Passport for a masterpiece

[Artem]

Passport for a masterpiece
Antique dealers attended the authenticity of artifacts

Text: Andrew Evplanov

17.09.2013 , 00:42

   
In Russia every year takes about a thousand crimes related to trafficking in cultural property . The business of manufacturing counterfeit works of art more profitable and less risky than, for example , ordinary theft.

For a fake antiques can give 12 years in prison for forgery for the purpose of substituting a museum exhibit - 15 years. But to prove what purpose manufactures duplicate , very difficult. Counterfeiter can say that was producing souvenirs and was not going to pass them off as originals , an artist who has faked picture can say that I wrote the copy and not hide it . The expert will tell you that he was mistaken , thinking that a copy - the original . A dealer said that he did not know that buying a copy .

According to the deputy director of the department of state of art Ekaterina Selezneva Ministry of Culture , forgery always existed, but such a frightening amount was not there before . She believes that in general all of this for a decade and runs a highly qualified international cartel , because everything that happens , and then the quality of fakes, that we get evidence of the highest professional level of these people. Today the market of antiques "walking" at least 40 %of counterfeit paintings in the price range of 100-200 thousand dollars and more than 25 %of fakes cost over 200 thousand " Of the total number of pictures that bring us to the examination, from 40 to 70 %are forgery , "- said the director of a center of expertise " Art Consulting " Denis Lukashin .

According to estimates of the Investigative Committee , the turnover in the market of fake paintings of 170-200 million dollars a year. If 10 years ago in the antique shops were fakes 5-10%, now - more than two -thirds . It is noteworthy that among relatively inexpensive antiques forgery generally over 80%. Fake almost everything: antique porcelain , furniture , clocks , sculptures , old coins .

According to the founder of the Eastern European Antique House Sergei Yunina , the situation on the Russian antiques market is very difficult . According to him, the number of counterfeit works of art catastrophically high, and experts issuing opinions that are often wrong and are not responsible for their mistakes . Most experts are engaged . Their experts have the rich collectors and banks, their - at dealers .

The problem of examination today one of the most acute . In Russia examination banned all public museums. Only the organizations that do not have such status - Center Grabar and GosNIIR . Among individual examinations are best known independent research expertise behalf PM Tretyakov and "Art Consulting ."

Change the situation and make the antique market transparency offered by a major change in its methodology and procedure. To do this, set up the National Institute for independent examination. As the general director of the Institute, the Ministry of Culture expert , Vladimir Kazakov, "institute is equipped with high-tech equipment to determine the authenticity of antiques , and the bet will be placed precisely on the chemical and technological expertise , which is particularly important for the decorative and applied arts and numismatics. Initially, we will develop technology expertise and insurance in numismatics . attract the best experts , the people who listen to the opinion of collectors, dealers and auction houses . " The institute has high-tech equipment to determine the authenticity of antiques and will be counted on to make chemical- technological expertise , which is particularly important for the decorative and applied arts and numismatics. In addition, each examination will be immune from mistakes. In the event that the subject would be questionable , the buyer will be able to regain its value. The presence of insurance will open the door for a Russian expert on Western markets , where domestic expertise is still not trusted.

http://rg.ru/2013/09/17/antikvariat.html