Restitution and reimagining of a gold ewer | Place to Place by Adi Toch | V&A
Вставка
- Опубліковано 30 тра 2022
- In 1989, collector Arthur Gilbert (1913 - 2001) acquired an object which would be unique in his collection - a 4,250-year-old Anatolian gold ewer.
In 2018, the Gilbert Collection embarked on a major provenance research project which revealed that, unbeknownst to Arthur Gilbert, this gold ewer carried a problematic provenance. The dealer who sold him the ewer was secretly involved in the trade of illicit antiquities and the ewer had been illegally excavated and exported, deceiving Arthur Gilbert about its true provenance.
In light of this revelation, the Gilbert Trust, together with the Turkish Ministry of Culture, decided that the most appropriate place for the ewer would be the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations in Ankara. In October 2021, the ewer was donated to this museum, where it went on display next to objects of the same period which provide crucial cultural and historical context.
Naturally leaving a gap in the V&A's Collection, contemporary metalsmith Adi Toch was comissioned to create an art piece responding to the ewer and its remarkable story, so that its presence is still felt. For her piece, Toch has not only used the same gold alloy of the ewer, but has also employed many of the same techniques used by the Hattian goldsmith, thousands of years ago. Her final piece, titled ‘Place to Place’ thoughtfully prompts us to consider the movements of objects through time, and how they continue to fascinate, inspire and connect us. Watch as Toch examines the materiality of the ewer, including its impeccable craftsmanship, and considers the complex history that it embodies as she creates her piece.
Find out more about the gold ewer: www.vam.ac.uk/articles/gold-ewer
Discover more about the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection: www.vam.ac.uk/collections/gil...
'Tis the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch!
I totally thought the ewer was an intriguing, modern recontextualization of the hand grenade upon first seeing this video's preview pic...
Gotta say, tho, I like the object's actual antiquity much more.
Very glad to know that the V&A is open to restitution of such items as this!
I almost spit out my drink when I saw this I was laughing so hard. Thank you for the levity on this serious educational topic. Made my day 😂
ua-cam.com/video/xOrgLj9lOwk/v-deo.html
It is amazing to see the correspondence between the makers over thousands of years! It's a "simple" shape of funnel, but at the same time, it holds all of these values... incredible... It's so precious.
Thanks so much for sharing this inspirational video!
Incredible work, physically, in intention and in thinking through the materiality/function of the object within it's context. This a perfect companion piece.
Beautiful work. I love the decision to donate this back to Turkey while creating a modern replacement that corresponds with the original. Bringing old and new together. I thought the modern interpretation is stunning and the story behind it well communicated. Inspiring
Love it.
Such an important act to return the stolen ewer and a forward thinking approach in commissioning a contemporary artist to respond to it.
Very articulate about the process, inspiration and the importance of restitution - great video, thank you.
What an extrodinaryly beautiful and poetic way to respond to the original ewer.
The emperor's new clothes!
Wow! I actually not only understood her interpretation, I found it quite moving!
Amazing work and fascinating story. Brilliant!!!!
Beautiful film! Interesting how many layers of value exist in this work... there's the value of the gold, the historic value and rarity of the original object, the value in what it represented to the V&A and now represents to the museum in Turkey, the value it seems to have had to Adi Toch, and also to anyone else who saw it at the museum and were influenced by it in some way. Especially loved seeing the ewer and the funnel side by side and seeing the ways they echo each other. Hope to see the funnel next time I go to the museum.
I'm so pleased the artist didn't copy the old one, which was what I thought was going to be done, and was a little surprised and at first disappointed when I realised that wasn't what was going to happen. Then I saw the beautiful artwork she'd created, along with the story which linked the original object with the current time, as the act of donating the original back to the Turkish museum linked the two museums and the countries - and thought it was perfectly apropos. I really liked this whole story, thank you.
I thought this was a beautiful story of movement, home, transition and marking these journeys. Of passing on. Beautiful work.
The V&A.... a wonderful voyage of Discovery... This is inspiring to all artists!!!
You can see Adi Toch's 'Place to Place' in the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Galleries at the V&A, until May 2023: www.vam.ac.uk/event/bl8wJPynVY/place-to-place-by-adi-toch
Big upsell on that fancy funnel.
Fantastic initiative. Brilliant idea.
