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MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS RETURNS LOOTED 'WEARY HERAKLES' STATUE TO TURKEY
by Geoff Edgers
http://www.atour.com/~aahgn/news/20111026a.html
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 03:42 PM CT
Glykon's Farnese Herakles Sculpture The Museum of Fine Arts last night
returned the top half of its "Weary Herakles" statue to Turkey. The
1,800-year-old marble statue of the muscular hero has been at the MFA
since 1982. But after years of negotiations, the MFA acknowledged in
July that the statue, which experts believe was probably looted from
an excavation in Turkey, should be sent back to that country.
Last night, Turkish officials met with MFA leaders for less than an
hour to sign an agreement transferring ownership of the sculpture to
the Turkish government. The agreement stated that the MFA acquired the
object in good faith and without knowing about any of the questionable
circumstances surrounding its path from Turkey to Boston.
The MFA's top half of "Weary Herakles" will be reunited with its
bottom half in a museum in Antalya, Turkey.
"We are very pleased to have received the Weary Herakles from the
MFA," said Turkish Cultural Heritage Director General Murat Suslu
in a statement. "We believe that it is important that such objects
should be returned to their homeland and displayed there. I hope the
return of the statue will enhance our cooperation with the MFA."
Geoff Edgers can be reached at [email protected].
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Editors' Note The preceding article about Boston's Museum of Fine Arts'
agreement with the Republic of Turkey to return the "Weary Herakles"
on the basis of preserving cultural heritage has brought about a sad
irony in history.
Human rights activists, Mr. Berge Tatian and Mr. David Boyajian of
Massachusetts each sent a letter to the Boston Globe in response. The
Globe did not publish their letters. Their letters are presented below.
The statement by former Turkish cultural minister, Engin Ozgen, on
the return of the missing part of the Weary Herakles, that "This will
show the world that the Turks are not ignorant anymore, that they will
fight for their past and their heritage", assumes that the rest of the
world is ignorant of the true provenance of that statue. It's as if
I find a work of art on my property and then go around claiming it as
part of my patrimony. The Turk's complaint over looting is pathetic if
not laughable when they themselves are guilty of the most egregious
crime of looting, that of the properties of the Armenians, Greeks,
and Assyrians of Asia Minor, after destroying their heritage.
Berge Tatian Stoneham, MA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So the Museum of Fine Arts is returning an ancient statue of "Weary
Herakles" to Turkey ("MFA sends 'Weary Herakles' statue back to
Turkey," Sept. 24). Herakles was a Greek god, and the statue is based
upon an ancient Greek original. Does anyone believe that Turkey is a
credible custodian or legitimate inheritor of ancient - particularly
Greek - culture?
Turkey has exterminated the indigenous peoples of Asia Minor - Greeks,
Armenians, and Assyrians - and tried to erase all traces of their
existence, while harassing the few who are left.
Turkey has destroyed, deliberately misidentified, or grossly neglected
most of the churches, cultural landmarks, and villages of these
ancient peoples, whom Turks conquered after arriving from Central Asia.
Hundreds of such villages have also been assigned Turkish names to
erase the fact that these were the lands and homes of people whom
Turkey annihilated.
Turkey says that the statue's return is morally right and concerns
"culture." But it's really about tourist money and laying illegitimate
claim to heritages that it has, in fact, tried to destroy.
Rather than returning the Herakles statue, the MFA should be shedding
light on Turkey's acts of cultural destruction and genocide.
David Boyajian Belmont, MA
by Geoff Edgers
http://www.atour.com/~aahgn/news/20111026a.html
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 03:42 PM CT
Glykon's Farnese Herakles Sculpture The Museum of Fine Arts last night
returned the top half of its "Weary Herakles" statue to Turkey. The
1,800-year-old marble statue of the muscular hero has been at the MFA
since 1982. But after years of negotiations, the MFA acknowledged in
July that the statue, which experts believe was probably looted from
an excavation in Turkey, should be sent back to that country.
Last night, Turkish officials met with MFA leaders for less than an
hour to sign an agreement transferring ownership of the sculpture to
the Turkish government. The agreement stated that the MFA acquired the
object in good faith and without knowing about any of the questionable
circumstances surrounding its path from Turkey to Boston.
The MFA's top half of "Weary Herakles" will be reunited with its
bottom half in a museum in Antalya, Turkey.
"We are very pleased to have received the Weary Herakles from the
MFA," said Turkish Cultural Heritage Director General Murat Suslu
in a statement. "We believe that it is important that such objects
should be returned to their homeland and displayed there. I hope the
return of the statue will enhance our cooperation with the MFA."
Geoff Edgers can be reached at [email protected].
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Editors' Note The preceding article about Boston's Museum of Fine Arts'
agreement with the Republic of Turkey to return the "Weary Herakles"
on the basis of preserving cultural heritage has brought about a sad
irony in history.
Human rights activists, Mr. Berge Tatian and Mr. David Boyajian of
Massachusetts each sent a letter to the Boston Globe in response. The
Globe did not publish their letters. Their letters are presented below.
The statement by former Turkish cultural minister, Engin Ozgen, on
the return of the missing part of the Weary Herakles, that "This will
show the world that the Turks are not ignorant anymore, that they will
fight for their past and their heritage", assumes that the rest of the
world is ignorant of the true provenance of that statue. It's as if
I find a work of art on my property and then go around claiming it as
part of my patrimony. The Turk's complaint over looting is pathetic if
not laughable when they themselves are guilty of the most egregious
crime of looting, that of the properties of the Armenians, Greeks,
and Assyrians of Asia Minor, after destroying their heritage.
Berge Tatian Stoneham, MA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So the Museum of Fine Arts is returning an ancient statue of "Weary
Herakles" to Turkey ("MFA sends 'Weary Herakles' statue back to
Turkey," Sept. 24). Herakles was a Greek god, and the statue is based
upon an ancient Greek original. Does anyone believe that Turkey is a
credible custodian or legitimate inheritor of ancient - particularly
Greek - culture?
Turkey has exterminated the indigenous peoples of Asia Minor - Greeks,
Armenians, and Assyrians - and tried to erase all traces of their
existence, while harassing the few who are left.
Turkey has destroyed, deliberately misidentified, or grossly neglected
most of the churches, cultural landmarks, and villages of these
ancient peoples, whom Turks conquered after arriving from Central Asia.
Hundreds of such villages have also been assigned Turkish names to
erase the fact that these were the lands and homes of people whom
Turkey annihilated.
Turkey says that the statue's return is morally right and concerns
"culture." But it's really about tourist money and laying illegitimate
claim to heritages that it has, in fact, tried to destroy.
Rather than returning the Herakles statue, the MFA should be shedding
light on Turkey's acts of cultural destruction and genocide.
David Boyajian Belmont, MA