[MSN] Report: Louvre refuses to return İznik tiles to Turkey

[Museum Security Network Mailinglist]

Report: Louvre refuses to return İznik tiles to Turkey

 France's Louvre Museum has refused to return to Turkey a number of Ottoman-period İznik tiles that were sent to France from Istanbul's Ayasofya Museum for restoration 110 years ago, Milliyet daily said on Thursday. 

  According to the report, by Ömer Erbil, the Louvre's administration now claims it purchased the tiles from Turkey. Attempts by the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry to get the tiles back have failed to yield any results, the report said, adding that the ministry was now readying to file a lawsuit against the Louvre. 

  Erbil wrote in January and February 2006 in Milliyet that a 17th century İznik tile panel belonging to the tomb of Sultan Selim II was listed as number 3919/2-265 in the inventory of the Louvre Museum's Art of Islam section. The artifact is displayed at the museum under the title �Tiles from Sultan Selim II tomb at Ayasofya Museum's cemetery.� 

  Following last year's reports, Ayasofya Museum officials started an investigation and discovered that tiles from the tomb of Sultan Murat III and the Sultan Mahmut I Library were also missing. The investigators discovered that the original tiles were replaced by replicas produced in France. 

  Meanwhile a retired professor, who declined to be named, gave photographs of İznik tiles he took in storehouses of several museums in France, which he earlier used in separate research, to Ayasofya officials. Further investigation of these photos showed that original İznik tiles were also found in the collections of Musée de Sevres and Musée des Arts Decoratifs. 

  The Istanbul Governor's Office, in two statements it released in 2003, said part of the 16th century tiles that were originally placed in the entrance to Sultan Selim II's tomb went missing in the early 20th century after a Frenchman named Albert Dorigny conducted a study on the tiles.

  Dorigny is believed to have applied to the then Ministry of Foundations to restore the missing tiles of the tomb. He is believed to have replaced the original tiles on the left-hand side panel with replicas he brought from France. The originals were later put on display at the Louvre Museum. 

  The Cultural Assets and Museums General Directorate recently contacted the Turkish Foreign Ministry in order to find out how the tiles arrived at the Louvre. Louvre officials told the Foreign Ministry that they had official papers proving that the tiles were purchased from Turkey.

  Louvre officials said if official documents concerning Dorigny's request were provided to the museum, they were ready for an exchange of documents; however, no archive documents on Dorigny were found in Turkish state archives. Turkish authorities decided to proceed with the matter using the available documents and to file a complaint if necessary. 

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr