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The Lost Chalice: The Real-Life Chase for One of the World’s Rarest Masterpieces―a Priceless 2,500-Year-Old Artifact Depicting the Fall of Troy – An ... Exposé of Museum Secrets and Art Crime
“A riveting story of tomb robbers and antiquities smugglers, high-stakes auctioneers and the princely chiefs of the world’s most prestigious museums….A terrific read, from start to finish.”
—James L. Swanson, New York Times bestselling author of Manhunt An Oxford-trained archaeologist and award-winning journalist based in Rome, Vernon Silver brings us The Lost Chalice, the electrifying true story of the race to secure a priceless, 2,500-year-old cup depicting the fall of Troy—a lost treasure crafted by Euphronios, an artist widely considered “the Leonardo Da Vinci of ancient Greece.” A gripping, real life mystery, The Lost Chalice gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of great museums and antiquities collections—exposing a world of greed, backstabbing, and double-dealing.
—James L. Swanson, New York Times bestselling author of Manhunt An Oxford-trained archaeologist and award-winning journalist based in Rome, Vernon Silver brings us The Lost Chalice, the electrifying true story of the race to secure a priceless, 2,500-year-old cup depicting the fall of Troy—a lost treasure crafted by Euphronios, an artist widely considered “the Leonardo Da Vinci of ancient Greece.” A gripping, real life mystery, The Lost Chalice gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of great museums and antiquities collections—exposing a world of greed, backstabbing, and double-dealing.
352 pages, Paperback
First published June 2, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
September 26, 2009
In 1990 Sotheby's auctioned one of the oldest known signed works of art, a 2500 year old cup or chalice painted Euphronios, a Greek artist renowed as the Leonardo da Vinci of vases. The cup was sold for $742,500 and later dropped from public view. The cup was reputed to be a match to a much larger bowl purchased by the Metropolitan Museum in 1972 for oer one million dollars. That bowl was the world's most famous bowl and the crown jewel of the Met's collection.
The Met's bowl had been looted from a grave site in Italy, a fact that the Met's director no doubt suspected (or knew) when the purchase was made. And therein lies the dirty secret at the heart of the antiquities trade. Vernon Silver's book, The Lost Chalice, is centered around the cup that Sotheby's auctioned off in 1990, but as he writes, "The tale of how a humble wine cup arrived at Sotheby's that day, and the quest to find where it's been since is the story of the whole modern antiquities trade writ small: its shines light on the dealings of tomb robbers, smugglers, wealthy collectors, ambitious archaelogists, and corrupt curators. It's also a stunning tale of how the world's most powerful and prestigious institutions -- from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to Oxford University to Sotheby's -- have knowingly enmeshed themselves in the shadowy trade."
The Lost Chalice is also the story of the cup Sotheby's auctioned in 1990, which Silver says is "the only Euphronios vase listed with an unknown location" in the standard reference work for Greek vessels. Silver purports to solve the mystery of its current whereabouts in his book, and even says that his book is "mostly" the story of the cup.
Actually, the most interesting part of the book is its inside look into the shadowy world of antiquities, from how grave robbers make their finds, to how dealers move their goods, to how phony provenances are created, and how museums, eager to add to their collections, pay big bucks and pretend everything is on the up and up. That part of Silver's book is absorbing, filled with fascinating characters, and improbable events. It's an insider's look at a world filled with ultra expensive antiquities and the quirky people who find, deal and collect them.
However, the book gets a bit slow and hard to follow as Silver struggles to make sense of the complicated travels of the Euphronios cup and what may have been a matching one, getting bogged down in details. Oddly enough, The Lost Chalice would have been a better book had it only given the reader a little little less chalice.
The Met's bowl had been looted from a grave site in Italy, a fact that the Met's director no doubt suspected (or knew) when the purchase was made. And therein lies the dirty secret at the heart of the antiquities trade. Vernon Silver's book, The Lost Chalice, is centered around the cup that Sotheby's auctioned off in 1990, but as he writes, "The tale of how a humble wine cup arrived at Sotheby's that day, and the quest to find where it's been since is the story of the whole modern antiquities trade writ small: its shines light on the dealings of tomb robbers, smugglers, wealthy collectors, ambitious archaelogists, and corrupt curators. It's also a stunning tale of how the world's most powerful and prestigious institutions -- from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to Oxford University to Sotheby's -- have knowingly enmeshed themselves in the shadowy trade."
The Lost Chalice is also the story of the cup Sotheby's auctioned in 1990, which Silver says is "the only Euphronios vase listed with an unknown location" in the standard reference work for Greek vessels. Silver purports to solve the mystery of its current whereabouts in his book, and even says that his book is "mostly" the story of the cup.
Actually, the most interesting part of the book is its inside look into the shadowy world of antiquities, from how grave robbers make their finds, to how dealers move their goods, to how phony provenances are created, and how museums, eager to add to their collections, pay big bucks and pretend everything is on the up and up. That part of Silver's book is absorbing, filled with fascinating characters, and improbable events. It's an insider's look at a world filled with ultra expensive antiquities and the quirky people who find, deal and collect them.
However, the book gets a bit slow and hard to follow as Silver struggles to make sense of the complicated travels of the Euphronios cup and what may have been a matching one, getting bogged down in details. Oddly enough, The Lost Chalice would have been a better book had it only given the reader a little little less chalice.
November 21, 2009
Well, this started off pretty good, with a bunch of Italian tomb robbers digging in the middle of the night to find an Etruscan tomb. And a large kylix is found and passed around through shady art world dealers until it ends up at the Met in New York.
Then it gets boring. The author really knows his subject, and perhaps a little too well. He describes every single flight that the art dealers take, and once even goes into what they ordered at dinner. It was so painful. No one cares Mr. Silver!
I sort of gave up about 70 pages from the end and skimmed the rest. It was really interesting about how antiquities have been stolen from their original countries, and before a statute was issued on it, no one really cared. Museums snapped up what they could and didn't ask questions. Today pieces need a clear provenance and the lengths that shady dealers will go to to establish those provenances are complicated.
