Orpheus' sadness reached the 2000s.
While the Orpheus Mosaic was abducted by an art thief and traveled the world and showed itself, its roots were calling it from Şanlıurfa. Centuries later, when the bells of history hit 2012, it reached its place with the effort of an untapped photograph. The glue box that appears in the photograph of the mosaic belonged to a local company that did not sell abroad. The Orpheus Mosaic is back!
What about the sad story of Orpheus?
Orpheus, a lyre-playing demigod, taught the Greek people agriculture, medicine, and writing. Orpheus, who married his great love Eurydice, lost his wife as a result of a snake bite. Orpheus, unable to bear his wife's pain, went to the nether world and begged Hades to return his wife. Unable to withstand her pleas, Hades agreed to give Eurydice to him on one condition. It was because Orpheus didn't look back until he was on the ground. As he walked towards the earth, Orpheus couldn't help looking at Eurydice accompanying him behind him. Hades, on the other hand, took Eurydice from the hand of Orpheus, who did not keep his word, forever...
The Glue Box and the Chain of Detective Events
The Orpheus Mosaic, which was smuggled abroad from Şanlıurfa, was brought from the Dallas Art Museum to the Istanbul Archeology Museum and then to the Şanlıurfa Archeology Museum. On the panel, Orpheus, the Phrygian poet, is sitting facing right and playing the lyre. On his left are carnivorous animals such as lion, bear, leopard and pig; on her right, herbivorous ibex and horse; In the upper left corner, the birds are listening to the lyre he plays. The mosaic with Syriac writing on the rectangular panel once adorned the floor of a rock tomb. The Orpheus Mosaic is not only the oldest (c. 194) mosaic among the Edessa/Urfa mosaics, it is also very important because of the name of the artist Bar Saged on the mosaic.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism officials received a notice that the Şanlıurfa-origin mosaic was put up for sale at Christie's Auction House in New York in January 2000. Authorities took action to return the work through diplomatic means. However, according to international laws, it was not sufficient to be of Şanlıurfa origin for the return of the work. Authorities in the United States wanted concrete evidence that the artifact was illegally smuggled from Turkey. It could not be returned as it is not a known, inventoryed artifact. Thus, the trace of the work disappeared...
File Reopened After 8 Years
In 2008, the file was opened again thanks to Barış Salman, Lecturer at Ahi Evran University, who wrote an article about the mosaic originating from Edessa at the Dallas Museum. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism filed a criminal complaint with the Şanlıurfa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in order to start the investigation. Events developed when the photograph of the moment the mosaic was removed from the burial chamber was found in the archives of the Office of the Chief Prosecutor.
1998- A customer who came to have his photos printed in Şanlıurfa forgot to take his negatives. The person who saw the photograph of the mosaic on which the glue box was glued in the negatives, took the negatives to the prosecutor's office. The prosecutor's office could not find any trace of the smugglers and closed the file.
Finding Your Soil
According to international law, in order to ensure the return of a work, you must prove that the work is registered or that it has been illegally taken abroad. According to the information obtained, since the authorities in Turkey did not have any evidence, they started out from the glue box. The serial number of the glue box shown in the photo has been searched. It was learned that the glue, which was proved to belong to a local company, was not sold abroad. Thus, the greatest evidence that could ensure the return of the work was reached.
The journey of the Orpheus Mosaic was completed in 2012. The work was taken from the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism officials and brought to Turkey. After being exhibited in the Istanbul Archeology Museums for a short time, it was delivered to the Şanlıurfa Archeology Museum.
Art Thief
Inspired by the Orpheus Mosaic, the Art Thief sweatshirt provides an effective user experience for many years with its quality fabric. When used in accordance with the washing instructions, it does not cause shrinkage, stretching, paint flow or abrasion. The black hoodie, which uses 100% cotton in its production, is suitable for use for many years.
The hoodie, which has a 'Loose fit' pattern, is quite wide, although not as wide as oversize. If you prefer your own size, you will get a wide image. You can take this into account when choosing a size. You can also access the size details from the 'body size' section.
Inspired by the story of the mosaic being smuggled from Anatolian lands and not found for years, returning to its homeland, “Art Thief” sets sail on adventures like the story of its design. Be one of those who live life bravely and out of the ordinary, #SJBOLDERS. Discover more .
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