First Person: Does IFAR Provide a Model?

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In the mid 1960s three major international art collectors—Walter Chrysler, Algur Meadows and John Bass—were told that that their collections were riddled with forgeries. The art market was in turmoil. Someone, some entity, some disinterested party, some objective expertise was needed to study the questioned paintings and determine whether or not they were forgeries.

And so, in 1969, the International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) was formed “to fill a need for an impartial, scholarly body … to research and authenticate works of art.” “Until now,” said Dr. Harry Bober of New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts and one of the IFAR founders, “there’s been no organized body to channel information and impartial expertise.” Now, 35 years later, IFAR is still going strong, offering “impartial and authoritative information on authenticity.” According to its website, IFAR has earned a reputation for “objectivity, scholarship and independence.” Over the years it has written authentication reports on more than 700 art objects and reviewed thousands of others.

Sounds like something the world of Near Eastern antiquities could use. Anyone want to organize one? If so, prepare for obstacles. See below.

IFAR’s Art Authentication Research Service is open to anyone—private parties, art dealers, museums, educational institutions. But the applicant must be the owner of the artwork (or an agent acting on behalf of the owner). The basic fee is $2000, but if further testing is needed or outside experts are called in, the price goes up. A modest honorarium is paid to some of these outside experts.

Not only is there nothing like IFAR regarding Near Eastern antiquities, but anyone who undertakes to organize such a service for Near Eastern antiquities will be subjected to vilification and disdain. Yuval Goren, the Tel Aviv University petrologist who has examined all of the recently questioned Israeli antiquities and declared them to be forgeries, was “outraged” that the Israel Geological Survey would authenticate antiquities and wrote a letter to the head of the agency expressing his feelings. (Professor Goren apparently does not see any irony in the fact that he himself performs these investigations—perhaps because he declares them forgeries, rather than authentic.)

It was the Israel Geological Survey to whom BAR turned when we first learned of the James ossuary inscription and sought an expert opinion as to its authenticity.^a Today we could not do that. The Israel Geological Survey will no longer authenticate antiquities for anyone but the government—as a result of pressure from people like Professor Goren. Today BAR would have nowhere to turn—in Israel or elsewhere—for an unbiased, objective study to test the authenticity of an object like the James ossuary inscription.

BAR has long called for an international committee of experts to study and report on the authenticity of the James ossuary inscription. But our discussions with worldwide experts indicates that, without official Israeli government sanction, it would be difficult to assemble such a team. These experts—and even institutions—are afraid to get involved.

Perhaps some day, after the dust settles, an organization like IFAR will be created to work with questioned Near Eastern antiquities such as the James ossuary inscription. It may be that we will not know until then whether the inscription, possibly the only archaeological reference to Jesus, is authentic or not.

In the mid 1960s three major international art collectors—Walter Chrysler, Algur Meadows and John Bass—were told that that their collections were riddled with forgeries. The art market was in turmoil. Someone, some entity, some disinterested party, some objective expertise was needed to study the questioned paintings and determine whether or not they were forgeries. And so, in 1969, the International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) was formed “to fill a need for an impartial, scholarly body … to research and authenticate works of art.” “Until now,” said Dr. Harry Bober of New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts and […]