I wish that Edward Dolnick had written this book. His books on other art thefts were wonderful. This one was just too full of details I just didn't want to know.
Then it gets boring. The author really knows his subject, and perhaps a little too well. He describes every single flight that the art dealers take, and once even goes into what they ordered at dinner. It was so painful. No one cares Mr. Silver!
I sort of gave up about 70 pages from the end and skimmed the rest. It was really interesting about how antiquities have been stolen from their original countries, and before a statute was issued on it, no one really cared. Museums snapped up what they could and didn't ask questions. Today pieces need a clear provenance and the lengths that shady dealers will go to to establish those provenances are complicated.
I wish that Edward Dolnick had written this book. His books on other art thefts were wonderful. This one was just too full of details I just didn't want to know.
December 9, 2024
This exhaustively researched archaeological study read like a mystery novel and revealed the shady side of antiquities acquisition. The author did a fantastic job of presenting all the players and their ongoing roles in artifact dealing and enforcement. From the hills of Italy to Sotheby auction houses, this journey was incredibly enlightening and very interesting. Highly recommended!
Read
July 13, 2009Anyone who pays any attention to art news these days cannot have missed the increasing number of stories about archaelogical artifacts being sent back from the museums where they have been housed to the countries from when they came. This book is the saga of artifacts stolen from Etruscan graves at Cerveteri in Italy, who profited, how they were dispersed, and the struggle to recover them.
Late in 1971, a few months before the effective date of UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, tomb robbers in Cerveteri, Italy (Etruscan Caere), dug into an Etruscan necropolis and uncovered a trove of grave goods, including fragments of a krater signed by the Athenian vase painter Euphronius, depicting the death of Sarpedon. This and other artifacts were ripped from the site, wall carvings hacked away. Sold to a regular buyer of antiquities, Giacomo Medici, who smuggled it out of the country, through him to the collector and dealer Robert Hecht, taken by Hecht to the Swiss vase restorer Fritz Bürki, the krater ended up at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, where blind eyes were turned to the question of its origin.
Shortly after the million dollar purchase and all its attendant publicity, the existence of a kylix by Euphronius, decorated with the same subject, was revealed. It had come from the same tomb. But where was it now? That's one of the plot lines of Silver's book, which reads like a good thriller. If only it were fiction.
There are many villains here. One can, to a small degree, feel sympathy for those in poverty who know that what is buried deep in the ground can bring them a modicum of comfort. No sympathy can be felt for the dealers in stolen grave goods, and the collectors who buy them.
Most disturbing of all, however, is the attitude of people like those at the Met, who not only didn't care if an item they desire was stolen patrimony, they actually thought it didn't matter. Silver quotes Philippe de Montebello, the Met's recently retired director, as saying "How much more would you learn from knowing which particular hole in -- supposedly Cerveteri -- it came out of? Everything is on the vase." It is astounding to me that anyone with an ounce of concern about items such as the Euphronius kylix could fail to understand or care about the importance of the context in which it was found. To think that such an item exists in a vacuum, and is of value only for itself and in relation to the artist's other work, is abysmally short-sighted and narrow-minded.
Silver is right on the money when he notes that what was exciting about the find of Tutankhamen's tomb, and the exhibit of the artifacts therefrom, was the fact that it was the discovery of an undisturbed tomb. Despite the minor importance of Tutankhamen in the political history of Egypt, this find gave us a vast amount of information because the artifacts were found and recorded in situ.
Sadly, as long as there is arrogance and greed in this world, it is unlikely that even the most aggressive action against it will stop the theft, smuggling and sale of the cultural patrimonies of this world. Items looted during the American invasion of Iraq are still turning up, as collectors with more money than ethics pretend not to know.
Late in 1971, a few months before the effective date of UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, tomb robbers in Cerveteri, Italy (Etruscan Caere), dug into an Etruscan necropolis and uncovered a trove of grave goods, including fragments of a krater signed by the Athenian vase painter Euphronius, depicting the death of Sarpedon. This and other artifacts were ripped from the site, wall carvings hacked away. Sold to a regular buyer of antiquities, Giacomo Medici, who smuggled it out of the country, through him to the collector and dealer Robert Hecht, taken by Hecht to the Swiss vase restorer Fritz Bürki, the krater ended up at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, where blind eyes were turned to the question of its origin.
Shortly after the million dollar purchase and all its attendant publicity, the existence of a kylix by Euphronius, decorated with the same subject, was revealed. It had come from the same tomb. But where was it now? That's one of the plot lines of Silver's book, which reads like a good thriller. If only it were fiction.
There are many villains here. One can, to a small degree, feel sympathy for those in poverty who know that what is buried deep in the ground can bring them a modicum of comfort. No sympathy can be felt for the dealers in stolen grave goods, and the collectors who buy them.
Most disturbing of all, however, is the attitude of people like those at the Met, who not only didn't care if an item they desire was stolen patrimony, they actually thought it didn't matter. Silver quotes Philippe de Montebello, the Met's recently retired director, as saying "How much more would you learn from knowing which particular hole in -- supposedly Cerveteri -- it came out of? Everything is on the vase." It is astounding to me that anyone with an ounce of concern about items such as the Euphronius kylix could fail to understand or care about the importance of the context in which it was found. To think that such an item exists in a vacuum, and is of value only for itself and in relation to the artist's other work, is abysmally short-sighted and narrow-minded.
Silver is right on the money when he notes that what was exciting about the find of Tutankhamen's tomb, and the exhibit of the artifacts therefrom, was the fact that it was the discovery of an undisturbed tomb. Despite the minor importance of Tutankhamen in the political history of Egypt, this find gave us a vast amount of information because the artifacts were found and recorded in situ.
Sadly, as long as there is arrogance and greed in this world, it is unlikely that even the most aggressive action against it will stop the theft, smuggling and sale of the cultural patrimonies of this world. Items looted during the American invasion of Iraq are still turning up, as collectors with more money than ethics pretend not to know.
February 23, 2016
Destruction, theft, subterfuge, lies, millions of dollars and a twenty-five hundred year old vase are the themes of this book. A group of tomb robbers gathering artifacts to sell on the black market, discover a large krater (vase) inscribed by Euphronios, one of the best artists from millennia ago. He had discovered a new way of painting on pottery. Previously, the figures were in black on the red background of the pottery. He reversed this, making stunning red figures on a black background. Anything made by him is worth millions of dollars. That is especially so for this vase as the picture on the vase depicts the fall of Troy and the son of Zeus being carried off the battlefield by Sleep and Death.
The krater follows a circuitous path from the robbers to dealers, through Sotheby's auction house, to museums. The Italian government had passed a new law that says any artifacts found in Italy must be kept in Italy. As the Italian Culture Ministry's agents follow leads about the vase, they have difficulty getting enough evidence to convict the criminals and restore the vase to Italy.
This is an interesting book, but in some ways difficult to follow. There are many people involved in the cover-up and search which lasts decades. Even so, it is fascinating to read, with insights into the destruction and loss of information caused by the tomb robbers, the intrigue of creation of a false trail of origin told to buyers, and the lengths people will go to sell or possess illegal artifacts.
The krater follows a circuitous path from the robbers to dealers, through Sotheby's auction house, to museums. The Italian government had passed a new law that says any artifacts found in Italy must be kept in Italy. As the Italian Culture Ministry's agents follow leads about the vase, they have difficulty getting enough evidence to convict the criminals and restore the vase to Italy.
This is an interesting book, but in some ways difficult to follow. There are many people involved in the cover-up and search which lasts decades. Even so, it is fascinating to read, with insights into the destruction and loss of information caused by the tomb robbers, the intrigue of creation of a false trail of origin told to buyers, and the lengths people will go to sell or possess illegal artifacts.
January 16, 2016
This is a great story about the illegal trade in stolen antiquities. I enjoyed it tremendously and read it almost nonstop. Best $0.99 I ever spent even though my eyeballs feel the worse for wear tonight! It showed me an alternate reality--I was an undergrad major in Art History (concentration in ancient art), minor in Classical Greek, considering a life in archaeology. The road not taken!
November 1, 2019
This is a fascinating look at the international trade in antiquities. It traces the history of a Greek vase dug up in Italy and tries to piece together the story of a companion piece by the same artist. Piece together is the operative term since much of the material is fragmentary. Intact ceramics from that era are truly rare. Silver takes us on a veritable tour through the antiquities trade from the time the object is found to when it is displayed in a museum. Along the way, we learn about how the object is dated, its provenance (and creation of the same if its origin needs to be hidden) and the legal fight to get objects repatriated to their country of origin.
There is a lot of detail in this book, and I confess that I sometimes got lost, mostly with the dates that things happened. Otherwise, it was an enjoyable and educational read.
There is a lot of detail in this book, and I confess that I sometimes got lost, mostly with the dates that things happened. Otherwise, it was an enjoyable and educational read.
August 31, 2009
The book's cover promises a thrilling and true story surrounding the shady deals of the underground. However, the author only partly delivers on this promise. The Lost Chalice follows the history of several key players in the drama that surrounded one of the more famous pieces of ancient craftsmanship to be discovered in recent times. This piece is none other than a spectacular red-figure Attic krater (something like a broad vase) created by a preeminent Greek painter and potter by the name of Euphronios. The book provides an admirable level of information about the history of this and other related works, and the methods by which they were created. Silver does not bore with too much detail, but suceeds in making his descriptions of the works, their subject matter, and the period in which they were created interesting and helpful.
Unfortunately, once the story began to dive deep into the complex world of tomb raiding, it also began to become less clear. To some degree this effect may simply be due to the reviewer's relative lack of experience with the world of antiquities. However, the convoluted relationships between tomb raiders, art dealers, collectors, and museum staff often remained just so. It was also sometimes difficult to keep track of which artifact was being followed and described at a given moment due to the fact that the story followed additional ancient works (such as the chalice of the title, also referred to as a "kylix"), some made by Euphronios and some by others, but all of which (to a novice) sometimes seem very similar. All of this added to the mystery surrounding the pieces and the process, but it also sadly made the action somewhat difficult to keep straight at times.
Even so, Silver provides stunning amounts of detail, sometimes even for items quite unrelated to the plotline. This attention to specifics effectively put the reader in the moment, and demonstrated the author's dedication to uncovering all the information he possibly could about the pieces and the players (both reputable and less so) involved in the artifact deals.
This is the book's true focus: on the winding and sometimes mysterious path of Euphronios' priceless work(s). The krater was unearthed in the 1970s in Italy, after about 2,400 years of undisturbed rest. From there it began its new life in the underground network of tomb raiders and art dealers. Kept often in hiding, smuggled into other countries, bought and sold, and eventually prominently displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the piece was eventually returned to Italy in 2008 under a landmark arrangement that helped set the stage for more judicious treatment of ancient artifacts. This unprecedented event was forcibly caused by the dogged determination of a few groups of investigators and officials (who themselves were not always spotless in behavior). This relatively new development will hopefully further decrease the incentive to conduct illegal digs that disrupt the ability of researchers to fully grasp the meaning and importance of historical finds.
It is here, that the story could have done more than simply create an entertaining crime drama. While noting the importance of "proper" archaeology to uncovering critical details about archaeological finds, the style of the book causes this to feel like mere lip service to the idea. Silver generally appears to be more interested in telling a thrilling adventure story that surrounds the acquisition of artifacts than anything else. Indeed, in many instances throughout the book, one may find oneself "rooting" for the underworld characters - those people robbing the world of the opportunity to fully appreciate the heritage and knowledge that might be found in an archaeological site.
