Fed: NSW art gallery offered looted Afghan artworks - director

AAP General News (Australia)
12-20-2001
Fed: NSW art gallery offered looted Afghan artworks - director

CANBERRA, Dec 20 AAP - The Art Gallery of New South Wales had been offered Afghan Buddhist
works of art almost certainly looted from Kabul before the Taliban was ousted, the gallery's
director said today.

Gallery director Edmund Capon said it was clear some works of art had been spared from
destruction by the fundamentalist Taliban and were now circulating on the international
black market.

Mr Capon, whose gallery is currently exhibiting ancient Buddhist works, said he was
not interested in buying works which were obviously stolen, despite their clear authenticity.

"We know that an awful lot was destroyed so the supply in the future of (Afghan Buddhist)
works of art is probably going to be less than it has been, that's for sure," he said.

"On the other hand, there was quite clearly some looting of things (that were) whisked
out and sent over to Pakistan and out and about.

"The interesting thing is that I've seen two or three extraordinary (Afghan Buddhist)
works which have suddenly appeared and been offered which I'm quite sure, because of their
uniqueness, have come out in the last three months."

One item had been offered as recently as yesterday, Mr Capon said.

"They have been (offered to the gallery).

"One is very circumspect about these things, however appealing it might be.

"One particular thing, which is very recent, like yesterday, I've been looking at.

This thing, you know if it had been around in the West, we'd know about it.

"It's quite clear it is a recent arrival. It's a rather complicated object.

"I would imagine it's probably been looted from the Kabul museum."

AAP dep/cjh/sb

KEYWORD: TERROR ART

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