The antiquities market:

  In 1919, the majority of the Canford sculptures were purchased by the art dealer   Dikran Kelekian, who then endeavored to present them as desirable merchandise.

  Kelekian focused on the rarity of the pieces, their Layard provenance, and their similarity to works in the British Museum and the Louvre.

  This rarity was a mixed blessing, however, since this collection of unfamiliar art was  too expensive for museums anxious to please the public with familiar offerings, and too large for private collectors.

  The methods, risks, and rewards of selling antiquities in the early twentieth century are seen in the dealer’s pitch and its reception by a number of prospective buyers, including museum directors and the philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., a major figure in the history of collecting.