India
“Australia Returns Two Stolen Ancient, Priceless Idols to India”
“Australia Returns Two Stolen Ancient, Priceless Idols to India”
via “IBNLive.com”
New Delhi: Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott who is on a state visit to India is returning two looted idols seized from Australian museums during a meeting with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday.
Abbott is personally delivering the National Gallery of Australia’s Rs 30 crore ($5 million) Dancing Shiva or Nataraja Ardand and the Art Gallery of New South Wales’s Rs 2 crore ($300,000) Ardhanarishvara to Modi as a “gesture of good will” at a state reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in the evening.
Both priceless objects were stolen from temples in India and later sold to the museums by Manhattan dealer Subhash Kapoor, who, his gallery manager has admitted, created falsified ownership documents to hide their illicit origins.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott is personally delivering the Dancing Shiva or Nataraja Ardand and Ardhanarishvara to Narendra Modi.
The Australian returns mark the first major repatriations in the Kapoor case, but are unlikely to be the last. Dozens more Kapoor objects acquired by the Australian museums were sold with false ownership histories similar to those used with the returned objects. Several will likely play a prominent role in Kapoor’s criminal trial in Chennai, India, which has been on hold pending the return of the NGA’s looted Shiva says an exclusive website for the Hunt for Looted Antiquities in the World’s Museums ‘Chasing Aphrodite’.
The Tamil Nadu Police had produced evidence to establish that the idol was stolen from a temple at Sripuranthan in Tamil Nadu. They had arrested Kapoor for his alleged involvement in the theft. He is now lodged in the Chennai prison and is facing trial.
Meanwhile, Kapoor’s international network of looters and smugglers is still being mapped by authorities in the United States, who have already seized over Rs 600 crore ($100 million) in art from the dealer’s Manhattan gallery and storage facilities.
Federal investigators in the United States are methodically working through mountains of evidence seized from Kapoor, probing his ties to a number of American and foreign museums that did business with the dealer. Indian authorities, meanwhile, are considering a broader campaign to reclaim stolen antiquities from foreign institutions.
Over the past two years, we’ve traced hundreds of suspect Kapoor objects to museums around the world. To date, the Kapoor case has received the most attention in Australia, whose National Gallery for months stonewalled press and government inquiries and dismissed mounting evidence before agreeing to take the stolen idol off display. The Art Gallery of New South Wales took a slightly more proactive approach, releasing the ownership history that Kapoor supplied for its sculpture of Ardhanarishvara (left.) Soon after, Indian art blogger Vijay Kumar identified the temple from which the sculpture was stolen. . . . .
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Coming Exhibition: Loving Devotion: Enter the Mandala
“Enter the Mandala”
“Taima Mandala” (1300s – 1400s)
Who: Asian Art Museum
When: Mar. 14, 2014 – Oct. 26, 2014 (Tues-Sun. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Thurs. 10 a.m. – 9 pm.)
Where:
Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA
How Much:
- Adults ~ $15
- Seniors, Students, Youth ~ $10
More Information: Here.
“Mandalas are maps of Buddhist visionary worlds.
Minutely detailed and saturated with philosophical meaning, these works (most often paintings or sculptures) are a feast for the eyes and the mind—nested squares and circles are arrayed to represent the center of the cosmos and the four cardinal directions. For Buddhist practitioners, however, mandalas are not just images to view, but worlds to enter—after recreating the image in their mind’s eye, meditators imaginatively enter its realm.But is it possible to have this experience without years of meditative discipline?
Enter the Mandala says yes. In this exhibition, 14th-century paintings align a gallery with the cardinal directions, transforming open space into an architectural mandala—a chance to experience the images in three dimensions, to dwell in the midst of the cosmic symbols and be transported to another world. Visitors can literally “enter the mandala,” exploring places in the cosmos—and perhaps themselves—that might otherwise remain invisible. “
Enter the Mandala says yes. In this exhibition, 14th-century paintings align a gallery with the cardinal directions, transforming open space into an architectural mandala—a chance to experience the images in three dimensions, to dwell in the midst of the cosmic symbols and be transported to another world. Visitors can literally “enter the mandala,” exploring places in the cosmos—and perhaps themselves—that might otherwise remain invisible. “
Coming Exhibition: Loving Devotion: Visions of Vishnu
“Loving Devotion: Visions of Vishnu”
Vishnu with Attendants, Bangladesh, 12th century, schist (stone), Collection of the Newark Museum
Who: BYU Museum of Art
When: Sept. 5, 2014 – Feb. 21, 2015 (Mon-Sat. 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.)
Where:
Brigham Young University Museum of Art
North Campus Drive
Provo, Utah 84602
How Much: Generally Free, some special exhibits require a ticket.
More Information: Here.
“Featuring a variety of exquisite art objects from the Indian subcontinent, Loving Devotion illuminates the rich heritage and symbolism of Hindu worship in the lives of believers, immersing viewers in the beliefs and culture of one of the world’s oldest and largest religions.
Focusing on images of Vishnu and Krishna that span centuries of history, the exhibition explores how bhakti (the practice of fervent, impassioned devotion to deity) influences the lives and worship of Hindu people and reveals the depth and intimacy of their relationship towards the divine.
Indeed, building a relationship with God is at the core of life’s purpose for the devoted believer, and both Vishnu, the Preserver, and his incarnation, Krishna, are highly revered deities that have both been the focus of significant bhakti worship. Through powerful images of these Gods inscribed on stone, in bronze or in paintings, worshippers and viewers alike are invited to learn that god is love and not fear, and understand how worship can evolve from practice to joyful experience of immense love and devotion. . . . .”
Coming Exhibition: Fabric of Belonging: Exotic Quilts From Pakistan & India
“Fabric of Belonging: Exotic Quilts From Pakistan & India”
Who: BYU Museum of Art
When: June 27, 2014 – Nov. 28, 2015 (Mon-Sat. 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.)
Where:
Brigham Young University Museum of Art
North Campus Drive
Provo, Utah 84602
How Much: Generally Free, some special exhibits require a ticket.
More Information: Here.
“Showcasing ralli quilts from the exceptional contemporary textile collection of Patricia Ormsby Stoddard, Fabric of Belonging explores how historical traditions contribute to the deep sense of belonging that ralli quilts provide for people living in the areas of Sindh, Pakistan and West India. For their owners, ralli quilts are a personal form of identification that connects them with their region and their heritage.
Both Hindu and Muslim women make ralli quilts. Without quilting frames or modern fabrics, they create these stunning works of art with thousands of minute, closely sewn quilting stitches and exquisite pieced, appliqued and embroidered patterns.
Stoddard, who holds a Ph.D. in textiles and served as an assistant professor at Brigham Young University, collected these remarkable quilts while living with her husband in Pakistan for several years. She is the author of Ralli Quilts: Traditional Textiles from Pakistan and India (2003). Through her collecting and research, she has brought the beauty of rallis to the attention of the world. . . .”
The Cultured Muse 