The police and other representatives of "the law" come off as the oppressors in many instances (or even simply co-conspirators who turn a blind eye). Even the mediocre application of these laws intended to prevent looting is portrayed as more of an impediment to be overcome, than a guide for the proper course of action. Silver does note that most countries have had laws respecting the discovery of ancient artifacts, but that until recent decades these were only inconsistenly enforced, and with moderate success. The adventure surrounding the "lost chalice" and it's relatives may shed additional light upon the problems that are associated with tomb raiding and illicit artifact dealing, but the message certainly could have been more strongly conveyed.
The people associated with the clearly illegal elements of the story were not necessarily portrayed in a positive light, but they did often make sympathetic characters (particularly the principal raider - Giacomo Medici). Silver did leave one with the feeling that the times have changed, and that the pool for illicit deals is drying up. Many (if not most) of the items discussed in The Lost Chalice have, in fact, been repatriated to their countries of discovery, or are still the subject of legal battles and negotiations to do so. In that way, perhaps this story will continue to help spur awareness of these issues and encourage people to think twice about engaging in the purchase of items with questionable provenance. Unfortunately for the artifacts that have already been the subject of looting, there is no way of knowing what information has been forever lost as a result.
Unfortunately, once the story began to dive deep into the complex world of tomb raiding, it also began to become less clear. To some degree this effect may simply be due to the reviewer's relative lack of experience with the world of antiquities. However, the convoluted relationships between tomb raiders, art dealers, collectors, and museum staff often remained just so. It was also sometimes difficult to keep track of which artifact was being followed and described at a given moment due to the fact that the story followed additional ancient works (such as the chalice of the title, also referred to as a "kylix"), some made by Euphronios and some by others, but all of which (to a novice) sometimes seem very similar. All of this added to the mystery surrounding the pieces and the process, but it also sadly made the action somewhat difficult to keep straight at times.
Even so, Silver provides stunning amounts of detail, sometimes even for items quite unrelated to the plotline. This attention to specifics effectively put the reader in the moment, and demonstrated the author's dedication to uncovering all the information he possibly could about the pieces and the players (both reputable and less so) involved in the artifact deals.
This is the book's true focus: on the winding and sometimes mysterious path of Euphronios' priceless work(s). The krater was unearthed in the 1970s in Italy, after about 2,400 years of undisturbed rest. From there it began its new life in the underground network of tomb raiders and art dealers. Kept often in hiding, smuggled into other countries, bought and sold, and eventually prominently displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the piece was eventually returned to Italy in 2008 under a landmark arrangement that helped set the stage for more judicious treatment of ancient artifacts. This unprecedented event was forcibly caused by the dogged determination of a few groups of investigators and officials (who themselves were not always spotless in behavior). This relatively new development will hopefully further decrease the incentive to conduct illegal digs that disrupt the ability of researchers to fully grasp the meaning and importance of historical finds.
It is here, that the story could have done more than simply create an entertaining crime drama. While noting the importance of "proper" archaeology to uncovering critical details about archaeological finds, the style of the book causes this to feel like mere lip service to the idea. Silver generally appears to be more interested in telling a thrilling adventure story that surrounds the acquisition of artifacts than anything else. Indeed, in many instances throughout the book, one may find oneself "rooting" for the underworld characters - those people robbing the world of the opportunity to fully appreciate the heritage and knowledge that might be found in an archaeological site.
The police and other representatives of "the law" come off as the oppressors in many instances (or even simply co-conspirators who turn a blind eye). Even the mediocre application of these laws intended to prevent looting is portrayed as more of an impediment to be overcome, than a guide for the proper course of action. Silver does note that most countries have had laws respecting the discovery of ancient artifacts, but that until recent decades these were only inconsistenly enforced, and with moderate success. The adventure surrounding the "lost chalice" and it's relatives may shed additional light upon the problems that are associated with tomb raiding and illicit artifact dealing, but the message certainly could have been more strongly conveyed.
The people associated with the clearly illegal elements of the story were not necessarily portrayed in a positive light, but they did often make sympathetic characters (particularly the principal raider - Giacomo Medici). Silver did leave one with the feeling that the times have changed, and that the pool for illicit deals is drying up. Many (if not most) of the items discussed in The Lost Chalice have, in fact, been repatriated to their countries of discovery, or are still the subject of legal battles and negotiations to do so. In that way, perhaps this story will continue to help spur awareness of these issues and encourage people to think twice about engaging in the purchase of items with questionable provenance. Unfortunately for the artifacts that have already been the subject of looting, there is no way of knowing what information has been forever lost as a result.
February 22, 2018
This book had me googling Euphronios and Etruscan vases. I needed to see these works of art that have been pilfered from the ancient tombs of Italy. So disturbing how much of the archaeological record has been lost due to the underground Antiquities market. And who knew how much laundering was done through Sotheby's! At least Italy got their Euphronios Krater back, among other items.
February 16, 2021
very interesting history/investigative reporting on issues of trafficking of antiquities, museum acquisitions and tomb raiding told through the story of a few particular works uncovered in the early 70's and the tortured history of authenticating and selling these goods.
May 27, 2025
Interesting case & hunt for the chalice. Book is an outpouring from the author's dissertation. While he does mention that he spruced it up for publications, it still reads a bit like a dissertation. All-in-all it's an interesting contemplation of the handling of antiquities.
January 15, 2022
Good...but got confusing with trying to keep all the chalices straight by the end. Unfortunately, that was the whole point of the book, so I dropped a star for that.
July 29, 2024
Beginning was slow but became fascinating
January 3, 2013
This book is one of several books about the struggle against the sale of looted historical artifacts that have been published recently. The book focuses on one particular item, a 2500 year old drinking cup painted by the master craftsman Euphronios with a scene from the Iliad. The author traces the item from being illegally dug up from an Etruscan tomb in Tuscany, to Switzerland, a lab at Oxford University, the USA, and finally, after a long legal struggle, back to Italy. Along the way, we meet the usual suspects : tomb robbers, unscrupulous dealers, passionate private collectors and museum curators who don't ask too many questions about the provenance of the objects they covet for their galleries.
