The
case divides the art world between dealers and Archaeologists. With respect
to Afghanistan, the dealers purport that in fact without the illicit trade,
the remaining artifacts of Afghanistan would have stayed in the country,
and would surely have been destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. The United
Nations (UNESCO) backed the archaeological point of view, which is that
looting and illicit trade do more to disperse a culture's heritage, than
to save it, and that the unique situation of Afghanistan only means that
the world needed to do more to protect the works. UNESCO, however, backed
away from this view for the special case of Afganistan, a policy they
now regret.
Paris
I
spoke with the UNESCO specialists on Afghanistan, including the legal
counsel, the artifacts specialist and the director of Afghan affairs.
"I understand that UNESCO is involved in the arbiting of looted works
out of Afghanistan?"
The
counsel explained that they weren't aware of any such activity, and that
UNESCO's role was limited to accepting donor artifacts to the temporary
storehouse in Switzerland. I inquired further, but it was all dead trails.
UNESCO seemed unfocused, despite their very public voicing of attempting
to further the cause. Was it public relations? UNESCO's role in cultural
arbitration was well known. Why did they turn the other way when it came
to Afghanistan?
London
I
wanted to find out what the traffickers in illicit art dealing thought
of the Afghanistan issue. Since the illicit trafficking of antiquities
goes on under highly secretive black markets, I required the help of fictional
Isabella Delasantos, a kind of anti-Thomas Alcock, who immediately began
to network through a maze of dealers worldwide. Her first luck was in
London, England, where she inquired into a rare Afghan Gandharan statuehead.
"At
the moment," the dealer said, "I do not have any Gandharan pieces,
but I work with a colleague who has two wonderful pieces. I will ask him
if they are still available, and put you in touch with him if they are.
I believe one piece is quite impressive. Are you 'size and price' limited...who
isn't, but I think you know what I mean!"
