Catalogue description Registry Number: CCG 180/19442. Works of fine art: pictures by Piet van Wijngaard, Z...

Works of fine art: pictures by Piet van Wijngaard, Z Szathmary and Heynes, furniture, books [one by Mommsen] and pianos.

Correspondence between the German Restitution Office of the Lower Saxony Economy Ministry and the headquarters of the Reparations, Deliveries and Restitutions Division [RDR] regarding restitution claim No 8073, filed by the Dutch government in December 1946 for two books, one ceramic figure, one carpet, two pianos, one albarello [sometimes spelled as albacello], one chest and eight pictures: four unknown paintings, one 'Polderlandscape with ships' by Piet van Wijngaard, one unknown landscape painting, one 'Tulips' painting by Z Szathmary and one 'Sea with ship' painting by M Heynes.

The claim further included 120 medical books, a Roman history book by Mommsen, one blue-red Kisman/Afsbar carpet, one black Eckstein piano, one light oak wood Steiner piano, one Ammerland chest [1520], engraved with stars and plant ornaments, one small ceramic Madonna figure, one early Dutch 'albacello' [later spelled as albarello], dated around 1600, majolica faience painted over with blue tendrils, yellow and orange coloured blossoms and green coloured leaves on white ground. According to the claim, all these objects were voluntarily sold and removed to Oldenburg [Hannover region]. The claim was eventually cancelled in July 1948 as further investigation classified most objects as not belonging to the fine arts or described too vaguely to be traced, with the exception of the paintings described above, which according to the MFA and A 'should be made the subject of two separate claims'. The paintings were subsequently traced in October 1947, without frame but otherwise in good condition, to the Commercial Bank of Oldenburg. According to a contemporary letter [in English and German] from the current owner who had deposited these four oil paintings at the bank, they had been acquired legally and were of little value. In the case of the 'Tulips' painting by the 'scarcely known painter Z Szatmary' [as written], the buyer contested the claim by further stating that he had wished to help the painter, who was in a difficult economic situation, and at the time was 'already painting a bigger Jewish motive: Passage of the children of Israel through the Red Sea'. The landscape and 'sea with ships' paintings were also acquired because they suited the buyer's taste but were estimated to be of very little value.

This piece also contains a list dated August 1946 with ten objects, including paintings, received from Mr Carl G Oncken [an art dealer, as specified in other FO pieces] by Sgd Donald King, RDR: an evening landscape by Mino da Fiesole, 'The Holy Hieronyms' by Hendrik Goltzens, 'Study of a Lady's Portrait' by Jakob Marie, 'Fishers' by A van Ostade, as well as one 'Indish' and two 'Europeeschen' shawls, one 'Pamelbang', one 'Satijnhouten ovale threetafel' and one 'tableau van zestien blauwe tegels' [as written].

Further correspondence between the RDR headquarters and their Netherlands branch regarding the cancellation of this claim with the exception of item No 1668 [Persian carpet], which was still classified as fine arts by the RDR in February-March 1948.

Correspondence between the RDR headquarters and their Lower Saxony branch with details of the investigation of this claim dated October-November 1947 and an earlier letter by the alleged current owner of one of the paintings [not specified], the piano maker Mr Karl Tapken, who declared he knew nothing about the painting in question [in English and German], dated September 1947. According to the investigation report, the purchase of the carpet took place during the war in a legal manner in the presence of 'a Dutch friend' of the buyer, who ascribed the claim for restitution to 'an obvious error' and in October 1947 confirmed the legal acquisition of the Persian rug through letters and a photocopy of the original invoice, dated March 1944.

Further documents refer to two oil paintings [not specified], presented as a gift to Mrs Harders by her husband - or in the case of the smaller picture 'bought by herself at a Dutch book-dealer's shop', all in good conditions and about to be taken into control by the RDR The investigation report also mentions one book of German literature [not specified] and nearly 120 Dutch books, as well as an originally German Eckstein piano, now in the possession of the police of Oldenburg. The Ammerland chest and the albarello were purchased from Dutch art dealers during the war and currently held by the Landesmuseum of Oldenburg. According to the documents, the objects were 'legally acquired' in 1942/1943 from an antiquarian with whom the museum had a long-standing business relationship - as testified by the attached invoice. The Steiner piano was received from the local division of the NSDAP [National Socialist German Workers Party].