International Symposium
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Xl. ve XVIII. yüzyıllar Xl. to XVIII. centuries iSLAM-TÜRK MEDENiYETi VE AVRUPA ISLAMIC-TURKISH CIVILIZATION AND EUROPE Uluslararası Sempozyum International Symposium iSAM Konferans Salonu !SAM Conference Hall Xl. ve XVIII. yüzyıllar islam-Türk Medaniyeti ve Avrupa ULUSLARARASISEMPOZYUM 24-26 Kas1m, 2006 · • Felsefe - Bilim • Siyaset- Devlet • Dil - Edebiyat - Sanat • Askerlik • Sosyal Hayat •Imge fl,cm. No: Tas. No: Organizasyon: Türkiye Diyanet Vakfı islam Araştırmaları Merkezi (iSAM) T.C. Diyanet işleri Başkanlığı Marmara Üniversitesi ilahiyat Fakültesi © Kaynak göstermek için henüz hazır değildir. 1 Not for quotation. ,.1' Xl. ve XVIII. yüzyıllar Uluslararası Sempozyum DIFFERING ATTITUDES OF A FEW EUROPEAN SCHOLARS AND TRAVELLERS TOWARDS THE REMOVAL OF ARTEFACTS FROM THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE Fredrik THOMASSON• The legitimacy of removal of artefacts from the Ottoman Empire during the Iate 181h and early 191h century was already debated by contemporary observers. The paper presents a few Swedish scholars/travellers and their views on the dismemberment of the Parthenon, exeavation of graves ete. in the Greek and Egyptian territories of the Empire. These scholars are often very critica! and their opinions resemble to a great extent many of the positions in today's debate. This is contrasted with views from representatives from more in:fluential countries who seem to have fewer qualms about the whotesale removal of objects. The possible reasons for the difference in opinions are discussed; e.g. how the fact of being from a sınaller nation with less negotiating and economic power might influence the opinions of the actors. The main characters are Johan David Akerblad (1763-1819) orientalist and classical scholar, the diplomat Erik Bergstedt (1760-1829) and the language scholar Jacob Berggren (1790-1868). Their views are contrasted with the testimony of Charles Robert Cockerell (1788 -1863) who exeavates two important temples and sells remains from them to Münich and London. Introduction My aim in this paper is to illustrate a few individual attitudes towards the acquirement of artefacts by W estem European individuals/institutions in the Ottoman Empire. The period discussed is the Iate 18th and the beginning of the 19th century. 1 I will not enter the issue of the legality or morality of removal , or the issues canceming restitutian of artefacts now in W estem museums and collections to the countries of origin. Within art history, history, archaeology and law the debate is lively, also treating many other fields of cultural property issues, such as the restitutian of objects to aboriginal populations.2 What I will show and try to discuss is rather what a few individuals, contemporary to the act of removal, have to say. I will present a few such Swedish travellers/scholars ın contraposition to an English artist/architect without sustaining that they are European Uh.iversity Institute, Florence, Italy. I have chosen to use the word "removal" instead of "looting", "plunder" ete. as to not immediately give a moral tinge to the issue. 2 The debate can be followed in e.g. International Journal of Cultural Property. A bibliography is found at: http://wings.buffalo.edu/anthropology/Documents/lootbib.shtml 320 f~ltim-TurkMedeniyeti ve Avrupa representative for their nations of origin. Whatever the legal and moral issues of today, what interests us here is the perception of participants and contemporary observers. Many of the positions of today's debate were already present in the contemporary discussions on the removal and selling of ancient artefacts from sites in the Ottoman Empire. Cases Johan David kerblad Johan David Hikerblad (Stockholm 1763-Rome 1819) spent several years in Constantinople during the 1780s and 90s, first as a translator at the Swedish embassy, later as Legation Secretary. He travelled widely in the Eastern Mediterranean; in Greece, Turkey, the Middle East and Northern AfiJca. According to many testimonies he spoke Arabic, Turkish and a number of other languages, his language proficiency was such that he could travel in disguise being taken for an Inhabitant of the Ottoman Empire. He published on the Demotic part of the Rosette inscription in 1802~and became known as one of the precursors of Champollion in the decipherment of the hieroglyphs. Hikerblad is often critical towards the "robbers" in both publications and unpublished correspondence. He is especially fierce when it comes to the dismemberment of the Parthenon. In 1811 he writes in a publication on Greek inscriptions:* "The grand staircase, which leads there, was discovered some years ago by Lord Aberdeen, a small gain that cannot cancel the memory