Sydney Burney
Encyclopedia
Sydney Burney was a 20th century art and antiquities
dealer
and collector based in London
. He was responsible for organizing an exhibition of African art
in 1933 in which African art was depicted as equal to the art of other cultures. He donated a limestone Etruscan urn to the British Museum.
, later known as the Mitchell-Hedges skull, which was later sold by his son at auction at Sotheby's. He sold an artifact known as the Burney Plaque, later called "Queen of the Night" when it was acquired by the British Museum in 2003. The authenticity of this artifact has been questioned on stylistic grounds.
Antiquities
Antiquities, nearly always used in the plural in this sense, is a term for objects from Antiquity, especially the civilizations of the Mediterranean: the Classical antiquity of Greece and Rome, Ancient Egypt and the other Ancient Near Eastern cultures...
dealer
Art dealer
An art dealer is a person or company that buys and sells works of art. Art dealers' professional associations serve to set high standards for accreditation or membership and to support art exhibitions and shows.-Role:...
and collector based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He was responsible for organizing an exhibition of African art
African art
African art constitutes one of the most diverse legacies on earth. Though many casual observers tend to generalize "traditional" African art, the continent is full of people, societies, and civilizations, each with a unique visual special culture. The definition also includes the art of the African...
in 1933 in which African art was depicted as equal to the art of other cultures. He donated a limestone Etruscan urn to the British Museum.
Questionable Artifacts
Mr. Burney's owned the crystal skullCrystal skull
The crystal skulls are a number of human skull hardstone carvings made of clear or milky quartz rock, known in art history as "rock crystal", claimed to be pre-Columbian Mesoamerican artifacts by their alleged finders. However, none of the specimens made available for scientific study have been...
, later known as the Mitchell-Hedges skull, which was later sold by his son at auction at Sotheby's. He sold an artifact known as the Burney Plaque, later called "Queen of the Night" when it was acquired by the British Museum in 2003. The authenticity of this artifact has been questioned on stylistic grounds.