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The Getty’s Bronze? Italian Court Upholds Order to Seize a Getty Masterpiece
UPDATE: Law professor Derek Fincham has commented on Italy’s case: “Using a domestic court to seek the seizure of an illegally exported object from another country has not been attempted before. But...
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The Harvard List: Turkey wants Dumbarton Oaks to Return the Sion Treasure
Among the dozens of objects that the government of Turkey is asking American museums to return are 40 Byzantine relics at Harvard University’s Dumbarton Oaks Museum. (We’ve previously reported on...
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Artifacts and Fictions in Baltimore: Roger Atwood on the Walters’...
Today we’re publishing a guest post from Roger Atwood, author of “Stealing History: Tomb Raiders, Smugglers and the Looting of the Ancient World.” We reached out to Roger for his thoughts when we...
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The Year of Aphrodite: Book Launch Plus 365
One year ago, Chasing Aphrodite hit bookstores. The amazing success we’ve enjoyed over the past twelve months is humbling, and we thought it a good opportunity to thank you, our most dedicated fans....
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The Antiquities Trade as Organized Crime: Glasgow Team Digs Deep into the...
An exciting new research effort has been launched by some of the most prominent researchers of the illicit antiquities trade. Simon Mackenzie, Neil Brodie, Suzie Thomas and Donna Yates* at the...
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Letter to Cuno: Dismissal of Educators Sparks Discord Inside Getty Museum
Last month, more than 50 Getty Museum staff members signed a letter to Getty Trust CEO James Cuno and his bosses, the Board of Trustees, objecting to recent cuts in the museum’s education department....
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The Case of the Dodgy Drachmas: Arnold Peter Weiss, Prominent Rhode Island...
Dr. Arnold Peter Weiss, a prominent Rhode Island hand surgeon and dealer in ancient coins, pleaded guilty in New York City Tuesday to three counts of attempted criminal possession of ancient coins he...
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Kapoor Case: Investigation into Stolen Indian Idols Will Test Museum...
The investigation of antiquities dealer Subhash Kapoor, which made international headlines this week when federal agents raided his Manhattan warehouse, promises to shine a bright light on the illicit...
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UPDATED: Kapoor’s Footprints: 240 Objects from Alleged Antiquities Trafficker...
[UPDATED 8/27 with details from SF Asian.] We’ve begun hearing back from museums that did business with Subhash Kapoor, the New York antiquities dealer under arrest in India for trafficking in looted...
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The Battle for Koh Ker: Legal Implications of Cambodia’s Dispute with Sotheby’s
The legal dispute over an ancient Khmer statue at Sotheby’s could have lasting implications for the sale of ancient art in the United States. For those catching up on the case: Sotheby’s New York was...
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CAVEAT EMPTOR: Arnold Peter Weiss on the Dangers of the Ancient Coin Trade
UPDATED BELOW. Caveat Emptor, the court-mandated essay written by Rhode Island coin dealer Arnold Peter Weiss, is a long-overdue call for collectors of ancient coins to begin following the law. Weiss...
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Red Flags in Paris: Half of Sotheby’s Barbier-Mueller Pre-Colombian Sale...
This week we have a guest post from M. Frechette, an astute college senior majoring in art history with an interest in international cultural property law and art markets. During her travels in Latin...
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Test Case: Peter Tompa on CPAC, the Supreme Court and the Trade in Ancient Coins
On Monday morning, the Supreme Court of the United States is expected to respond to a petition from the Ancient Coin Collectors Guild challenging federal import restrictions on ancient coins with...
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BREAKING: Judge rules in favor of Cambodia, Denies Sotheby’s Motion to...
A New York judge has denied Sotheby’s motion to dismiss Cambodia’s claim — brought on its behalf by the US government — that a 10th century Khmer statue was looted and should be returned. District...
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FBI: Ancient Coin Dealer Gantcho Zagorski Indicted on Federal Tax Charges
A federal grand jury indicted Gantcho Zagorski, a 59-year old U.S. dealer in ancient coins, on three counts of aiding and assisting in the filing of false income tax returns, the FBI announced Tuesday....
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The Peruvian Connection: Federal Agents Bust Alleged Antiquities Smugglers...
Last week a federal grand jury indicted two Utah residents and two Peruvians in an alleged scheme to smuggle recently looted artifacts into the United States. The case started in the fall of 2012 when...
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UPDATED: Latchford’s Footprints in Berlin: A Khmer Ganesh and other loans to...
Recently, someone suggested we look into the ties between Douglas Latchford and the Berlin Asian Art Museum, where he is said to have enjoyed a “special arrangement” for several years. As you’ll...
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UPDATED: The Met Returns Two Khmer Statues to Cambodia, Citing Clear Evidence...
UPDATE: The New York Times reported May 15 that Cambodia is also planning to ask for the return of a statue of Hanuman at the Cleveland Museum of Art. This is in addition to the Norton Simon Bhima and...
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Five Years After California Museum Raids, More Anger Than Indictments
In Sunday’s Los Angeles Times, Jason has an update on the 2008 federal raids of Southern California museums: When hundreds of federal agents raided four Southern California museums early one January...
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SCOOP: New Evidence Of Stolen Idols at the National Gallery of Australia
This 900-year-old bronze statue of Dancing Shiva, shown on display at the National Gallery of Australia, was stolen from a temple in Tamil Nadu, India shortly before the museum acquired it, new records...
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