The story is fascinating, but the book is slightly underwhelming despite having all the elements of a great detective story. That's mainly because the writing is often a little confused. For instance, there are 4 or more Euphronios vessels to track, and they are often described in different ways. There is the big krater that ended up at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC, there is the chalice, there is one that is the work of two different people, there is another one that is described as 'fragmentary". But no consistent nomenclature is used, and when words like "vase" or "item" are used, it is hard to figure out which artwork is under discussion. This is not irrelevant, since much of the story happened during the 70s, when dealers relied on black-and-white polaroids to show their wares, and the descriptions of the items was often very rudimentary. Also, the subject of the book is ostensibly the smaller chalice, or drinking cup, but quite often the story veers off into the saga of the bigger krater. Again, it requires a lot of attention to figure out what is being discussed. If you add to this that many of the people involved in the history of these artefacts contradict each other or downright lie, then it becomes clear that you need to read this book with great attention. All of this could have been prevented by clearer writing. Related to that, I found the author's tendency to insert extraneous details in the middle of his sentences, annoying. Do we really care that when an arts dealer has a celebratory dinner, he chooses a white chianti, and that this wine has now become rare because the vineyards have switched to the red chianti, which is more popular with American customers? Do we care that someone's wife and children are wearing jeans and t-shirts when they come to meet him?
Bottom line : a fascinating story, but one that could have benefited from clearer writing
The story is fascinating, but the book is slightly underwhelming despite having all the elements of a great detective story. That's mainly because the writing is often a little confused. For instance, there are 4 or more Euphronios vessels to track, and they are often described in different ways. There is the big krater that ended up at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC, there is the chalice, there is one that is the work of two different people, there is another one that is described as 'fragmentary". But no consistent nomenclature is used, and when words like "vase" or "item" are used, it is hard to figure out which artwork is under discussion. This is not irrelevant, since much of the story happened during the 70s, when dealers relied on black-and-white polaroids to show their wares, and the descriptions of the items was often very rudimentary. Also, the subject of the book is ostensibly the smaller chalice, or drinking cup, but quite often the story veers off into the saga of the bigger krater. Again, it requires a lot of attention to figure out what is being discussed. If you add to this that many of the people involved in the history of these artefacts contradict each other or downright lie, then it becomes clear that you need to read this book with great attention. All of this could have been prevented by clearer writing. Related to that, I found the author's tendency to insert extraneous details in the middle of his sentences, annoying. Do we really care that when an arts dealer has a celebratory dinner, he chooses a white chianti, and that this wine has now become rare because the vineyards have switched to the red chianti, which is more popular with American customers? Do we care that someone's wife and children are wearing jeans and t-shirts when they come to meet him?
Bottom line : a fascinating story, but one that could have benefited from clearer writing
February 10, 2014
Long ago I read Irving Stone's story about Henry Schliemann and it piqued my interest in Greek treasures.
The Lost Chalice is very interesting and I especially like it for the factual details. Vernon Silver details Giacomo's life and business dealings from personal interviews with Medici, accesses his personal files and uses legal documents, all to give an accurate AND fascinating account of the chalice created by the famous potter, Euphronios.
Robert Hecht (of Hecht Department Store fame), Dietrich von Bothmer (Metropolitan Museum of Art curator) and Thomas Hoving (Metropolitan Museum of Art director) all figure in this account.
This wonderful story tells of the tomb robbers methods and really the sad fact that so much history is lost when tomb robbers steal these precious artifacts, not just because the artifacts are stolen but also because so much DNA that might have been studied in the way of plant, animal and human matter is destroyed in their attempt to cover up their crime.
Further sad fact is the unscrupulous side of art dealers and collectors in pursuit of their perfect specimens to complete a collection. The politics, the lies, the egos of curators, art collectors, and archeologists make you realize it isn't just about historical understanding; it's about acquisition, pride and money.
AND the very people who are supposed to rescue these treasures from the unscrupulous end up making you cringe as you read how they handled and stored the incredible treasures while investigating. Such a group of amateur inspectors that one handles the evidence and ends up breaking a two thousand year old kylix! Did I say 'break?' He dropped it and it smashed to smithereens! At times I thought it would have been better to leave it in the hands of the unscrupulous- at least they appreciated the value of the objects!
I read the book from an uncorrected proof and it looks as though there might be photos in the sale copy. That would be a real bonus! I googled the Euphronios Krater and I really hope pictures of that are in the final copy of the book, if not you have to look it up to appreciate the acquisition!
So much research, so many interviews, and so much documentation went into this book to make it accurate on an historical level, but Vernon Silver doesn't rest on those laurels; he goes on to make the telling of the lost chalice spellbinding as well.
The Lost Chalice is very interesting and I especially like it for the factual details. Vernon Silver details Giacomo's life and business dealings from personal interviews with Medici, accesses his personal files and uses legal documents, all to give an accurate AND fascinating account of the chalice created by the famous potter, Euphronios.
Robert Hecht (of Hecht Department Store fame), Dietrich von Bothmer (Metropolitan Museum of Art curator) and Thomas Hoving (Metropolitan Museum of Art director) all figure in this account.
This wonderful story tells of the tomb robbers methods and really the sad fact that so much history is lost when tomb robbers steal these precious artifacts, not just because the artifacts are stolen but also because so much DNA that might have been studied in the way of plant, animal and human matter is destroyed in their attempt to cover up their crime.
Further sad fact is the unscrupulous side of art dealers and collectors in pursuit of their perfect specimens to complete a collection. The politics, the lies, the egos of curators, art collectors, and archeologists make you realize it isn't just about historical understanding; it's about acquisition, pride and money.
