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Iraq's Greatest Treasure to Start World Tour in
Washington
By Martin Bailey
March 6, 06
LONDON -- The international tour of Iraq's greatest treasure,
the Nimrud gold, should begin in Washington, DC, next February.
The date was set in Copenhagen on 17 March by the Iraqi ministry
of culture and United Exhibits Group (UEG), the Danish commercial
venture organising the show.
The Art Newspaper can reveal that the first venue for the
Nimrud treasures is the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, part of the
Smithsonian Institution. Various formalities have to be completed
before the exhibition is officially announced, in a few weeks'
time.
There are likely to be around ten venues, after Washington,
and these will probably include museums in Berlin, London and
Paris. The tour of "The Gold of Nimrud" should raise
around $10m for Iraq's National Museum.
 Examples
of the Assyrian gold Jewelery
and other items |
The centrepiece of the show will be an accurate full-size
reconstruction of the throne room of the Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal
II at Nimrud. The site was discovered by Sir Austin Layard in
1848. British Museum archaeologist Max Mallowan (husband of Agatha
Christie) excavated the throne room in 1950, but failed to locate
the tombs of the queens.
In 1991 Iraqi archaeologist Muzahim Mahmu found the tombs,
with the thousands of pieces of gold. The treasure was then stored
in the vaults of the national bank. Those who have seen it compare
it with that of Tutankhamun.
The reconstruction of the east end of the throne room is being
made by Madrid-based firm Factum Arte. They have done this by
scanning excavated Nimrud reliefs in the British Museum, Berlin's
Pergamon Museum, Princeton's Art Museum, the Sackler Gallery
at Harvard and the Dresden Museums. Despite initial hopes, it
proved impossible to record the remains left on site in Nimrud
and other fragments in Mosul and Baghdad, because of security
problems. The reconstruction is being made in resin, and is almost
finished.
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International tour
The latest news of the international tour comes after a series
of false starts, but this is the first time that a specific venue
and date have been given. We can reveal that the show was to
have opened at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery this June, but there
were too many problems to be resolved, and a few months ago the
Nimrud show was postponed. It has been replaced with "Facing
East: Portraits from Asia", which opens at the gallery on
1 July.
There still remain a daunting set of challenges to be overcome
before the scheduled opening of the exhibition next February.
There are internal differences within Iraq on the touring
show. The ministry of culture is keen, partly because it will
bring in much-needed revenue. It has the formal authority and
signed last month's agreement.
However, Donny George, former director of the Iraq Museum
and now president of the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage,
is against the proposal. Although not speaking publicly, he is
believed to be concerned about the security risks and is also
uneasy about the involvement of a commercial organiser, the UEG.
Dr George is highly regarded by his museum colleagues in Europe
and the US, and they would be reluctant to proceed without his
blessing.
Vault to airport
Security is a difficult issue. Archaeological specialists
are divided over whether it is better to risk the short-term
dangers of moving the gold the few miles to the airport or the
longer-term risk of leaving it in the Baghdad vault.
The role of the UEG is also controversial. Most archaeologists
would have preferred that the show was organised by a non-commercial
organisation, but the company has proved adept and persistent
in overcoming difficulties in a way that few international museums
would be able to do. UEG staff have flown into Baghdad nearly
ten times since the downfall of Saddam Hussein, at considerable
personal risk.
If the exhibition is to proceed, the full cooperation of the
US State Department will be required, and this has proved more
difficult than expected. US military protection would be needed
to move the treasure inside Iraq and it would also require safeguarding
while on American soil.
Back in Washington, the Freer and Sackler Galleries have a
financial challenge, since as part of the Smithsonian they do
not have entrance fees. The exhibition will be expensive to mount--with
payments due to UEG for their services, for the reconstruction
of the throne room, and for the Baghdad museum. Sponsorship will
therefore be essential. Although a blockbuster exhibition on
Assyrian gold would be attractive for a sponsor, anything to
do with Iraq is also politically sensitive.
Finally, there are conservation issues. The gold itself needs
relatively little attention, but some items incorporate other
materials, which do need work. This cannot be done in Baghdad,
in the present situation, and if conservation is to be undertaken
in America, then the treasures will have to be flown out relatively
soon.
Washington show
Dr Julian Raby, a former Oxford scholar and now director of
the Freer and Sackler Galleries, is keen to "press ahead"
for an opening next February, despite the challenges. Although
he is only too aware of the sensitivity of the Iraq exhibition
opening in Washington, he is determined that it should not be
regarded as "spoils of war".
Dr Raby sees the show as "celebrating Iraq's heritage",
presenting a very different picture from the constant news reports
of death and destruction. He also regards it as an opportunity
for the international museum community to "give something
back, in terms of money and training." The funds might well
be administered through Unesco, and would be for the use of the
museum, rather than going into the coffers of the Iraqi treasury.
The situation is very difficult, but Dr Raby believes there
are two choices: "Do you go into a bunker mentality or take
the opportunity of the Baghdad museum being closed to do something
major outside Iraq?" If the treasures are to be toured,
he would like to see them go to institutions with Near East material,
so the Nimrud gold can be seen in context and museums can help
with conservation and training. Showing the treasures at kunsthalle-style
exhibition venues would not provide the same benefits.
Asked whether the February 2007 date is realistic, UEG vice
president Amy Seitz told The Art Newspaper: "I am positive.
The people we are working with in the Iraqi ministry are optimistic
and there is real enthusiasm from the first venue. Once the opening
venue is officially announced, we have the support of six venues
and interest from 20 others."
Among those which have expressed interest is the British Museum,
although it has serious reservations and would only want to go
ahead if the venture has the support of Dr George and his colleagues.
Last month keeper John Curtis told us: "If our colleagues
in the Iraq National Museum are agreeable to the gold leaving
the country, and if it goes on a world tour and they want to
show it, then the BM would certainly consider having an exhibition
here, working closely with our Iraqi colleagues on the display."
www.theartnewspaper.com
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