Michael C. Carlos Museum

Last updated
Michael C. Carlos Museum
Michael C. Carlos Museum Logo.jpg
Michael C. Carlos Museum.JPG
Michael C. Carlos Museum
Former name
Emory University Museum of Art and Archaeology
Established1876
Location571 South Kilgo Circle
Atlanta
United States
Type Art museum
Visitors120,000 annually
DirectorHenry Kim
Website carlos.emory.edu

The Michael C. Carlos Museum is an art museum located in Atlanta on the historic quadrangle of Emory University's main campus. The Carlos Museum has the largest ancient art collections in the Southeast, [1] including objects from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, the Near East, Africa and the ancient Americas. The collections are housed in a Michael Graves designed building which is open to the public. [2]

Contents

History

A Pre-Columbian incense burner with a crocodile lid (500 - 1350 CE), from the Carlos Museum's extensive collection of Central American artifacts Pre-Columbian incense burner, Costa Rica (Carlos Museum).jpg
A Pre-Columbian incense burner with a crocodile lid (500 - 1350 CE), from the Carlos Museum's extensive collection of Central American artifacts

One of the oldest museums in Georgia, the museum's collections date back to 1876, when a general museum known as Emory College Museum was established on Emory University's original campus in Oxford, Georgia. After the university was relocated to Atlanta, a small group of professors officially founded the Emory University Museum in 1919. The collections were housed and displayed in various buildings around the campus. [2]

Over the years, Atlanta businessman Michael C. Carlos donated over $20 million to create a permanent home for the museum, which opened in 1985. The museum was renamed again to the Emory University Museum of Art and Archaeology and was officially accredited by the American Alliance of Museums as a museum of antiquities and fine arts. Carlos died in December 2002 at the age of 75. [3]

A major expansion in 1993 transformed the museum into one of Atlanta's top arts institutions. Upon the new building's opening, the museum became known as the Michael C. Carlos Museum, named after its most generous patron.

During the 1996 Summer Olympics, the museum presented two major exhibitions: one on the Emory campus highlighting the work of Thornton Dial and the other in City Hall East (now Ponce City Market) titled "Souls Grown Deep: African American Vernacular Art of the South". Originally pitched to the High Museum of Art, the latter exhibit featured folk art and self-taught art from African-American artists across the American South, curated by local art collector William S. Arnett, and opened to "glowing reviews". [4]

In June 2022, it was announced that Henry Kim would be the new associate vice provost and director of the Museum beginning August 22, 2022. [5]

Collection and activities

The museum's collections comprise more than 25,000 works, [6] and the facility attracts 120,000 visitors annually. In addition to permanent and temporary exhibitions, the museum is a source of educational programming, providing lectures, symposia, workshops, performances, and festivals. The Carlos Museum also operates a teaching laboratory and conservation center, and publishes scholarly catalogues. The museum also brings art, history, and archaeology to the classroom of Georgia children through its outreach program, Art Odyssey. The Carlos Museum also runs Odyssey Online, a Web site for school-age children that explores the various cultures reflected in the museum's collections. [2]

The museum's permanent Egyptian holdings were bolstered with the acquisition of 145 works from Canada's Niagara Falls Museum in 1999. The elaborately decorated ancient coffins and mummies of both humans and animals form the centerpiece of the permanent exhibition of ancient Egyptian art. Also in 1999, Carlos bequeathed a $10 million gift specifically for the purchase of ancient Greek and Roman pieces. As a result, the museum now owns and exhibits the finest existing portrait of the Roman emperor Tiberius and one of the country's best examples of Hellenistic sculpture, a depiction of Terpsichore, the Greek muse of dance. A total of 450 works of art are now on display in galleries devoted to Greek and Roman art. [2]

In 1999, the Carlos Museum purchased an unidentified male mummy that some thought could be a New Kingdom pharaoh. Through research and collaboration with Emory University medical experts, museum scholars were able to identify the mummy as pharaoh Ramesses I. The museum returned the mummy to Egypt in 2003 as a gift of goodwill and international cultural cooperation. [7] [8] His remains are permanently on display in a plexiglass case at the Luxor Museum. [9]

