Thursday, 20 October 2016

Ancient Indian artifacts find their way home from Australia

Three more ancient artifacts have been returned to India from Australia. Most of the pieces in Australia have been acquired from the New York gallery of smuggler Subhash Kapoor.

It is more than four years since Subhash Kapoor was arrested and extradited to India. As recently as July 4, the National Gallery of Australia was talking about returning two of its artefacts following fresh evidence of links to the 68-year-old, once accused of “having created a black-market Sotheby’s”.
A sandstone stele of Rishabhanata from the 10th century
The highlight of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to America were the return to India of over 200 stolen artifacts, many of them linked to Kapoor. In September 2014, then Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott returned a 900-year-old Shiva sculpture. In October 2015, German Chancellor Angela Merkel returned a 10th-century Durga idol stolen from Kashmir.

Over 30 years, Kapoor is believed to have traded in hundreds of antiques, including statues and paintings, now believed to be stolen. His gallery, Art of the Past, was located at the heart of Manhattan’s art circle.


Subhash Kapoor

See ----->http://psjfactoids.blogspot.ca/2016/06/us-returns-over-200-artifacts-to-india.html
See ----->http://psjfactoids.blogspot.ca/2016/05/mystery-of-missing-gods.html

Monday, 17 October 2016

Ancient Gold coins top $3.4 million CNG auction


Gold oktadrachm of Antiochos III circa 222–187 BC, Seleukid Empire. Sold for $77,350 in VF
Classical Numismatic Group’s sale 103 produced top results. Their September auction hammered $2,826,186 on a pre-sale estimate of $1,992,300, for a clearance rate of 98.30 percent.
Gold Stater. Kroisos, c. 561-546 BC. $ 71,000
Gold aureus of Pertinax. He reigned as Emperor for just 86 days in 193 C.E. before being murdered by his Praetorian guard. EF $56,525. A very rare Qing dynasty pattern gold liang made $49,980.
A superb gold medal of Charles II struck for presentation to naval officers who distinguished themselves in the 1665 Battle of Lowestoft. No more than five examples are known. $ 50,000