of all the wrongs, that another English, Lord Elgin, did to the monuments of Athens." He elaborates in an 1816 letter to a Swedish acquaintance that has seen the sculptures in London: "The marbles you have seen in London and which were barbarously taken from Greece by Lord Elgin have beeh bought by the English government and shall without doubt be placed somewhat more decently than how you found them. Indeed, you are perfectly right in saying that it would have been better to leave them where they were taken. The damage that the villainous Lord has done is irreparable and even his compatriots that have visited Athens after him have sworn to relegate this man to public despise and loathing. You might have seen Childe Harold by Lord Byron where he is treated as deserved." 3 * kerblad, Johan David, Lettre szrr I 'inscription 6gyptienne de Rosette, Paris 1802. All translations are made by me; the quotations are given in the endnotes in their respective original languages. Italics and underliningg are those of the original texts. 4 "La grandiosa scalinata, che vi conduce, b stata scoverta, alcuni anni fa, dal Lord Aberdeen; picciol bene, che non pul, scancellar la memoria di tutto il male, che un'altro inglese, Lord Elgin, ha fatto ai monumenti d'Atene." kerblad, Johan David, Sopra due laminette di bronzo trovate ne' contomi di Atene. DissertmaZIonedim membro onorario dell 'AccademiaLibera d2Ircheologia di Roma, Rome 1811. "Les marbres que vous avez vue d Londres et dont le barbarie de Lord Elgin a spolit la grhce, ont 6tt achetb par le gouvernement anglais qui sans-doute les fera placer un peu plus decemment que vous ne les avez trouv6s. Au vkritC, vous avez parfaitement raison, Monsieur, de dire .qulon auroit mieux fait de les laisser: ou on les a pris. Le d6gilt qu'a fait ce vilain Lord est irrtmediable, et ses Freçlrik Thomasson 321 The almost commonplace critique of Lord Elgin is supported by a reference to Lord Byron, one of the most outspoken critics of the removal of antiquities. Akerblad has copied the relevant passages of Byron' s work in his notebooks. 6 Akerblad is als~ a collector on a small scale which creates interesting contradictions. W e know little about his own collections; he sametimes refers in lerters to small objects such as inscriptions and statuettes in his possession. He spent his last years in Rome in penury and we know that he was obliged to seli his books to survive. At the time of his death very little of value was in his possession. Objects were also left in Stockholm but w ere sold abroad after his death and no inventory of the calleetion has been found. On his trips in the Empire he buys manuscripts and tries to acquire other types of artefacts. In his visit of the Troad in 1792 he attempts to acquire a bas-relief: "I had a big slab of marble taken away, which had a bas-relief of a beautifully draped woman on one side. I think that it was a part of a metope from a Doric temple. I had the stone brought during the night to the garden of the Aga of Bounar-Baschi, where it was left lying as the Aga would not give me the permission to take it with me. When I in the year of 1797 came back to Troy I found my stone in the same place where I left it, but it was knocked over and lying with the bas-relief towards the ground so it would not draw the attention oftravelers."7 Other travellers have noted a similar reliefin the Ağa's garden but it is not clear if it is the same.8 On his fırst trip to the Troad Akerblad alsomakes a copy of the Sigeion inscription9 which Lord Elgin later takes to Britain. There is little information on Akerblad's sojourn in Egypt in 1787. He did buy a small mummy he presented as a gift to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm in 1790. 10 There are also examples of how Akerblad in a very modest way takes part in the dealing of antiquities while residing in Rome in 1809-1819. An obvious explanation to why he is not trading might be the lack of capital. He often complains compatriotes meme que ont vis ite Athenes depuis, ont voue cet ho mm e a 1' execration et au mepris public. Vous avez peut-etre vue le Childe Harold de Lord Byron ou Lord Elgin est traite comme ille merite." Letter from Akerblad to L.J. von Röök. 2 August 1816. National Archives, Stockholm. Savstaholmssamlingen II. 94. Brev till hovintendenten L.J. von Röök 1796-1866. 6 V at. Lat. 9785, Vatican Library, Rome. 7 "Einen grossen Marmorblack liess ich wegnehmen, der auf der einen Seite mit einem Basrelief verziert war, welches eine schöne drapirte Frau vorstellte. Ich glaube, class es zu einer Metope eines dorischen Tempels gehörte. Ich liess den Stein in der Nacht in den Garten des Aga von Bounar Baschi bringen, wo er liegen gebliebten is, da der Aga nicht zugeben wollte, class ich ihn mit mir nahme.