On June 6, 2006 the museum purchased a headless statue of Venus, for $968,000 at a Sotheby's auction in New York. A private collector in Houston, Texas, agreed to sell to whoever purchased the body, the head as well, which was last documented attached to the body in 1836. The head was sold for an additional $50,000. [10]

Controversy over acquisitions

A pithos in the Michael C. Carlos Museum, whose provenance has been identified as suspect. Pithos (Amphora), 650-600 BC (10451511965).jpg
A pithos in the Michael C. Carlos Museum, whose provenance has been identified as suspect.

In 2023, an investigation by the Chronicle of Higher Education alleged that at least 562 artworks in the museum collection are alleged to have had sellers linked by authorities to the illicit antiquities trade. Cynthia Patterson, professor of art history at Emory, stated that “The problem is much more than ‘several objects’; it’s everywhere.” [11] Christos Tsirogiannis, an expert on the illegal trade in antiquities at Ionian University, Greece, stated that the museum had failed to exercise "due diligence" in relation to suspicious acquisitions. [12] David Gill, an archaeologist at the University of Kent stated that the museum had "just turned a blind eye" to issues of provenance in its programme of acquisitions. [11] The Chronicle reported that Jasper Gaunt, the museum's curator of Greek and Roman antiquities between 2001 and 2018, who spearheaded acquisitions funded by the $10 million gift made by Carlos in 1999, was a close associate Robert E. Hecht, a noted figure in the trade in illegal antiquities. [11] [12] 34 or more vases, figurines, and other artefacts acquired by the museum in this period were bought from Hecht directly or had previously been handled by him. [11] The museum also purchased an inscribed funerary stele from Hecht in 2003, which was judged to be a modern forgery by an independent expert. [11] Between 2002 and 2006, the Carlos acquired 52 or more items linked to Fritz Burki and son, a pair of conservators based in Zurich, who are known to have held illegal antiquities and admitted to acting as a fence for Hecht. [11] A headless statue bought in 2003 was provenanced to Gianfranco Becchina, an antiquities dealer from Sicily, who was raided for illegal trafficking of antiquities in 2002. [11] The museum also acquired at least ten items from his wife, Ursula "Rosie" Becchina, between 2002 and 2006. [11] 23 artefacts acquired between 2001 and 2022, including a large Minoan pithos, came from or had been previously handled by Phoenix Ancient Art, a dealer which was charged with misrepresenting the origins of various artefacts it traded during that period. [11] In 2015, the museum's registrar, Todd Lamkin, wrote in an email to a member of the Emory faculty that "We tread a fine line when it comes to discussing provenance. Our donors often ask for our discretion, and even when we do know lengthy history on an object, we often only know this by word of mouth and have little on paper." [11]

In November, 2023, The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Italy and Emory University announced that they reached an agreement for cultural cooperation which includes the restitution to the Ministry of five objects in the collection of the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory, with three of the objects remaining on loan to Emory. [13] In 2023, the Michael C. Carlos Museum returned an Assyrian ivory furniture applique to the government of Iraq following research which revealed that it had been looted from the Iraq Museum in 2006. [11] [14] On January 22, 2024, Emory University and the Ministry of Culture of the Hellenic Republic signed a long-term agreement of cultural cooperation, under which the museum returned a Minoan larnax, a statue of Terpsicore, and a statue of a seated figure, which were alleged to have been looted from Greece in the early 2000s. [12] [15] The agreement also provided for more educational opportunities for students. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egyptian Museum</span> History museum in Cairo, Egypt

The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, commonly known as the Egyptian Museum, located in Cairo, Egypt, houses the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities in the world. It houses over 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display. Located in Tahrir Square in a building built in 1901, it is the largest museum in Africa. Among its masterpieces are Pharaoh Tutankhamun's treasure, including its iconic gold burial mask, widely considered one of the best-known works of art in the world and a prominent symbol of ancient Egypt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zahi Hawass</span> Egyptian Egyptologist (born 1947)

