Sent November 22 ^nd, 2009 to All Members & Subscribers

The International Netsuke Society is always concerned about problems in the netsuke market. One of our goals is to protect and inform our members on the wide range of issues that will allow them to be more aware of current and newsworthy events in the netsuke marketplace around the world.

Today, we have three issues from the dark side of netsuke:

1) ** FRAUD ALERT **
The New York Attorney General has sued author Mircea Veleanu, owner of Objets D'Art Uniques, for fraud in selling non-jade items as jade. The Attorney General's office obtained a temporary restraining order that required Veleanu to do business with certain restrictions, and on November 14, 2009, the Honorable Thomas J. Dolan agreed and permanently imposed the restrictions. The most recent and complete story, originally published in the December 2009 issue of Maine Antique Digest (online November 15, 2009), can be found online at: http://www.maineantiquedigest.com/stories/?id=1606

In 2004, Veleanu published a book on jade, purporting to be an expert. And then he started selling his “collection” on the internet. In 2008, Mircea Veleanu published a book on netsuke, which was reviewed by Norman L. Sandfield in the INS Journal, vol. 28, no. 2, Summer 2008, and is now selling his “collection” of netsuke on the internet.

The New York Attorney General's office is looking for people who may have purchased netsuke or other objects from Mircea Veleanu, or have had other contact with him. If you have any possible information or questions, or if you have purchased art or artifacts from him that you suspect are fake, please contact assistant attorney general Nicholas Garin at the Poughkeepsie Regional Office at (845) 485-3900.

2) ** THEFT ALERT **
We are still waiting for a list from a dealer in the UK who has had their entire netsuke and okimono stock stolen. This was reported to us at the end of October 2009.

3) ** “SALE” BY DECEPTION ** At least one internet dealer in Japanese antiques located in Russia is copying photographs of netsuke and other objects from the Internet sites of other dealers and offering them for sale under their own name. We do not know whether the copying dealer would take the money and run, or then try to buy the netsuke from the original advertising dealer. When in doubt, . . . “know your dealer!"

More information on these and other issues of interest to our members can be found on the INS Forum at http://forums.netsuke.org/

Norman L. Sandfield
INS Constant Contact Email Blast Coordinator