Tuesday 31 August 2010

Houston's Minoan Larnax

Greece has asked the USA to consider imposing import restrictions on certain categories of archaeological material. It seems that they are concerned that looting continues to feed the market in recently-surfaced antiquities.

Concern has been expressed in the Greek press and by the Greek authorities about the Minoan larnax in the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University.

But what is the full collecting history of the Minoan larnax acquired by Houston's Museum of Fine Art (MFAH)? It is nearly two years since I sent a request to the MFAH (another AAMD member) for this information. Is the silence significant?

The Houston larnax is likely to have been found on Crete. When did it surface?

Bookmark and Share so Your Real Friends Know that You Know

1 comment:

Emmanuel said...

Dear Dr. Gill,

Am I right to expect that a new copy of your “the whereabouts of a Minoan Larnax” letter already addressed to Michael C. Carlos Museum and to the Houston's Museum of Fine Art (MFAH) will soon be sent to the MET as well? Yes, I am referring to the mid-13th century larnax which was (anonymously!) donated in 1996 to the MET, in memory of Nicolas and Mireille Koutoulakis.
Prof. John Sakellarakis insists that a research in the Archeological museum at Heraklion, Crete, may lead to the exact identification of the find-spot in western Crete, thus enabling its return to its homeland, as it happened with the Aidonia treasure…

Sincerely,
Emmanuel Platsidakis

The Stern Collection in New York: Cycladic or Cycladicising?

Courtesy of Christos Tsirogiannis There appears to be excitement about the display of 161 Cycladicising objects at New York's Metropolit...