Guennol Stargazer
Here is an interesting case. According to the article, a day before an anonymous bidder prepared to pay nearly $14.5 million for the rare and ancient artifact at auction on April 28, the Turkish government filed a federal lawsuit demanding its return and the identity of the buyer. So here is my question: If the buyer paid $14.5M and the courts determine that work must be returned to Turkey, who cares who the buyer is as long as they give it back?
Well, a New York federal judge ordered auction house Christie’s to disclose the anonymous bidder who bought a Bronze Age marble idol for $14.4 million to lawyers for the Turkish government… Now, if he is not willing to return it, then maybe his name should be revealed; however, the article does not specifically state that he refuses to return it.
Turkey claims that the 9 inch tall marble idol (9 inches … $14.4M … wow), was smuggled out of the country in the early 60s, changed hands a couple of times and ended up in the collection of Michael Steinhardt (the hedge fund billionaire) in 1993. Steinhardt consigned it to Christie’s.
Here is another question: If the item was worth, let’s say $3,000, would Turkey be so eager to get it back? I doubt it. To me, this is all about THE MONEY! Isn’t it always?
Source: Christie’s Must Reveal 5,000-Year-Old Idol’s Secret Bidder to Turkey