[CPProt.net] Masterpiece from the Azerbaijan State Art Museum sold at auction in Great Britain. London drawing sale angers Azeri officials

[MSN CPPnet (Ton Cremers)]

London drawing sale angers Azeri officials 
December 8, 2005
 
An Azeri drawing has been sold for 420,000 euros at an auction of MacDougall
trading house in Great Britain, which drew fire from officials.  

Russian Commersant newspaper's report on the sale of "In Duhan" picture by
Mikhail Larionov, which marked the beginning of the Russian Antiques Week
event in London, prompted the scandal. The event organizers maintained that
the masterpiece was allegedly brought to Britain from the Azerbaijan State
Art Museum.  
The catalogue indicated that after the artist left Russia in 1915, the
drawing was left at his workshop in Moscow and was transferred to the state
ownership after the communist revolution two years later, citing archive
materials allegedly proving this. The picture was then somehow sold to a
private entity and taken to Europe, which raises serious doubts. Azeri
culture minister Polad Bulbuloghlu, in an interview with Comersant,
dismissed the reports saying the picture was a part of the state museum
collection, but said his attempts through diplomatic channels to withdraw it
from the auction until its origin is clarified were unsuccessful. "The
trading house representatives told the Azeri ambassador on the phone that
they have a document proving the picture earlier belonged to the Azeri
museum. They said it was signed by the museum director but we never saw it."
Enquiries were sent to the Russian culture ministry, but its representatives
were unable to comment on the reports concerning the transfer of the picture
to the museum. Meanwhile, MacDougall, said it could not withdraw the
picture, as the Azeri ministry sent its inquiry just two days prior to the
sale, while the auction was announced in September. Its representatives
pledged to invalidate the transaction if the scrutiny being carried out by
both sides shows that the mentioned reports are unverified. 

 http://www.azernews.net/