-PJ
Posted on 05/05/2022 12:19:08 PM PDT by nickcarraway
In 2018, Laura Young, the owner of vintage good shop in Austin, Texas, spotted a carved marble bust priced at $34.99 in a local Goodwill. At 52 pounds, it was heavy, and it looked old.
An expert examination revealed that it was, in fact, ancient. It dated back to the 1st century CE—and had once belonged to the collection of King Ludwig I of Bavaria.
Four years later, the ancient Roman bust, which may depict Roman commander Drusus Germanicus, will be returned to Germany’s Bavarian Administration of State-Owned Palaces, Gardens and Lakes. In a signal of the institution’s gratitude, it will be installed under a plaque bearing Young’s name.
Before it goes back to Germany for good, the bust will spend a year on view at the San Antonio Museum of Art, which supported the identification and reunion of the bust with Bavarian authorities. During that time, Jessica Powers, interim chief curator of the art of the ancient Mediterranean world at the museum, will help identity the subject of the artwork. The bust is now on view at the Texas museum, and will remain there through May 21, 2023.
How the bust traveled from Bavaria to Austin is another mystery that will need to be unraveled.
Researchers know it was looted near the end of World War II from the Pompejanum, a mid-19th century full-scale replica of a Pompeiian villa built by King Ludwig I in Aschaffenburg, Germany. After the end of the war, the U.S. Army stationed troops in Aschaffenburg. Many of them remained there throughout the Cold War.
According to the San Antonio Museum of Art, a retuning troop may have smuggled the portrait back to America. In the decades between, someone dropped it at the backdoor of the Austin Goodwill.
“My husband and I were on a road trip when I got an email from [the auction house] Bonhams confirming the head was indeed ancient Roman, but without provenance they could be of no further assistance. Soon after that, Sotheby’s got in touch,” Young said in a statement.
Young was advised not to attempt to sell the work at auction, or through private channels, as U.S. state law does not recognize the transfer of title of stolen property.
“There were a few months of intense excitement after that, but it was bittersweet since I knew I couldn’t keep or sell” the sculpture, Young continued. “Either way, I’m glad I got to be a small part of [its] long and complicated history, and he looked great in the house while I had him.”
Young and her legal counsel contacted Bavarian authorities about the restitution of the bust. The Bavarian government agreed to cover all costs accrued in transporting the artifact to Germany, and agreed to a short-term loan arrangement with San Antonio Museum of Art.
Emily Ballew Neff, the museum’s director, said in a statement, “It’s a great story whose plot includes the World War II-era, international diplomacy, art of the ancient Mediterranean, thrift shop sleuthing, historic Bavarian royalty, and the thoughtful stewardship of those who care for and preserve the arts, whether as individuals or institutions. We are so pleased that the Bavarian Administration of State-Owned Palaces agreed to allow us to have the sculpture on view at SAMA before it returns to its rightful home. A wonderful example of international cooperation, this is another critical way in which our art museums participate in diplomacy around the globe.”
I wonder if they ever found the original Elvis or Dale Earnhardt Sr. on black velvet. Fine art there.
-PJ
We are going through that process with Mom and Dad’s estate.
Everything has been evaluated and whatever the siblings wanted has been claimed. I don’t feel right about selling Dad’s WWII uniform and Japanese and Chinese souvenirs so we are donating them to a museum.
The Russians stole Schliemann’s treasure from Berlin in 1945—it’s now in Moscow. Of course Schliemann stole it from Turkey. I think it’s going to stay in Russia.
Since you know your stuff then you know the proper name is the Krieghoff. And the proof mark is a crown over an ‘N’.
The ones I have are DWM, Erfurt, and Mauser variants. Various barrel lengths from 3 5/8 out to 16 inches. The extractors are all GELADEN. A couple of them have scope mounts on the side. All in European rust blue. It’s a mix of pre-WW2 and a couple pre-WW1 with the small ‘a’ under the serial number. None of them have mixed numbers between parts and magazine. None of them have spare mags.
That’s about the extent of my knowledge on these pieces. I don’t fire them. I did get myself a commercial Luger for fun and it’s nice but finicky.
Check out Ian at Forgotten Weapons on YouTube.
He’s an absolute fountain of info on Lugers.
L
“Check out Ian at Forgotten Weapons on YouTube. He’s an absolute fountain of info on Lugers.”
Thank you, I will!
I came into these back in 1996/1997 and at the time was wholly ignorant about Lugers. It was a couple of old Wehrmacht veterans I got to know through the Sacramento Turnverein who schooled me on these pieces.
There was a steep learning curve and those two old Krauts made me feel like a green recruit.
My personal focus has always been rifles. Pistols are not as interesting to me although I appreciate them.
I could do a whole post about the K98K I found with a Leica scope (not a Zeiss). It’s probably Swiss and the jeweling on the bolt speaks to that likely origin.
The Lugers and Broomhandle Mausers I had were works of German engineering art. I am a mechanical engineer, and I was amazed at the detail in the machining of the components when I took them apart.
The Lugers and Broomhandle Mausers I had were works of German engineering art. I am a mechanical engineer, and I was amazed at the detail in the machining of the components when I took them apart.
Lucky you! I’ve never even seen a broomhandle Mauser let alone own one! I’ve long wanted one with the Monte Carlo stock!
That was back around 1990. Shooter grade Broomhandles were around a gun shows, and not expensive. You could go to a big show back then and find Colt Pythons and Colt series 70 1911s all over the the place for about $400.
That was back around 1990. Shooter grade Broomhandles were around a gun shows, and not expensive. You could go to a big show back then and find Colt Pythons and Colt series 70 1911s all over the the place for about $400.
Wow.
That was also my response when I saw it.
Thanks nickcarraway.
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