David Gill, archaeologist, reflects on the fate of antiquities in the Kuwait National Museum during the 1990 invasion by Iraq. Professor Donny George, the former Director-General of the National Museum in Baghdad, Iraq has released a statement through “Looting Matters” about his role after the invasion of Kuwait. This personal account sheds [Read More]
Antiquities
102 posts
A little known American Indian archive will be unveiled at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) through October 24, 2010. Ancestors and Descendants: Ancient Southwestern America at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century will be the first comprehensive exhibition of nineteenth century photography, southwestern artifacts and archival research from the George [Read More]
The new Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) website has been shortlisted for the 2010 British Archaeological Awards. One of finalists in the ‘archaeological innovation’ category, the PAS website includes the scheme’s database of almost 600,000 objects found and registered by members of the public across England and Wales. The website, with a completely [Read More]
A well-preserved tomb of an ancient Mayan king has been discovered in Guatemala by a team of archaeologists led by Brown University’s Stephen Houston. The tomb is packed with of carvings, ceramics, textiles, and the bones of six children, who may have been sacrificed at the time of the king’s death. The [Read More]
David Gill, archaeologist, reflects on the news that a number of antiquities acquired by the National Museum of Archaeology in Madrid appear to feature in the dossier of Polaroid photographs seized from dealer Giacomo Medici. In 1999 the National Museum of Archaeology in Madrid acquired 181 antiquities from the Spanish financier Jose [Read More]
The Museum of London has unveiled three exquisite ceramic bowls recently found beneath the streets of Borough Market. The intriguing collection offers a picture of what could have been displayed on a dresser in a London home during the 17th century. The three objects consist of a ‘Tulip Charger’ bowl, which dates [Read More]
The sale of antiquities took a nosedive in 2009. Christie’s and Sotheby’s combined achieved a mere $20 million worth of sales, down by some $8.5 million from the previous year. Indeed 2009 was comparable with 2003 and 2006. 2007 had been an exceptional year with the sale of the Guennol Lioness at [Read More]
To Live Forever explores the age-old questions of immortality and life after death through the customs and funerary beliefs observed over nearly four thousand years. The exhibition answers questions about the afterlife, mummies, funerals, and tombs, as it illustrates the variety of strategies used to evade death and, ultimately gain eternal life. [Read More]
The J. Paul Getty Museum announced the installation of the Gela Krater in the permanent collection galleries at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa. The loan of this celebrated object is part of a long-term collaborative agreement between the Getty Museum and the Sicilian Ministry of Culture and Sicilian [Read More]
The British Library has acquired a unique medieval prayer roll that once belonged to Henry VIII and contains one of only three surviving examples of his handwriting from before his accession in 1509. It is a rare example of a late medieval prayer roll, for, unlike medieval obituary rolls (of which there [Read More]
David Gill, archaeologist, reflects on the growing co-operation of auction-houses to halt the sale of recently surfaced antiquities Authorities in Italy and Greece now have access to at least 14,000 images of antiquities that were passed onto the market over the last few decades. These photographed objects were handled by three dealers: [Read More]
Christie’s New York sale of Antiquities on June 10, will offer over 150 lots with a stunning selection of Roman marbles, Greek helmets and vases, and Egyptian art. The highlight of the sale is a rare Roman marble relief from the Julio-Claudian period, circa early 1st century A.D., that depicts the Emperor [Read More]
The exhibition at the New York Transit Museum’s Gallery Annex in Grand Central Terminal, offers a fascinating look into the creative and utilitarian use of clay as a base material and its conversion into items of service and beauty. Visitors will see shards of ceramic roof tiles, cooking pots, dishes and pipes [Read More]
David Gill, archaeologist, reflects on the decision to withdraw a Roman statue from auction at Bonhams in London. In 1997, the investigative journalist Peter Watson exposed the workings of the antiquities market in London. He carefully documented the way that antiquities were being stripped from archaeological contexts in Italy (and elsewhere), and [Read More]