[MSN] Jerome Eisenberg about Amsterdam antiquities dealer Mieke Zilverberg and the cuneiform tablet

[Museum Security Network Mailing list]

Dear Ton,
 
I have read in astonishment the reaction by Dr. Jerome ŒJerry¹ Eisenberg
regarding Mieke Zilverberg and the clay tablet. First of all, Eisenberg is
misinformed regarding the newspaper retracting the article in Het Parool the
Œnext day¹. No such thing ever happened. Eisenberg goes completely over the
top accusing the journalist, Henk Schutten, of Œgonzo¹ journalism. Henk
Schutten is one of the foremost investigating journalists of Holland and has
an impressive and impeccable track record. Before going public with this
story, Schutten contacted, amongst others, Donny George, former Director of
Iraqi National Museum and scholar and action man Colonel Matthew Bogdanos.
 
It was me who had tipped Henk Schutten on the tablet on Mieke Zilverberg¹s
website, when Schutten visited me in London days before TEFAF.

 
It was Eisenberg, when I called him during the opening of TEFAF, who told me
(all on tape) that Mieke Zilverberg is a tourist in the art world, didn¹t
understand s*** from sugar, but had the clay tablet on consignment from
Nelly Drees, the wife of Nabile Asfar and was best to be left alone.
 
By writing this and going public I lose one of my top informants with whom I
go long way back. As a matter of fact, it was me who saved Eisenberg from
the Carabinieri, when he was in possession of a looted Roman marble statue
of Eros, exhibited by him at TEFAF 2001, bought by him from Merrin, who in
turn had bought it from Robin Symes, with a famous ŒSymes¹ provenance. It
will be sufficient to type in the word ŒEros¹ on the search machine of my
website. Among others you will find a letter from Eisenberg to me (scroll
down)
http://www.michelvanrijn.nl/artnews/archive/apr2002.htm
thanking me for the help I have given him on that occasion. If Eisenberg is
so ethical as he writes in his article today, I wonder why he didn¹t return
the looted Eros directly to the Carabinieri in Rome, but used the evidence
provided by me as to the illicit origin of the statue, to return the statue
to Merrin and get his money back.
 
Furthermore, Eisenberg writes that a notarised statement can be provided re:
provenance of the clay tablet. I doubt that the notarised statement will
differ from the ALR statement, meaning being hastily Œarranged¹ after
journalist Henk Schutten exposed Mieke Zilverberg exhibiting this item at
TEFAF. It¹s all out of proportion, if Zilverberg would have done the
honourable thing, she could have made a Œmea culpa¹, instead of digging her
heels and returned the tablet to Iraq. This is what you expect a reputable
dealer and president of the IAADA to do. Set an example, if there is the
slightest doubt or discussion regarding an object, show not being afraid of
having made a faux pas, after all we are all human. Return first, discuss
later!
 
NO, instead an arrogant answer in the form of a press release by TEFAF came
as a result, in which was claimed that the Art Loss Register cleared the
clay tablet. Nowhere was mentioned the date the ALR released the letter.
This beside the fact that there are no Œfresh¹ pieces on record with the
ALR. Ever hear the one of the looter who sends photos of his freshly dug up
antiquities to the ALR? Funny is that TEFAF does not mention that the date
on the letter of the Art Loss Register which letter was dated AFTER Henk
Schutten exposed the tablet. I would not be surprised at all, if the so
called Œnotarised¹ statement from the old Belgium collector, will bear a
similar date. 
 
I also called Zilverberg on the opening of TEFAF (as MR. Stuyvenberg de
Lange) and Œbought¹ the clay tablet (on tape) from her for Euro 1500. When I
inquired about provenance, nothing was mentioned as it is mentioned today.
 
 
I invite interested parties to contact me and I will provide them with
copies of taped conversations of me with Dr. Eisenberg and Mieke Zilverberg.
 
I like to take this opportunity to thank Mieke Zilverberg for the attention
she has once again given to the Rape of Iraq¹s Cultural Heritage.
 
Michel van Rijn
 
London