Zahi Abass Hawass is an Egyptian archaeologist, Egyptologist, and former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, a position he served twice in. He has worked at archaeological sites in the Nile Delta, the Western Desert and the Upper Nile Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramesses I</span> Founding pharaoh of 19th dynasty of Egypt

Menpehtyre Ramesses I was the founding pharaoh of ancient Egypt's 19th Dynasty. The dates for his short reign are not completely known but the timeline of late 1292–1290 BC is frequently cited as well as 1295–1294 BC. While Ramesses I was the founder of the 19th Dynasty, his brief reign mainly serves to mark the transition between the reign of Horemheb, who had stabilized Egypt in the late 18th Dynasty, and the rule of the powerful pharaohs of his own dynasty, in particular his son Seti I, and grandson Ramesses II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Paul Getty Museum</span> Art museum in Los Angeles, California

The J. Paul Getty Museum, commonly referred to as the Getty, is an art museum in Los Angeles, California housed on two campuses: the Getty Center and Getty Villa. It is operated by the J. Paul Getty Trust, the world's wealthiest art institution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology</span> Museum in London, England

The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology in London is part of University College London Museums and Collections. The museum contains over 80,000 objects, making it one of the world's largest collections of Egyptian and Sudanese material. It is designated under the Arts Council England Designation Scheme as being of "national and international importance".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luxor Museum</span> Egyptology, history museum, archaeological museum in Luxor, Egypt

Luxor Museum is an archaeological museum in Luxor, Egypt. It stands on the corniche, overlooking the east bank of the River Nile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Archaeological Museum, Athens</span> National museum in Athens, Greece

The National Archaeological Museum in Athens houses some of the most important artifacts from a variety of archaeological locations around Greece from prehistory to late antiquity. It is considered one of the greatest museums in the world and contains the richest collection of Greek Antiquity artifacts worldwide. It is situated in the Exarcheia area in central Athens between Epirus Street, Bouboulinas Street and Tositsas Street while its entrance is on the Patission Street adjacent to the historical building of the Athens Polytechnic university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euphronios Krater</span> Famous Ancient Greek paint vase bowl from Athens c. 515 BC.

The Euphronios Krater is an ancient Greek terra cotta calyx-krater, a bowl used for mixing wine with water. Created around the year 515 BC, it is the only complete example of the surviving 27 vases painted by the renowned Euphronios and is considered one of the finest Ancient Greek vases in existence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Repatriation (cultural property)</span> Return of stolen art to the original owners or heirs

Repatriation is the return of the cultural property, often referring to ancient or looted art, to their country of origin or former owners.

Robert Emmanuel Hecht, Jr. was an American antiquities art dealer based in Paris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Looted art</span> Art that was taken illegally

Looted art has been a consequence of looting during war, natural disaster and riot for centuries. Looting of art, archaeology and other cultural property may be an opportunistic criminal act or may be a more organized case of unlawful or unethical pillage by the victor of a conflict. The term "looted art" reflects bias, and whether particular art has been taken legally or illegally is often the subject of conflicting laws and subjective interpretations of governments and people; use of the term "looted art" in reference to a particular art object implies that the art was taken illegally.

The Niagara Falls Museum, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, was founded by Thomas Barnett in 1827. After a number of moves and varying fortunes it closed in 1998. The museum is known for housing the mummy of Ramesses I for 140 years before its return to Egypt in 2003.