AND the very people who are supposed to rescue these treasures from the unscrupulous end up making you cringe as you read how they handled and stored the incredible treasures while investigating. Such a group of amateur inspectors that one handles the evidence and ends up breaking a two thousand year old kylix! Did I say 'break?' He dropped it and it smashed to smithereens! At times I thought it would have been better to leave it in the hands of the unscrupulous- at least they appreciated the value of the objects!
I read the book from an uncorrected proof and it looks as though there might be photos in the sale copy. That would be a real bonus! I googled the Euphronios Krater and I really hope pictures of that are in the final copy of the book, if not you have to look it up to appreciate the acquisition!
So much research, so many interviews, and so much documentation went into this book to make it accurate on an historical level, but Vernon Silver doesn't rest on those laurels; he goes on to make the telling of the lost chalice spellbinding as well.
February 3, 2017
You know I love the character of Indiana Jones but the reality of it is that he is a grave robber. And this book gets into the weird collusion that often goes on between grave robbers, middlemen, auctioneers and people who run museums and exhibits. When you go to enjoy things displayed in a museum as this book shows often those pieces come from places very murky...
- This book tracks the set of artifacts...in this case clay pots and vases made by the artist Euphronios about the year 500 BC. His vases, kylix (chalice) and pots depicted Sarpedon (who was a son of Zeus) falling in battle.
- The pieces were first discovered in a cemetery in Tuscany in 1971. Grave robbers came upon a network of Etruscan graves carved into rock which was unusual. They found several crypts which would contain artifacts worth millions to the future art market. The pieces were sold to a middleman and then smuggled out of Italy to Switzerland where they hit the global market.
- A middleman went to a specialist in Switzerland to have the best of the pieces restored and in essence glued back together. The artifacts were then presented to the director of the NY Met who was interested, then they were brought to auction.
- Using the auction process the Met was able to acquire several of the most prominent of the artifacts and display them. When they did a profile to boost the collection though questions emerged and reporters started to dig into it. What they found was that the pieces were authentic but that when linked to a prior investigation in Italy they were found to have been stolen.
- Even more disturbing an disgruntled employee from inside Sotheby's gave police documents proving that the auction house knew the buyers were suspicious and the artifacts probably stolen. In the case of the Euphronios vase the NY Met fought with the Italian government for over 30 years until they finally gave the pot back. The governments than signed mutual agreements to try to prevent looting.
As a book this opened the hood on how a lot of art gets to the museum floor. It's fascinating stuff. The articles about this case in particular if you Google 'Euphronios' show a pitched all out battle over antiquities...
- This book tracks the set of artifacts...in this case clay pots and vases made by the artist Euphronios about the year 500 BC. His vases, kylix (chalice) and pots depicted Sarpedon (who was a son of Zeus) falling in battle.
- The pieces were first discovered in a cemetery in Tuscany in 1971. Grave robbers came upon a network of Etruscan graves carved into rock which was unusual. They found several crypts which would contain artifacts worth millions to the future art market. The pieces were sold to a middleman and then smuggled out of Italy to Switzerland where they hit the global market.
- A middleman went to a specialist in Switzerland to have the best of the pieces restored and in essence glued back together. The artifacts were then presented to the director of the NY Met who was interested, then they were brought to auction.
- Using the auction process the Met was able to acquire several of the most prominent of the artifacts and display them. When they did a profile to boost the collection though questions emerged and reporters started to dig into it. What they found was that the pieces were authentic but that when linked to a prior investigation in Italy they were found to have been stolen.
- Even more disturbing an disgruntled employee from inside Sotheby's gave police documents proving that the auction house knew the buyers were suspicious and the artifacts probably stolen. In the case of the Euphronios vase the NY Met fought with the Italian government for over 30 years until they finally gave the pot back. The governments than signed mutual agreements to try to prevent looting.
As a book this opened the hood on how a lot of art gets to the museum floor. It's fascinating stuff. The articles about this case in particular if you Google 'Euphronios' show a pitched all out battle over antiquities...
February 13, 2016
The Lost Chalice follows the hunt for an ancient piece of art that everyone knows exists but no one can seem to find. Along the way you learn about art history, grave robbing, how people tried to stop grave robbing, how art objects with shady pasts get false histories, art auctions, and the way that museums acquire pieces. All of which turned out to be much more interesting than I thought it would be. And the author really knows his stuff. I think part of my problem was that I have no art history knowledge. It was tough for me to get into this story. It started slowly and was talking about chalices, vases, cups, kraters, and kylixes and it took me a minute to realize that despite all the terms there were only two objects being discussed and it took me even longer to be able to keep the two straight. So it was a bit of a slog at first. But then I got into the story, even though there was a bit more detail than I think was needed at times, it was interesting to watch the story of the chalice unfold. It reads a lot like a detective story as with a few vague clues people try to make sense of the muddy history of the chalice and figure out where it came from, where it went and everything that happened to it in between. If you have no background in art history you may find it slow going in the beginning but it worth pushing on. It has a little something for anyone who likes a detective story, true crime, or history.
March 25, 2016
I'm a little torn by this book: the story is equally as fascinating as it is hard to follow. Silver chronicles the true tale of an ancient Etruscan krater (vase in which wine was mixed with water), illegally dug from an archeological site north of Rome that makes it all the way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It takes decades for the story to unfold, and it was pretty difficult to follow. Not only are there hordes of characters, but Silver adds excruciating detail to every aspect of the story. Also, every few paragraphs the first sentence is in italics - making it even harder to read.
Still, I learned so much about archeology, museum acquisitions, the toll that ancient tomb robbers take on the historical record, and how the 'loot' gets moved around. And there are middlemen, and people richer than anything imaginable, and even an Italian police division dedicated exclusively to the tracking of cultural property. I learned that ancient Greek vases found their way to all over the Mediterranean area and that ancient artifacts were only protected by law in Italy beginning in 1939.
And that looting the artifacts is only the beginning - it's critically important to be able to pass them along with scholarly credentials.
A good read if you're as clueless as I was about the beautiful things that museums collect.
