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N NOVEMBER 2013, Nora von Achenbach, curator at the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Hamburg, Germany, examined the catalogue for an upcoming auction by the Paris-based dealer Boisgirard-Antonini. The glossy pages offered a bevy of antiquities for sale: bronze figurines, jewellery and a statue from ancient Egypt estimated at more than â¬300,000. But von Achenbach was interested in a pale marble tablet, carved with arabesques, vines and Persian
script. Lot 104, an âimportant epigraphic panel with interlacings from the palace of Masâud IIIâ, was date to the 12th century, from the capital of the Ghaznavid Empire, in what is today Afghanistan.
How One Looted Artifact Tells the Story of Modern Afghanistan nytimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nytimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Like drugs and guns, art theft is one of the highest-grossing criminal enterprises in the world. Further, it is thought that only five to ten percent of stolen works are ever recovered a statistic that is both startling and saddening. Despite having no direct victims, art crime deprives people of their cultural heritage. In Hollywood movies, the process of tracking down treasured works typically unfolds with dizzying car chases, shootouts, and a romantic cliffhanger. The reality, however, is far more nuanced though no less gripping as comes to light in
Lot 448, a new documentary premiering at this year’s virtual Tribeca Film Festival sponsored by Bulgari. In fact, the Italian jewelry house, known for its commitment to restoring cultural landmarks, plays a key role in the happy ending. Ahead of the premiere,