Friday 16 July 2010

Operation Andromeda: From Switzerland to Rome

Earlier today the Carabinieri held a press conference at the Colosseum in Rome. They displayed 337 antiquities, worth some 15 million euros, that were returned from Geneva at the end of June 2010. They had been seized during a joint Italian-Swiss raid (Operation Andromeda) on the Geneva Freeport earlier this year. The objects appear to have been derived from archaeological sources in Lazio, Puglia, South Italy and Sicily, and Sardinia. They included a loutrophoros, a marble statue of Venus, Athenian and Apulian volute kraters, Canosan masked kraters, a Chalcidian cup, various bronze objects, Pompeian frescoes, and two Sardinian figures.

The premises were linked to a Japanese art-dealer and a Swiss businessman. Neither is named.

I note that the Miho Museum built its collection in part through a Swiss-based dealer.

Image
© MiBAC / Carabinieri

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2 comments:

David Gill said...

See now story on Bloomberg.

fabio isman said...

David, the not-named collector is Noryioshi Horiuchi; the carabinieri said today they have found his archives and "this open a new front, that lokks at Orient". The other material are not from Italy, the Swiss Police have blocked them, but I don't know how long. Among the italian objects, only the ones for wich was an evidence of looting, are came back; I think they was 1.500 in total. For the first time, the carabinieri decided to show the antiquities in the arena of Colosseo, Coliseum, and upon the undesecretary (viceminister) Giro, the stories are starting again. Giro confirmed the proposal of an "archeocondono", a law that would be cancel every responsability, is over: retired. bye

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