Roger Atwood

From the opening pages set in Iraq after the downfall of Saddam Hussein to the mountains of Peru to the Museum of Art in New Mexico, Atwood traces the looting of art, textiles, and other artifacts from the tomb to the looter to the middleman to the collector. He's not afraid to ask questions and follow the story. He comes up with a few solutions in the end, but how many of them will ever be followed is anyone's guess. My bet is not very many. As long as there are people willing to buy history, someone will be there to sell it. Organizations like the FBI and others are trying to enforce laws, but there is only so much they can do without help from some serious legislation. What I found shocking was the extent to which museum themselves were collaborators in this cultural rape. They ask mighty few questions about where their acquisitions come from, especially their older ones, and are very reluctant to part with anything, even when the piece is proven to be looted. Finders keepers is the only law that really operates in the art world. Great story.… (más)