Still, I learned so much about archeology, museum acquisitions, the toll that ancient tomb robbers take on the historical record, and how the 'loot' gets moved around. And there are middlemen, and people richer than anything imaginable, and even an Italian police division dedicated exclusively to the tracking of cultural property. I learned that ancient Greek vases found their way to all over the Mediterranean area and that ancient artifacts were only protected by law in Italy beginning in 1939.
And that looting the artifacts is only the beginning - it's critically important to be able to pass them along with scholarly credentials.
A good read if you're as clueless as I was about the beautiful things that museums collect.
September 11, 2012
This was an interesting read about the illicit antiquities trade. I was hooked in the book early by the details about Euphronios, the Leonardo Di Vinci, of the Greek world with pottery. It was fascinating that this man existed 500 years before Christ, and that he was still in demand today. But the days of Lord Carnavon and Howard Carter finding an intact tomb that is then carefully archived and learned about in context is very much over. It has been replaced with tomb robbers that are in search of the " next big find", that will be bought by museums that pay big bucks; to have a big draw to their museums.
The writer does an admirable job of laying out the story here. I found myself on numerous occasions though, finding it hard to keep up with the never ending cast of characters. They all have similar names, and I kept getting lost with who was who. It did have a cast of characters in the rear of the book, but that did not help me, as I was on a Kindle. I didn't find that until the book was over! I would recommend this to a lover of antiquities and artifacts to have some background on how humans have ruined learning about, and from, other humans.
February 9, 2016
Non-fiction. This was a really interesting account of how dealers, restorers, curators, museums, and universities tacitly colluded in smuggling illicit antiquities around the globe. Because of their need to acquire, the prices on the stolen goods soared. It still happens, of course, but not to the extent it did in the latter decades of the 20th century. It was really amazing how researchers connected the dots on clues across continents and years to trace the origins and movements of two priceless Euphonious works: a krater (purchased by the New York MET) and a matching kylix (the chalice), which a Swiss detective accidentally dropped and smashed while looking around for stolen goods. The Etruscans collected Euphronious' work and placed them in their graves, so while the pottery was made in Greece, the Italian government is the rightful owner. Tomb robbers initially pulled the stuff from the ground outside Rome in the 1970's, and then the author launched into the really fascinating details of how the art was moved and sold. I will never look at antiquities in museums the same way again!
July 17, 2025
“A riveting story of tomb robbers and antiquities smugglers, high-stakes auctioneers and the princely chiefs of the world’s most prestigious museums….A terrific read, from start to finish.”
—James L. Swanson, New York Times bestselling author of Manhunt
"Vernon's sharply rendered account is engrossing. A densely packed, dizzyingly detailed tale of art and espionage." --Kirkus Reviews
"The Lost Chalice describes the seedy underworld of the antiquities trade in such vivid detail that one can almost smell the fresh earth of a pillaged archeological site."
--Barbie Latza Nadeau, "The Daily Beast"
"A captivating tale of ancient art as a modern hot commodity... Silver's telling is infused with an infectious curiosity about the illicit art trade and an equally infectious appreciation of the art itself."
--Publishers Weekly
"Setting up his tale as a mystery to be solved Silver takes a micro approach to a great big problem, that of looted antiquities in modern times... a welcome glimpse into the modern, secret journey of such ancient objects." --Sharon Waxman, author of Loot
—James L. Swanson, New York Times bestselling author of Manhunt
"Vernon's sharply rendered account is engrossing. A densely packed, dizzyingly detailed tale of art and espionage." --Kirkus Reviews
"The Lost Chalice describes the seedy underworld of the antiquities trade in such vivid detail that one can almost smell the fresh earth of a pillaged archeological site."
--Barbie Latza Nadeau, "The Daily Beast"
"A captivating tale of ancient art as a modern hot commodity... Silver's telling is infused with an infectious curiosity about the illicit art trade and an equally infectious appreciation of the art itself."
--Publishers Weekly
"Setting up his tale as a mystery to be solved Silver takes a micro approach to a great big problem, that of looted antiquities in modern times... a welcome glimpse into the modern, secret journey of such ancient objects." --Sharon Waxman, author of Loot
July 3, 2009
Archaeologist Vernon Silver had an inside look at one of the biggest scandals in the antiquities world: the Euphronias krater. With a story that should have rivaled every tomb raider pulp novel ever written, how could he lose? Well, how about making his book more arid than the noonday Sahara?
It's true. With a story this interesting, featuring big names in the art world (the Met and Getty museums, just to name two), Silver managed to make this a story completely devoid of life and interest -- until the last two chapters. I can assure you that, by that point, I was finishing the book out of sheer stubbornness and not because of any tremendous interest that Silver had managed to provoke.
That's unfortunate, coming as it does from an anthropology major who chose this book because of the importance of knowing how looted antiquities damage cultures by deleting their context.
Only for the most serious of art historians, I'm sorry to say.
(Review based on uncorrected proof.)
It's true. With a story this interesting, featuring big names in the art world (the Met and Getty museums, just to name two), Silver managed to make this a story completely devoid of life and interest -- until the last two chapters. I can assure you that, by that point, I was finishing the book out of sheer stubbornness and not because of any tremendous interest that Silver had managed to provoke.
That's unfortunate, coming as it does from an anthropology major who chose this book because of the importance of knowing how looted antiquities damage cultures by deleting their context.
Only for the most serious of art historians, I'm sorry to say.
(Review based on uncorrected proof.)
June 29, 2009
This book tracking the discovery, purchase, loss and rediscovery of ancient Greece vases through the murky world of tomb robbers and black-market art dealers paints a facinating picture of the modern world of museum acquisition. This book is a wonderful and engaging detective story, one that traces the journey of the famous Euphronios krater from its theft from an underground tomb in the Italian countryside to a permanent display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY.
For anyone interested in archaeology, antiquities, or the underground world of museum acquisition, this book is a must read. The writing is crisp and the author's curiosity about the subject matter shines through and helps to draw in readers unfamiliar with the case. The book is non-fiction, but is as easy to read and understand as any novel- the uninitiated will find nothing to scare them off in this narrative. Highly recommended!
