New tally of art work lost in Iraq

A new report (Ar.) appeared in Middle East Online by their correspondant in Baghdad gives an update on the status of the Iraqi artworks lost from the"Iraqi Museum of Art" (apparently of modern art; originally founded in 1909 and was called"Mathaf al-Fannanin al-Ruwwad"/the Museum of early artists; it was moved in the 1990s to"al-Markaz al-Iraqi lilfunun"/The Iraqi Center of Arts). It quotes the"director of the Museum" Huda Siddiq al-Nu'aymi (also the daughter of an Iraqi painter, Ahmad Siddiq). She gives the folllowing numbers: in 2003 8,000 artwork were lost; now: 1,130 are found and 6,870 still lost. According to Mrs. Nu'aymi the works that were found were returned by people who bought them in Baghdad and Amman. Many groups helped to find and return these works including the Iraqi cultural group of"Mu'assasat al-Mada". Unfortunately some of the returned artworks are damaged (though many were in fine status, indicating accrording to Mrs. Nu'aymi that some of the robbers were professional).

The link to the article:

http://www.middle-east-online.com/?id=41013