Object Information
Accession Number:
2008.563 to 2008.619
Object Title:
58 Votives
Measurements:
Various
Creation Date:
Eight works were made between 800-600 BC and the remainder were made between 700-599 BC
Credit Line:
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Alexander
Museum Name:
Culture:
Country of Origin:
Object Type:
Materials/ Techniques:
Provenance Information:
George Zakos of Basel, Switzerland since at least 1965 as reported by the owner of Ariadne Galleries to Mrs. Walter Alexander [email in curatorial file]; purchased by Ariadne Galleries of New York, New York in or around 1975; purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Alexander of Geneva, Illinois in 1985; donated to the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois in 2008.
Exhibition Information:
2008.563-569, 2008.598-2008.600, 2008.608 and 2008.615, the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, October 3, 2008-November 30, 2010, November 11, 2012-present.
Publication Information:
Art Institute of Chicago, Annual Report 2008-2009 (posted on AIC web site), pp. 19-20.
Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970:
Informed judgement that works were outside of the country of modern discovery before 1970
Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above:
This acquisition falls within two exceptions.
First, based on the results of provenance research, the Art Institute of Chicago can make an informed judgment that the object was outside its probable country of modern discovery before 1970. The collection of fifty-eight objects was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Alexander in 1985 from Ariadne Galleries of New York, New York. According to Mrs. Walter Alexander, the owner of Ariadne Galleries reported to her that he purchased the entire collection from George Zakos of Basel, Switzerland, around 1975, and that it was his understanding that Mr. Zakos had owned the objects for at least ten years. The Art Institute of Chicago has been unable to confirm this information with Mr. Zakos, as he is now deceased.
Second, the collection was promised to the Art Institute of Chicago prior to 2008. On at least two occasions prior to 2005, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander communicated their intention to gift the entire collection to the Art Institute of Chicago to Karen Manchester, Chair and McIlvaine Curator of Ancient and Byzantine Art. These communications are documented in the curatorial files of the Art Institute of Chicago.
The acquisition of these objects furthers the representation of the artistic achievements of all civilizations in art museums because they are fine examples of cast bronze offerings from the Geometric Period.