Antiques Trade Gazette
3
What the nation saved and what it didn’t in 2009/10
THE latest UK government report on the export of works of art revealed that a modest £3.7m worth of treasures were saved for the nation in 2011 after being blocked from leaving the country last year. The value of works of art classified as historically or artistically important but later exported was substantially greater. Seven works valued at a combined
£65.8m had their export temporarily blocked to allow funds to be raised to match the purchase price after they were deemed to meet the Waverley Criteria (drawn up to identify key pieces). However, after funding failed to materialise, they were eventually granted export licences. These works included JMW Turner’s
paintingModern Rome – Campo Vaccino, which sold at Sotheby’s in London in July 2010 for £26.5m hammer and is now in the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
Left: this huge Queen Anne cistern, which set a new auction high for English silver when it sold at Sotheby’s in London for £2.2m in 2010, is now on display at the Tudor mansion Temple Newsam in Leeds after it was acquired for the nation. Weighing 2597oz (close to 70 kilograms) and measuring 4ft 3in (1.29m) across, Thomas Wentworth, 3rd Baron Raby’s cistern, was ordered from the workshops of goldsmith Philip Rollos in 1705.
In all, only four items which met the
Waverley Criteria have ended up in UK public collections. These are: n The enormous Thomas Wentworth
silver wine cistern, pictured above, which sold at Sotheby’s in July 2010 for £2.2m (an auction high for English silver). Knocked down to an Asian private buyer, UK museums were given seven months
to match this sum and, after grants from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and The Art Fund, it was finally acquired by the Tudor mansion Temple Newsam in Leeds. n A zodiac settle by William Burges,
which was due to be exported to America after an agreed sale for £800,000. It was purchased by Cecil Higgins Art Gallery & Bedford Museums, who raised funds from
the same bodies. n A William IV cabinet for William
Beckford, whose owner applied to export it to the Netherlands. Valued at £285,000 (plus VAT), it was purchased by the Beckford Tower Trust who raised funds from the NHMF, the Art Fund, individual donations and £15,000 contributed by dealers H. Blairman & Son Ltd. It had previously appeared as a sleeper in an Sworders Interiors sale in September 2010 when it sold for £52,000. n The lacquered Imari porcelain
garniture which sold for £109,250 (including premium) at Christie’s sale of items from Spencer House in July 2010. After an application to export the spectacularly decorated garniture to Dubai, it was purchased by the Ashmolean Museum who received funds from the Art Fund and the MLA/V&A Purchase Grant Fund.
Alex Capon
NASA row leaves market in space collectables up in the air
■ Ownership dispute needs quick resolution to prevent damaging market
Ivan Macquisten reports
NASA are trying to play down news of a row with Apollo astronauts over the sale of artefacts from the space programme dating back to the 1960s and ‘70s.
Reports that Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell has been forced, under legal
threat from the space agency, to return mementos he had hoped to put up for sale has thrown the spotlight on disagreements that have arisen over who actually owns the objects. NASA have issued an official statement
entitled Agency Will Work Cooperatively to Resolve Artifact Ownership Issues, in which Administrator Charles Bolden said: “Earlier today, I had a good meeting with former Apollo astronauts Jim Lovell, Gene Cernan, Charlie Duke, Rusty Schweickart and other representatives of former astronauts and agency personnel, where we discussed how to resolve the misunderstandings and ownership questions regarding flight mementos and other artifacts. “These are American heroes, fellow
astronauts, and personal friends who have acted in good faith, and we have committed to work together to find the right policy and legal paths forward to address outstanding ownership questions. “I believe there have been fundamental
misunderstandings and unclear policies regarding items from the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Skylab programs, and NASA appreciates the position of the astronauts, museums, learning institutions and others who have these historic artifacts in personal and private collections. “We also appreciate their patience and
will explore all policy, legislative and other legal means to resolve these questions expeditiously and clarify ownership of these mementos, and ensure that appropriate artifacts are preserved and
Richard Peters Antiques
Specialists in Chinese antiques from the Ming and Ching dynasties
Vicarage House, 58-60 Kensington Church Street, London W8 4DB Email:
info@richardpetersantiques.com
Gallery Tel: 020 7938 3824 Mobile: 07949 081 657
www.richardpetersantiques.com
available for display to the American people.” Some have questioned why it has taken
NASA the best part of 40 years to raise the issue when so much material has been sold openly at auction amid widespread publicity. It is also not clear how the dispute will
affect those involved in this area of the collectables market, but any uncertainty over ownership rights will not be welcome. Bonhams New York are due to hold
their Space History Sale in April. Their specialist, Matthew Haley, told ATG: “We are aware of the situation and are monitoring it closely so as best to advise our clients and continue these successful sales.”
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