I would say one thing to counterbalance yesterday’s top story—Jason Felch‘s report in the LA Times about the massive, coordinated raid by federal agents on four art museums, a dealer and an alleged smuggler: Felch’s article, as he states, is based on the contents of the publicly filed search warrant affidavit that allowed the federal agents to seek records and other evidence of transactions and donations involving possibly looted objects and possible tax fraud based on inflated appraisals.
But there have, as yet, been no arrests or indictments, let alone convictions. This may turn out to be another museum antiquities scandal, as suggested by Felch in his article. The title of the radio segment in which he spoke last night on Los Angeles station KCRW also included the “S”-word: LA’s Art World Faces Another Scandal.
It’s too soon to jump to that conclusion. This may well turn out to be an art-market scandal, but the degree of intentional complicity by museums in this mess is not yet known. From initial reports, though, it does sound as if appropriate due diligence may not have been followed by the institutions accepting these objects.
That said, it also appears that the pieces involved were relatively minor.
Felch reports:
Many of the objects donated were valued at just under $5,000, the value at which the IRS required additional documentation.
In other words, we’re not talking about another Getty “Aphrodite” or Euphronios krater here. As the case develops, we’ll know more about what we really ARE talking about.
Meanwhile, in related looting news, Judy Keen of USA Today reports:
Looting of fossils and archaeological artifacts from national parks—such as Native American pottery and Civil War relics—is increasing as demand for such items rises on the Internet and the world market, U.S. National Park Service officials say. Over the past decade, an average of 340 “significant” looting incidents have been reported annually at the 391 national parks, monuments, historic sites and battlefields—probably less than 25% of the actual number of thefts, says park service staff ranger Greg Lawler. “The trends are up,” he says.
The agent whose undercover work led to yesterday’s LA raids was, in fact, from the National Park Service, because some of the objects involved in the investigation were allegedly looted from Native American sites on federal land. Others were said to have come from Thailand, China and Myanmar.
I imagine that Felch will have a follow-up later today: He mentioned on last night’s radio program that Michael Govan, director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, had held a press conference yesterday about the raid on that museum—the most prominent of those targeted.
The response of the Bowers Museum, Santa Ana, is here. Click the link below for LACMA’s full published statement on this situation.
LACMA RESPONDS TO NEWS OF INVESTIGATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN OBJECTS IN ITS PERMANENT COLLECTION
Los Angeles–Today the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and several other museums in the area were presented search warrants by the Federal Government looking into circumstances surrounding the importation and donation or purchase of Southeast Asian objects that have come into the museums’ collections from specific donors over the past several years. LACMA is fully cooperating with the Federal Government in its investigation, granting access to both staff and records in the Registrar’s Office, Development Office, and Indian and Southeast Asian Art department. The museum has provided registrarial and donor files to the Federal authorities. All artworks remain in the museum’s care. As of 2:15 pm, most of the agents had departed, with just a few remaining to continue their work with LACMA’s information technology staff in accessing electronic files.
LACMA Director and CEO Michael Govan stated, “LACMA understands its critical role in researching objects before and after they come into the museum’s collection. Indeed, ongoing research, including publishing our findings, and making our collection available online to any and all who are interested is central to our mission. LACMA will continue to look into the records associated with these objects and share findings with the public. We have a history of returning works of art where ownership claims are substantiated and will treat any claims regarding these works in the same manner.”
The objects in question were gifts from Jonathan and Cari Markell, long time museum members and donors to LACMA. Following LACMA’s standard protocol, donors were required to make representations regarding ownership and each piece was studied by the curatorial staff prior to coming into the collection. Like all pieces in its collection, once acquired, the museum’s staff of curators and conservators continue to research and to publish their findings. LACMA’s collection is available online at http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/.
LACMA has taken an early lead in the field in responding to claims brought by heirs and owners of works in its collection. In March, 2002, when information came to light that a textile in LACMA’s collection had been looted by the Nazis during World War II, it was returned to the owner of the object, the Polish government, for public display. LACMA’s acquisition policy is consistent with all U.S. laws and guidelines established by UNESCO and policies set forth by the American Association of Museums and the Association of Art Museum Directors.
The search warrant affidavit is a matter of public record and can be located through the US Central District Court, docket # 08-0100M.
LACMA will continue to make information available as it becomes known via its website (www.lacma.org).