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Bowls ‘stolen from Iraq’
A SECRET report has revealed how a collection of priceless “magic bowls” loaned to University College London by one of the country’s leading collectors of rare artefacts was stolen from Iraq.
The 2005 investigation recommended multi-millionaire Norwegian collector, Martin Schøyen, return of the 654 ancient “incantation” bowls – believed to protect owners’ homes against evil spirits.
The 96-page document found “the bowls are subject to the Iraq United Nations sanctions order 2003 as cultural objects illicitly removed from Iraq after August 6 1990 and that UCL has therefore a duty to deliver them to a constable”.
At the time, UCL released this statement: “UCL is pleased to announce that no claims adverse to the Schøyen Collection’s right and title have been made or intimated.”
The report was completed in 2006 but was not published because of a legal settlement between the university and Mr Schøyen. It is not suggested that Mr Schøyen knew the bowls might have been looted when he bought them.
The bowls date from around the 5th century CE and are mostly Jewish incantations.
A UCL spokesman said: “UCL made all reasonable enquiries that it could in relation to the provenance of the bowls, including contacting the police as early as 2004, but no claims adverse to Schøyen collection’s right and title were made.
“The bowls were returned to the Schøyen Collection by UCL in 2007 and UCL therefore have no knowledge of where they now are.”
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