I wish you guys would have used historical methods in the funnel to make it have a similar design as the Ewer, the minimalistic modern design shares nothing with the ewer outside of the material it is made out of. Your videos usually made me happy and feel hopeful but this one just made me rather sad. If that funnel was made of stainless steel instead of gold it would look like something I could buy at Ikea for ten dollars.
Totally agree.
It is a 'modern responce' to the historical piece.
@@rsmith6366 To be technical it wouldn't even be called modern unless you mean Danish modern or mid century modern both being very vintage styles. Modern art now days has lots texture so it's not really modern of today's world, so the bridging of time argument they use is pretty rubbish. Also as I said it's very problematic to not acknowledge the original piece's culture.
@@TheNightshadePrince It's 'modern' because it was made by a modern contemporary artist.
It references the origional piece by using the same gold, and by the fact that it is used in conjuction with the jug piece.
It just doesn't use the same decorative motif.
@@rsmith6366 Saying that they are the same is like saying neo Aztec art is the same a communist Chinese art, it's disrespectful to make a piece that is suppose to be of a culture and then strip it of it's culture. If it's modern because it's made in modern times then give it a traditional Turkish design that respect the original piece's history and culture. What they did is just wrong.
Wonderful!!!
Wow! What an amazing piece and what a talented artist!
Beautiful
Very interesting. And abetted by the wonderful ambient music.
If they start restitution to India, then the whole British museum will be empty, including Elizabeth's crown.
beautiful
I'm afraid I'm a little confused here. I thought that this (very talented) goldsmith was going to perform some sort of restorative work on an ancient, damaged golden flask. Instead, this object was handed over to the Turkish government and in it's place a nice....funnel(?) was crafted...? Aside from the obvious point that I really need to read the captions before I click on the video, I'm puzzled. Can anybody out there on the art world please explain to me ( politely) what I am supposed to come away with after watching this video? Very confusing.
Thank you.
If it comforts you, I'm terribly puzzled in Lisbon too... The mind of modern artists is a mystery, wrapped in a riddle, inside an enigma...
@@MariaTorres-hc5uq Yay! Someone who understands!
And, I've been to Lisbon!
I don't get this art concept at all...
@@michaelharrison8036 Three sticks together might float, but it isn't a boat... For me, I'm 63, Art is something, never mind what, that can be understood by everybody. It can be the dinner table worn by several generations, or a Greek marble.
@@michaelharrison8036 Three sticks together might float, but it isn't a boat... For me, I'm 63, Art is something, never mind what, that can be understood by everybody. It can be the dinner table worn by several generations, or a Greek marble.
@@MariaTorres-hc5uq That's true, I guess.
I once wrote to the editor of Metalsmith magazine a (polite) 15-page long letter asking her to explain please what message I was missing in modern art.
So is art ( I guess also modern art) for the individual, not society?
Even if it's placed on display for society?
A funnel? Boy she really spun quite a story about a golden funnel that the sh*t was really getting deep! Having someone create something of similar grace and beauty as the original piece would have been more appropriate!
noice! now do the rest of the museum :)
Wow! What a stunning thing that funnel is. And such an interesting story to its creation.
Did they say how old and what period etc. the ewer is from + who would have used it originally ?
Googling about - seems it might be 4,225 years old ~ that would have been nice mention perhaps ?
The reach is something else.
Ho! Z2u delivery fast yeah!
bruh they wrok and the way she defined how she thought of her work is amazing
Wow it has an swastika like in ancient india & asian relics
Alas! Z2u reputation! yea!
This is nothing against her work- I think what she produced was beautiful and I think an entire art exhibit inspired by the stories of other pieces is a cool idea- but if go to a Turkish exhibit I want to see Turkish items. A replica would be more appropriate. If I see this modern funnel it's not going to pull me into Turkish culture/history. It becomes the collection's story of "re-gifting" and seems pretty self-centered.
Beyond pretentious words from the goldsmith.
Sure he didn't know. The British have been caught time and time again pilfering treasured objects from all over the world.
Interestly, these folks speak of a ewer as everybody today uses one in their daily lives. Reminder to those who would like to educate:
Make sure to explain your information on THREE levels:
1. Uneducated level, for the young person;
2. Educated level , the average person; and
3. Master level, the very educated in the field of study.
Your "ewer" just looks like a very small pitcher, or vase with a spout. If you want people to be interested, then teach the younger folks your language so the understand.
So where is the complete replica?
I think the funnel is the replica
There is no replica.
I waited 6 minutes to see that...
