Search for other seven paintings continues<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Although five of the 12 Indonesian paintings
\nallegedly stolen from the National Museum have been flown home,
\nthe government is still tracing the fate of the other seven
\npaintings.<\/p>\n
\"Together with the police, we hope that we'll be able to find
\nthe other seven paintings, which are believed to have been stolen
\nby the same culprits,\" Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman
\nDjojonegoro told The Jakarta Post last night.<\/p>\n
Five of the seven still-missing paintings are by foreign
\nartists and the remaining two by locals, including the master of
\nportrait painting, Raden Basoeki Abdullah.<\/p>\n
The first five are Jacqueline en Robe de Taffetas, by Albert
\nAndre, Alerte Aerienne, by Charles Walch, La Maison on Briques,
\nby Yves Fancheur, Village Provencal, by Raymond Moisset and an
\nuntitled painting by Paul Collomb.<\/p>\n
All of these paintings were donated to the Indonesian
\ngovernment shortly after being displayed in an exhibition in
\nJakarta a few years ago.<\/p>\n
The other two paintings are an untitled painting by Basoeki
\nAbdullah and Mbah Irosentono, by Trubus Sudarsono.<\/p>\n
According to Wardiman, six of the 12 paintings were discovered
\nmissing on Sept. 6, and the others just this week.<\/p>\n
As of yesterday, none of the museum staff have been arrested
\nby the police, although some of them have been constantly
\nquestioned. Wardiman said earlier that the thefts were believed
\nto involve insiders.<\/p>\n
According to Wardiman, all of the paintings were kept together
\nwith the other paintings, categorized as a national collection,
\nat three different stores in the National Museum on Jl. Medan
\nMerdeka Barat in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The minister urged local and foreign collectors to be more
\ncareful in purchasing artworks from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"They should refuse to buy any works that do not have
\nlegitimate documentation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"It's imperative there be international rules of principles
\nthat buyers, possessing any cultural object, not be protected
\nunless they can prove unquestionably the legitimacy of the
\nobjects in their possession,\" said Wardiman, who is also a
\npainting collector.<\/p>\n
As reported earlier, five of the 12 allegedly stolen
\npaintings, which were listed in Christie's catalog for its Oct. 6
\nauction in Singapore, were presented as donations by the last
\nowner, a Singaporean collector, to Indonesian envoys on Thursday
\nevening.<\/p>\n
Agreement<\/p>\n
Wardiman said that according to an agreement reached between
\nthe delegates and the collector's lawyer, Indonesia will not sue
\nthe Singaporean.<\/p>\n
\"The lawyer said that his client had no idea the paintings he
\nbought were those stolen from the Jakarta museum,\" said Wardiman.<\/p>\n
A reliable source said that the Singaporean was the third
\nperson to owned the paintings after they were allegedly stolen
\nfrom the museum.<\/p>\n
The five paintings are A Nude by Basoeki Abdullah, Portrait of
\na Dutch Governor Wearing the Willems Order, by legendary master
\nRaden Saleh, and three paintings by Affandi: Parang Tritis, Kawah
\nTangkuban Perahu, and Wadjah Diri dan Topeng.<\/p>\n
\"All of the five paintings are now being kept at the museum,\"
\nsaid Wardiman.<\/p>\n
Under the supervision of the Indonesian envoys led by Suwati
\nKartiwa, head of the National Museum, the five paintings were
\nflown back to Jakarta on a Sempati flight, which arrived at the
\nSoekarno-Hatta International Airport at 10:35 p.m. Thursday, said
\nthe minister.<\/p>\n
The return of the five paintings, which were automatically
\nwithdrawn from Christie's auction, was hailed by local painting
\nenthusiasts as a remarkable success.<\/p>\n
\"I'm so happy with the news but I still can't understand why
\nan international auction house failed to make an in-depth check
\non the authenticity of the paintings,\" tycoon Sudwikatmono. a
\nserious painting collector, told the Post yesterday.<\/p>\n
Art observer, Amir Sidharta, said: \"It's good news for us but
\nbad for the Singaporean collector, who finally had to donate the
\npaintings to Indonesia.\" (bsr)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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