Wednesday,
November 07,
The ANNOTICO Report
Italian Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli has
been leading
Rutelli,now
it is taking aim at Private Galleries.
Jerome Eisenberg founder
and director of Royal-Athena Galleries in
Eisenberg has
sold over 30,000 antiquities over the past 45 years to
Art Dealer Eisenberg Returns Antiquities to
Bloomberg News
By Alessandra Migliaccio
and Adam L. Freeman
November 6, 2007
``I gave back the
works for ethics and good will,'' Eisenberg said in a telephone interview from
the Basel Ancient Art Fair. His action, he said, may convince other dealers to
return objects of questionable provenance.
Eisenberg, 77, is
the founder and director of Royal-Athena Galleries in
``The circle is
tightening,'' said Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli.
``Not only are museums returning items after complex negotiations, but
collectors and dealers are doing the same.''
Rutelli, 53, has been leading
The items from
Eisenberg include three bronze Etruscan statues, four vases and a marble
sculpture, said Giovanni Nistri, head of the cultural
section of
Spotted by
Italians
Italian
authorities became aware of the pieces after spotting some of them on display
in Eisenberg's Royal-Athena Galleries.
Eisenberg said
increasing awareness about looted items on the international market made his
shopping more difficult. ``Our biggest problem is buying, not selling,'' he
said.
Eisenberg has
sold over 30,000 antiquities over the past 45 years to
Eisenberg said
two of those works were last year shipped back to
To contact the
reporters on this story: Alessandra Migliaccio in
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=akEUUmWXtI8k&refer=muse
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