For anyone interested in archaeology, antiquities, or the underground world of museum acquisition, this book is a must read. The writing is crisp and the author's curiosity about the subject matter shines through and helps to draw in readers unfamiliar with the case. The book is non-fiction, but is as easy to read and understand as any novel- the uninitiated will find nothing to scare them off in this narrative. Highly recommended!
August 25, 2015
I found this book after trying to track down a girl with blonde dreadlocks at the library and behold 3 weeks later I have conquered it! It describes the wonder of the ancient world and follows the shady world of antiquities and the original vases raided from a tomb back in the 1950's after WWII ravaged the Italian countryside. Giacomo Medici and Robert Hecht eventually strike a partnership that helps move original Euphronios signed vases from dusty graves onto the shelves of the Met and then the eventual but steady legal fight that wrangled these pieces back to Italy.
The author's sheer passion gets in the way of a succinct story from time to time and as more and more characters get added to the tale, it was harder and harder to make sense of it all. However, the author's tone kept me engaged for the entire novel as he pressed on and then the pictures also helped bring to life the krater and chalice that eluded law enforcement for so long.
The author's sheer passion gets in the way of a succinct story from time to time and as more and more characters get added to the tale, it was harder and harder to make sense of it all. However, the author's tone kept me engaged for the entire novel as he pressed on and then the pictures also helped bring to life the krater and chalice that eluded law enforcement for so long.
March 21, 2016
When an anonymous man pays a small fortune for an ancient chalice by Euphronius, it suddenly disappears until recently when it reappeared in the collection of a Hollywood mogul.
As Silver learns, the discovery of the chalice exposes another riddle--and an even greater missing treasure. Epic and thrilling, "The Lost Chalice" is a driving true-life detective story that illuminates a big-money, high-stakes, double-dealing world, which is as fascinating as it is unforgettable. Silver's thrilling tale opens a window onto Italian history, culture, and life rarely seen.As Silver learns, the discovery of the chalice exposes another riddle--and an even greater missing treasure. Epic and thrilling, "The Lost Chalice" is a driving true-life detective story that illuminates a big-money, high-stakes, double-dealing world, which is as fascinating as it is unforgettable. Silver's thrilling tale opens a window onto Italian history, culture, and life rarely seen.
As Silver learns, the discovery of the chalice exposes another riddle--and an even greater missing treasure. Epic and thrilling, "The Lost Chalice" is a driving true-life detective story that illuminates a big-money, high-stakes, double-dealing world, which is as fascinating as it is unforgettable. Silver's thrilling tale opens a window onto Italian history, culture, and life rarely seen.As Silver learns, the discovery of the chalice exposes another riddle--and an even greater missing treasure. Epic and thrilling, "The Lost Chalice" is a driving true-life detective story that illuminates a big-money, high-stakes, double-dealing world, which is as fascinating as it is unforgettable. Silver's thrilling tale opens a window onto Italian history, culture, and life rarely seen.
June 25, 2013
The first half of the book is the account of the missing chalice.
The second half of the book is the story of how the author stumbled onto the story and his trek through its unfolding.
That could be a fine way to structure this story, if "mysteries" weren't laid out in the second half of the book that had already been "solved" in the first half. Telling readers of your own plight in locating a missing artifact is only interesting if you hadn't already revealed the location 200 pages earlier.
There are many characters and events that Silver reports in a non-chronological order, making the storyline difficult to keep track of and the characters impossible to care about.
I'm all for a good art thief story (read: "The Forger's Spell"). This book just doesn't happen to be one.
The second half of the book is the story of how the author stumbled onto the story and his trek through its unfolding.
That could be a fine way to structure this story, if "mysteries" weren't laid out in the second half of the book that had already been "solved" in the first half. Telling readers of your own plight in locating a missing artifact is only interesting if you hadn't already revealed the location 200 pages earlier.
There are many characters and events that Silver reports in a non-chronological order, making the storyline difficult to keep track of and the characters impossible to care about.
I'm all for a good art thief story (read: "The Forger's Spell"). This book just doesn't happen to be one.
June 3, 2012
"The Lost Chalice" is an interesting adaptation of a thesis written by a journalist of antiquities? What does this mean? The book has the fast pacing of good journalism and lacks the ponderous footnotes of the thesis - but is nonetheless intellectually engaging. I occasionally mixed up some of the huge cast of personalities (especially those tomb-robbing Italians!) but in general I enjoyed the book quite a bit. I must have, because I read it in one day! If you've read "Loot" by Sharon Waxman, "The Lost Chalice" will give you a zoomed-in look at some of the larger issues of provenance and responsibility that Waxman dealt with. Don't be put off by the hokey cover - "The Lost Chalice" is fairly serious work.
July 24, 2010
As I have an interest in ancient history and art, as well as interesting tales, this book seemed like it would be a good read. While it took me a bit to get into, I really got absorbed in the recounting of Euphronios' works' journeys and those involved in their travels. Although I'm not sure if the actual release of this book contained photos (I read the Uncorrected Proof), it was one thing I kept wanting to see. Thankfully some quick internet searches provided me with just about all I wanted to see. Additionally, the end kind of leaves you hanging about Medici and the others fates. About a month after this book's release, Medici's appeal was settled. But the story continues....
June 11, 2009
I really enjoyed this well-written detective story about several pieces of exquisite Greek pottery - painted by the highly renowned Euphronios - that were uncovered in a covert and illegal Etruscan tomb robbery in 1971 in central Italy and found their way into the hands of major museums and collectors until Italy began fighting to get these priceless artifacts returned in order to stem the tide of the illegal antiquities trade.
There are a few brief PG-13 moments, but otherwise should be acceptable for interested older teens as well as adults.
There are a few brief PG-13 moments, but otherwise should be acceptable for interested older teens as well as adults.
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