This exhibition, developed as part of the senior seminar in the Integrated Program for Humane Studies, aims to explore the extensive damage inflicted upon cultural heritage sites in the Middle East. By compiling information on the architectural and artistic destruction, the project highlights the significance of preserving these invaluable treasures. Utilizing Midjourney’s text-to-image generation technology, the exhibition endeavors to reimagine these sites not only before their destruction but also at the peak of their splendor. Although the AI-rendered images are not historically accurate and may contain inaccuracies, they offer valuable insights into the rich heritage of these ancient civilizations.

In addition, the exhibition features slides from the Baly Slide Collection of the Iraq Museum in Baghdad, showcasing objects from the museum’s collection that were later destroyed or damaged. These rare images provide a unique glimpse into a bygone era. The exhibition also includes objects from the Kenyon College Art History Department collection that exemplify the illegal export of cultural items from around the world, shedding light on the extent of damage to individual pieces.

Many thanks to Professors Elkins and Chun, Professor Hostetler, and Robin Goodman for their support on this project, as well to my IPHS 480 classmates for their valuable feedback and encouragement throughout the development of the exhibition.

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This cuneiform tablet has shady origins that likely result from cultural destruction and smuggling that happened in Iraq. Boris Blick purchased this piece from a gallery in Akron, and the dealer, Bruce Ferrini, received a large shipment of cuneiform tablets similar to this one being smuggled out of the area through Afghanistan when the war in Iraq began. He felt unsure about the legitimacy of the provenance, but trusted the good reputation of the dealer and purchased it. Later, Professor Blick was researching and found many different dealers online selling high quality and large cuneiform tablets, attributing them to her father’s collection, but Professor Blick knew that they were not part of it. She finally figured out that a woman who worked with the dealer, Bruce Ferrini, was trying to sell these works under Boris Blick’s reputation, demonstrating the danger in the sales of these works.

David Roberts R.A., British, Stockbridge, Scotland, 1796-1864
Obelisk at Alexandria, Commonly Called Cleopatra’s Needle, 1838
Lithograph
Drawings made in Egypt, lithographed in London
8 8/16 x 11 8/16 inches
Blick-Harris Study Collection; Long-term Loan from the Estate of Boris Blick, 2015.38

In this lithograph, David Roberts depicts the obelisks he saw at Alexandria. The obelisk in the foreground was taken by the British to London through a harrowing sea journey, where the crew had to abandon ship. Later, sailors found the ship with the obelisk completely undamaged, and it was successfully brought to its intended home. The obelisk in the background was also removed, and is now located in Central Park. Professor Blick collected with a historian’s eye, and this image depicts a beautiful, unaltered moment in history. The scene displays the Middle East in a period of peace that existed before conquering empires altered the face of the landscape forever.

Sensul Fragment, 18th Century
Ink and paint on parchment
Ethiopia, Africa
4 1/16 x 5 2/16 inches
Blick-Harris Study Collection; Bequest of David P. Harris (‘46), 2020.189.2

Sensul Fragment, 18th Century
Ink and paint on parchment
Ethiopia, Africa
4 1/16 x 5 2/16 inches
Blick-Harris Study Collection; Bequest of David P. Harris (‘46), 2020.189.3

Sensul Manuscript, 18th Century
Ink and paint on parchment
Ethiopia, Africa
3 14/16 × 5 1/8 inches
Blick-Harris Study Collection; Bequest of David P. Harris (‘46), 2020.189.1

This Manuscript is folded up like an accordion to reveal painted pages on both sides. The text is written in the Ge’ez, the ancient semitic language of Ethiopia and language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. This manuscript depicts religious images, such as Old Testament prophets as well as Mary’s Annunciation.

Two pages of this manuscript have been separated from the original manuscript, which demonstrates the fragmentations of rare books and other pieces of cultural heritage. These pieces have luckily stayed together, but many pieces like this are often not reunited with the rest of the object.

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Lost Treasures from Iraq

Weight in shape of duck, ca. 2070 BCE
Black stone
From Ur
14 cm
Baghdad, The Iraq Museum, IM3580
Photo: Denis Baly Image Collection, GZ.18; Object Record at “Lost Treasures from Iraq”

Helmet, ca. 2400 BCE
Gold
From Ur (Royal Cemetery)
Height: 22 cm; maximum diameter: 26 cm
Baghdad, The Iraq Museum, IM8269
Photo: Denis Baly Image Collection, GZ.12. Object Record at “Lost Treasures from Iraq”

Figurine with ‘lizard-shaped’ face, ca. 4000 BCE
Clay
From Ur
Height: 14 cm
Baghdad, The Iraq Museum, IM8564
Photo: Denis Baly Image Collection, GZ.1. Object Record at “Lost Treasures from Iraq”

Head of a skeleton adorned with jewelry, ca. 2400 BCE
Gold, lapis lazuli
From Ur (Royal Cemetery)
Baghdad, The Iraq Museum
Photo: Denis Baly Image Collection, GZ.38. Object Record at “Lost Treasures from Iraq”

Figurine, ca. 1900 BCE
Clay
From Tello
Height: 19 cm
Baghdad, The Iraq Museum, IM16303
Photo: Denis Baly Image Collection, GZ.19. Object Record at “Lost Treasures from Iraq”

Lion, ca. 1800 BCE
Clay
From Tell Harmal
Baghdad, The Iraq Museum, IM52560
Photo: Denis Baly Image Collection, GZ.23. Object Record at “Lost Treasures from Iraq”

Statue fragment, ca. 3000 BCE
Alabaster
From Uruk
Height: 21 cm
Baghdad, The Iraq Museum, IM61984
Photo: Denis Baly Image Collection, GZ.2. Object Record at “Lost Treasures from Iraq”

Quadriga, ca. 2600 BCE
Copper / bronze
From Tell Agrab
Height: 7.2 cm
Baghdad, The Iraq Museum, IM31389
Photo: Denis Baly Image Collection, GZ.5. Object Record at “Lost Treasures from Iraq”

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Click here to access the StoryMap, Cultural Destruction in the Middle East.

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About the Curator: Ani Parnagian ’23 is an Art History major, Italian minor, and Integrated Program for Humane Studies concentrator from New York, NY. Her interest is on provenance, repatriation, and collections, in addition to research on Early Modern Dutch women’s art. Ani hopes to pursue a career in arts related work.