Probably I am not culturally educated enough but to replace the magnificent 4500-old ewer with, well, with some piece of contemporary art is not I would like to see.
I think that's part of the goal here.
We're supposed to feel a pang about the ewer's absence, in respect for what archaeological investigation & the resulting cultural knowledge we might have gained if the ewer had not been looted from its original site.
It’s because you’re not “culturally educated” that you can see the absurdity of it!
@@willhouse No. As an archaeologist and an artist, the Funnel means "Something different used to sit here, but it has gone home. In it's place sits a modern companion that represents transition."
@@rsmith6366 That, too. 💌
@@willhouse I thought you meant we were suppse to feel sad that we didn't have the jug anymore because we had to give it back.
This object belongs to Greece not Turkey. The ever dates back to Ancient Greece and predates Turks as nation by 4000 years. What a PC bullshit to return this beautiful object to apartheid state on occupied land.
The Ewer is from Antioch. It's not from Greece. Back then Turkey was called Anatolia.
@@rsmith6366 Turkish people are not from anatolia but Central Asia so they dont actually have any cultural tie or genetic tie to this piece of art.
@@moumuooo.o2283 Precisely.
@@rsmith6366 Turkish nomads appeared in European continent at the same time as Hungarians, approx. 1000 years ago around 10th Century.
@@anonymousonlineuser6543 The Anatolian Peninsula (most of modern Turkey) is one of the oldest permenantly settles areas in the world. That's 40,000 years ago.
The earliest 'recorded' people of Turkey were the Hattians and Hurrians, who were then joined by the Hittites. This is around when the Ewer was made. This is when the earliest writting of people in Turkey existed.
Nothing like the piece you make in response to find out you've stolen something being a symbol of your generosity at "gifting" it back, displayed alongside an image of the original, so you can maintain it "in" the collection. Jeez the coloniality is thick with this one
I agree but I think the root of it is elitism not colonialism, The wealthy feel entitled to everything so doing the bare minimum like returning stolen goods seems to give them a savior complex. I think them making a reproduction of what it might have looked like while talking about the harm of illegally traded antiquities would have been great but to make a piece of futuristic, minimalistic modern art to represent a piece they returned is definitely problematic.
What the hell are you talking about?
@@TheNightshadePrince The funnel is a companion piece. It's a modern response to the historic jug.
@@rsmith6366 I'm sorry but your wrong because traditional art is still valid in this modern era and if they truly cared about the history of the original piece (like they say) they would have hired a traditional Turkish/ Mediterranean artisan who could make a reproduction of what it may have looked like or a funnel that actually matches the culture and aesthetic of the ewer. Calling it a companion piece is a lie and is very disrespectful to the culture that it came from as beyond materials used they are nothing alike. The more I think about it the more problematic this video really is, what were these people thinking? It's so culturally insensitive that it's almost racist. I just can't with this video. It needs to be yeeted off of UA-cam!
@@TheNightshadePrince Why does the decorative motif of the funnel have to match the jug?
They're not trying to copy the jug, or replace the jug. The jug is gone. They are remembering the jug. They focused on the materials.
What would be the point of commissioning a Turkish goldsmith to make a replica? To replace one Turkish artwork with another? Why not get a local artist to create a new piece that reflects their feeling when looking at the jug?
The V&A displays art. The funnel is art. You might not find the art aesthetically pleasing, but what would be the point of having a replica of a thing that you gave back 'specifically' because you shouldn't of had it? That sounds like not letting go. Why not move on and display local art?
Did anyone else notice the swastika on the bottom? Swastikas back then meant something different obviously, I'd like to know more about the actual piece what is is, etc. Here, you can see the swastika here: ua-cam.com/video/Aj8fFtckS-8/v-deo.html. No civilization in history has enslaved and pillaged like the Turks so...ya know...what's with the whole virtue signal over this? What am I saying, it's the world of fine art and museums, totally drenched in political shit.
This is not virtue "signaling," this is someone actually acting on their values. Looks like no more than a simple case of returning something that was stolen, and all within living memory, too. Why is this a problem for you? Do you support criminality?
@@thesqueedler It should have been returned to people and civilization that created it in Ancient Greece. This vessel predates Turks by 3500 years. Returning it to apartheid state on occupied land is a stupid virtue signaling. I am not Christian nor Greek but I somehow understand these simple truths, why can't you?
@@anonymousonlineuser6543 Believe it or not, but the land that comprises modern day Turkey existed in ancient times. This jug is from Antioch.