FORUM
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The Forum is an opportunity for readers to interact with the magazine on the major issues confronting the tribal arts community. To participate in an ongoing discussion of these and other topics, go to the Letters section.
The Editorial of our Summer 1998 issue.
The art world is becoming increasingly attentive to the vulnerability of works of art. As art becomes more valuable in monetary terms, it becomes more attractive as a target of theft and civil unrest. The national patrimonies of Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, to name just a few examples, have been decimated; Nigeria suffered episodes of destructive violence toward cultural artifacts in the wake of the recent death of Moshood Abiola; and the efforts to identify owners of art confiscated by the Nazis during the 1930s continue to make front-page news stories in 1998.
Many private and public collections of tribal art preserve unique treasures that can never be replaced. It may be cliché to say that we are merely guardians of these objects for the future, but that does not make the fact any less true. This means that our custody must be prudent, and that we accept certain obligations. This magazine often addresses questions of conservation, and collectors tend to be protective of the condition of their objects, even if only to preserve their monetary value. Theft is an area of concern that is less often considered but is nevertheless important.
As new technologies appear, new institutions are taking shape to trace lost works of art. Among them is the Art Loss Register (London tel: 0171.235.3393; New York tel: 212.262.4831), set up in 1991 in partnership with the International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR). About one thousand objects per month are added to its listing of stolen art and antiquities, and the total value of items now listed is substantially more than one trillion dollars. It publishes a monthly newsletter illustrating important losses and monitors major auctions. Its record for the recovery of high-value items was praised as "impressive" by The Art Newspaper (p.23, no.83, July-Aug 1998).
Another UK-based company is Trace, founded in 1988. It maintains a comprehensive database that ingests information from 600 auction houses in the UK and US, publishes a monthly color magazine, and maintains a website at www.trace.co.uk. It has "proven particularly valuable in tracing low-value objects for which only inadequate descriptions are available," according to the same source. The Antique Tribal Art Dealers Association (ATADA) is working on a listing of stolen and missing works of art that will be available on its website at www.atada.org. The fees charged by these organizations are nominal, but whatever service or combination of services is used, prompt reporting is essential.
Whether for reporting theft or making an insurance claim, advance documentation of the objects in question is vital. Good photographic records are easy to create and are invaluable in these circumstances. One problem that is especially acute in the tribal art field is how to describe objects. Size, medium, and color are straightforward and can easily be noted by the owner, but there are other factors to consider that can uniquely identify an object but are easily forgotten. The Getty Information Institute has developed a simple and useful Object ID Checklist for works of art, antiques, and antiquities that is available through its website at www.ahip.getty.edu/pco/objectid.
Security is a valid concern with any kind of property, and especially with works of art. A few minutes of documentation work for each new object can go a long way toward protecting the property you have found compelling enough to invest in.
-Jonathan Fogel