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What objects are on this database?
The 300 illustrations here are from the only detailed catalogue of the
museum, Treasures of the Iraq Museum by Dr Faraj Basmachi, published
in Baghdad in 1975/6.
For up-to-date information about which items are missing, go to: www.interpol.com/Public/WorkOfArt/Poster/Poster33a.pdf
The images are presented in the order in which they appear in the book,
which is chronological:
• Pre-history (sixth-fourth millennium BC), cat. nos 1-20
• Sumerian (fourth-third millennium BC), cat. nos 21-132
• Assyrian (second millennium-seventh century BC, cat. nos. 133-195
• Hatrene, Parthian and Sassanid (third century BC-third century
AD), cat. nos. 196-257
• Islamic (eighth-16th century) cat. nos. 258-296
Each object from the National Museum has an accession number prefixed
by the initials IM (Iraq MuseumO, normally written in black ink. There
is often another number connected with the archaeological dig. Obviously
these numbers may now be cleaned off or obscured.
What to do if you spot one of these objects
If any items are spotted on art market (they may have been damaged during
the looting or deliberately altered in an attempt to disguise their origin),
then it is vital that this be reported. The British Museum has agreed
to act as a conduit of information, in the absence of telecommunications
links with Baghdad and until UNESCO has decided on more formal channels.
Information should be sent urgently to the British Museum's Department
for the Ancient Near East.
E-mail: ancientneareast@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
Telephone: + 44 (0)20 7323 8313
Fax: 44(0)20 7323 8489
You could in addition, contact Cristina Ruiz, Editor, The Art Newspaper.
E-mail: c.ruiz@theartnewspaper.com
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7735 3331
Fax: +44 (0)20 7735 3332
