Curious book buyer uncovers art theft trail
An antique ink stamp on a €30,000 manuscript led police to a vast cache of stolen books and artworks
A SWEDISH academic who bought a rare antique Italian manuscript online has helped police uncover a trove of stolen artwork and books.
When his purchase arrived from Italy, the professor from Lund University noticed a small antique ink stamp from the “Royal Library of Turin” on one of the pages and became concerned about the manuscript’s provenance.
In fact, the 16th century prayer book Modus Orandi Deum Aliaque Pia et Christiana Exercitia Nec Non Deiparae Virginis Maria Litaniae was stolen in 2012 from a glass case in the library.
The professor contacted officials at the Italian embassy in Sweden, who informed the Italian Carabinieri Art Squad. Working backwards from the professor, detectives identified the seller as a student from Bologna who had bought the manuscript from a dealer in Turin.
Upon raiding the book dealer’s warehouse, detectives discovered a cache of rare artworks and books that had been reported stolen from across Italy.
“The professor showed great sensitivity as an academic, getting in contact immediately with authorities,” Giovanni Saccani, director of the Royal Library, told Italian newspaper La Stampa.
“And he didn’t even want any compensation for returning it, despite it having cost €20-30,000 (£17-26,000.)”
The recovery is the latest success stemming from a recent crackdown on illicit art trafficking in Turin. The book dealer was among 77 people denounced for art-related crimes in 2016 in the area, where 3,470 antique works were sequestered as they were being prepared to be shipped abroad.
Authorities announced on Saturday that they had discovered artworks by Guido Reni and Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck, estimated to be worth several million, at a villa in the region, as well as paintings by Jacopo del Sellaio, Luca Carlevaris, Giacomo Guardi, Luigi Crespi and Tommaso Salini.
In response to a growing international market for art and antiquities, Italian art squad detectives have expanded collaboration with their international counterparts, leading to the repatriation of many objects.
Last week, nearly $100,000 (£78,000) in ancient stolen artefacts discovered in a Manhattan gallery were returned to Italy. The items, including bronzes and a rare Etruscan vase, had been looted from archaeological sites in Italy and then illegally smuggled into the US. The Midtown gallery was unaware they were stolen and cooperated with investigators.
“Those who neglect to establish the integrity of an artefact’s provenance implicitly condone the looting and pillaging of historic sites around the world,” said Cyrus R Vance, the district attorney for New York County.
“Art galleries, auction houses, academic institutions and collectors must be vigilant about recognising and identifying signs of theft.”