, Keeper of Oriental Art at the British Museum, suggested that one of the reasons for London's success as a marketplace was its depth of knowledge and scholarship, and during 'Asian Art in London' this academic support of the market was provided by exhibitions at six museums including the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Brunei Gallery of the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London). The spectacle provided by the displays of fine antiques, carpets and textiles was spoilt, however, by the presence of a sizeable quantity of Gandharan (and other) antiquities. In their article, Professor Ali and Dr Coningham describe how for most of this century the archaeology of this area has been open to plunder and the legacy of this was all too evident in London. John Eskenazi mounted an exhibition of Gandharan art with an accompanying catalogue in which fragments of friezes and sculpture, all without provenance, were described, and the sombre tones of the sepia illustrations seemed only to emphasise the poignancy of loss. Other dealers were mentioned in the International Herald Tribune on 10 November and another Gandharan antiquity was illustrated: a gold funerary mask c. 4th-5th century from Shirley Day Ltd. The organisers are planning to hold another 'Asian Art in London' event next year. Responsible dealers and concerned academics should join together now and take action to ensure that it will be possible to enjoy a visit without again stumbling over sad and fragmentary reminders of the Gandharan past. First posted March 1999; Page design updated September 2006 |