Marion True was the former curator of antiquities for the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California. True was indicted on April 1, 2005, by an Italian court, on criminal charges accusing her of participating in a conspiracy that laundered stolen artifacts through private collections and creating a fake paper trail; the Greeks later followed suit. Though the charges against True were eventually dropped, the legal actions brought to light many questions about museum acquisitions, administration, repatriation, and ethics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Museum Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan</span> Ancient Egyptian And Sudanese Museum Department

The Department of Ancient Egypt is a department forming an historic part of the British Museum, with Its more than 100,000 pieces making it the largest[h] and most comprehensive collection of Egyptian antiquities outside the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

The antiquities trade is the exchange of antiquities and archaeological artifacts from around the world. This trade may be illicit or completely legal. The legal antiquities trade abides by national regulations, allowing for extraction of artifacts for scientific study whilst maintaining archaeological and anthropological context. The illicit antiquities trade involves non-scientific extraction that ignores the archaeological and anthropological context from the artifacts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Museum of Sudan</span> Museum for the history of Sudan

The National Museum of Sudan or Sudan National Museum, abbreviated SNM, is a two-story building, constructed in 1955 and established as national museum in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxwell L. Anderson</span> Art museum director (born 1956)

Maxwell L. Anderson is an American art historian, former museum administrator, and non-profit executive, who currently serves as President of the Souls Grown Deep Foundation. Anderson previously served as Alice Pratt Brown Director of the Whitney Museum of American Art from 1998 to 2003, director of the Indianapolis Museum of Art from 2006 to 2011, and director of Dallas Museum of Art from 2011 to 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archaeological Museum in Zagreb</span> Archaeology museum in Zagreb, Croatia

The Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, Croatia is an archaeological museum with over 450,000 varied artifacts and monuments, gathered from various sources but mostly from Croatia and in particular from the surroundings of Zagreb.

<i>Terpsichore statuette from Dodona</i> Statuette of a Greek Muse

The Terpsichore from Dodona is a Greek marble statue under lifesize depicting Terpsichore, the Greek goddess of dance, created around the second century BC. The Hellenistic work of art was discovered in Epirus in northwestern Greece and illegally smuggled out of the country in the late nineties. It then became part a prized piece of the Ancient Greek and Roman collection of the Michael C. Carlos Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, until it was finally repatriated to Greece in early 2024.

References

  1. ↑ AOL. "AOL Travel - Deals, Discounts and Things to Do". AOL.com. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Michael C. Carlos Museum of Art". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  3. ↑ Emory Magazine, Winter 2003. "Remembering Museum Benefactor Michael C. Carlos" . Retrieved August 7, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ Dylla, Sarah (September 23, 2020). "Not Just Sports: Arts and Culture of the '96 Games". Atlanta History Center.
  5. ↑ "Henry S. Kim selected as new director of Emory's Michael C. Carlos Museum | Emory University | Atlanta GA". news.emory.edu. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  6. ↑ "Vice Provost for Libraries and Museum – Emory University | Association of Academic Museums and Galleries" . Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  7. ↑ "Egypt's 'Ramses' mummy returned". BBC. 26 October 2003. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  8. ↑ "U.S. Museum to Return Ramses I Mummy to Egypt". National Geographic. April 30, 2003. Archived from the original on May 2, 2003. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  9. ↑ Hart, Ariel (25 October 2003). "A Journey Back to Egypt for a Mummy Thought to be a Pharaoh". The New York Times.
  10. ↑ Dell'orto, Giovanna (June 13, 2006). "Museum to Reunite Venus Statue With Head". Associated Press in Washington Post . Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Lee, Stephanie M. (August 23, 2023). "The Little Museum's Big Score: Emory University Wanted Only the Finest Antiquities. It Didn't Ask a Lot of Questions". Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 Kouremenos, Achilleas (23 January 2024). "Atlanta's Emory University Museum Returning Looted Artifacts to Greece". The National Herald. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  13. ↑ Emory University (November 9, 2023). "Emory, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Italy enter into cultural cooperation agreement". Emory News Center. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  14. ↑ Carlos Museum (January 22, 2024). "Nimrud Ivory Returned to the Republic of Iraq". Michael C. Carlos Museum. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  15. ↑ Lee, Stephanie M. (23 January 2024). "Emory U. Is Returning 3 Allegedly Looted Antiquities to Greece". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  16. ↑ Emory University (January 22, 2024). "Emory, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Italy enter into cultural cooperation agreement". Emory News Center. Retrieved May 23, 2024.

33°47′25″N84°19′27″W / 33.79028°N 84.32417°W / 33.79028; -84.32417

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.