[CPProt.net] Archaeologists and Dealers Spar Over U.S.-Italian Art Accord

[Ellie Bruggeman]

  Archaeologists and Dealers Spar Over U.S.-Italian Art Accord



WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 - Lawyers representing art dealers and Sotheby's 
auction house sparred with archaeologists and cultural property experts 
on Thursday at a State Department committee hearing on the future of a 
sweeping agreement banning the import of antiquities from Italy 
<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/italy/index.html?inline=nyt-geo>.

Known formally as a memorandum of understanding, the five-year-old 
agreement is intended to reduce the flow of illicitly excavated Italian 
antiquities to the United States 
<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/unitedstates/index.html?inline=nyt-geo> 
in return for heightened cultural cooperation between the Italian 
government and American arts institutions.

In the hearing, before the State Department's cultural property advisory 
committee, archaeologists argued for the effectiveness of the agreement, 
which is set to expire in January unless it is renewed.

"The agreement has had very significant consequences," said Malcolm Bell 
III, a University of Virginia archaeologist and specialist in Sicilian 
archaeology, citing improved policing of looting of ancient artworks in 
Italy and the availability of long-term archaeological loans to American 
institutions.

Mr. Bell's comments were echoed by Patti Gerstenblith, a law professor 
at DePaul University and cultural property specialist, who said the 
agreement helped provide a basis for a growing number of international 
regulations for the antiquities trade.

But William Pearlstein, a lawyer representing several dealers, asserted 
that Italian officials were not living up to the agreement.

"In contrast to the love fest portrayed here, there is a not-so-quiet 
war between Italy and American museums against which it is trying to 
pursue cultural patrimony claims," he said, referring to Italian action 
to recover some artworks.

Representatives from some museums, including one from the Metropolitan 
Museum, attended the hearing but remained silent. Referring to their 
lack of participation, Mr. Pearlstein said that antiquities curators 
were "intimidated" by the threat of litigation from the Italian government.

Pressed to expand on his statement, he referred to a criminal case 
pending in Italy against Marion True, the antiquities curator of the 
Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Italian officials, he said, "are 
discriminating against museums against which they have patrimony claims."

Stefano Stefani, deputy chief of mission for the Italian Embassy, took 
issue with Mr. Pearlstein's comments after the hearing.

"If curators feel constrained to avoid acquiring illegal material, then 
that means it is working," he said, referring to the agreement.

Ms. True has been accused of conspiring to import looted antiquities. 
The case is a sensitive issue for the Getty as it prepares to reopen its 
renovated villa in Malibu, Calif., which houses many of the museum's 
Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities. Such objects were a passion of 
John Paul Getty, a collector and the museum's namesake. The museum has 
expressed confidence that Ms. True will be vindicated.

The Italian government has recovered 185,190 looted artifacts since the 
agreement was signed in 2001, compared with 96,472 in the five years 
prior to the agreement, according to figures provided by Italian 
officials. Italy has also expanded the number of loan exhibitions of 
archaeological material to the United States under the agreement, Mr. 
Stefani said.

Some critics of the agreement have suggested that any renewal of it 
should restrict the import ban to classes of objects that are in most 
danger or have particular significance to Italy's cultural heritage. The 
United States has restrictions on the import of antiquities with a 
several countries, but the accord with Italy is the most comprehensive.

The 11-member committee includes art dealers, museum officials and 
archaeologists. The panel will deliberate and make a recommendation to 
Dina Powell, assistant secretary of state for education and cultural 
affairs, who will make the decision whether to renew the agreement or 
allow it to expire.

http://www.nytimes.com/