Posted on: September 4, 2018 by Alexander Herman
A once-in-a-generation case has caused major ripples in the Canadian museum world. And we’re not talking about the attempted sale of a Chagall by the National Gallery of Canada this spring. No, this was an actual court case, before the Federal Court of Canada, to determine whether the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board (the […]
Posted on: August 30, 2018 by Hélène Deslauriers
After more than a year of press coverage, protests and condemnation of the Berkshire Museum Board of Trustees, the Berkshire Museum’s deaccession of 40 works from its collection is nearing completion. In addition, the Board of Trustees finally came to an agreement with the Attorney-General of Massachusetts. Here are the salient points: The Attorney General is […]
Posted on: August 10, 2018 by Alexander Herman
An exhibition entitled James Cook: The Voyages, currently on show at the British Library, gives an excellent overview of the journeys around the world taken by the famous explorer in the mid-to-late 18th century. The eponymous captain is of course known for being the first European to explore the eastern coast of Australia and, more contentiously, […]
Posted on: August 2, 2018 by Hélène Deslauriers
In December 2017, a Swiss crowdfunding website, Qoqa, offered visitors to the site the opportunity to purchase a Picasso painting, Le Buste du Mousquetaire (1968). For three months, a careful and efficient campaign was mounted, culminating in a victory, with sufficient funds raised to buy the Picasso. Le Buste du Mousquetaire now belongs to the Swiss people. […]
Posted on: July 30, 2018 by Kiri Cragin Folwell
Yesterday, on Saturday 28 July, the Institute of Art and Law were pleased to offer a study forum hosted at beautiful New College, Oxford. The day covered a diverse programme of topics including tax incentive schemes, heritage and planning and Nazi-looted art. Speakers included: Colin Harrison, Senior Curator of Western Art at the Ashmolean Museum, spoke eloquently on […]
Posted on: July 24, 2018 by Alexander Herman
Yesterday, an Italian painting with a colourful history had its fate sealed by a UK court. The Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court has decided that Arts Council England (ACE), the delegated authority that issues export licences for cultural property leaving UK shores, was not the ‘competent authority’ to issue an EU licence for […]
Posted on: July 19, 2018 by Makoto Shimada
On 1st June 2018, the Kokkai, the National Diet of Japan, enacted the Substantial Amendment to the Law for the Protection of Cultural Property. The new Act will come into force on 1st April 2019. Under the 1950 Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, cultural property with historical or artistic value is selected by the government […]
Posted on: July 10, 2018 by Lucie Lambrecht and Zacharias Mawick
In 2017, according to an article appearing in The Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur footballer and Belgian World Cup team member, Mousa Dembélé, discovered archaeological objects of significant financial and archaeological value in the cellar of a historic building in the Flemish city of Antwerp. The footballer bought the 700-year-old listed building to open a luxury hotel, […]
Posted on: July 9, 2018 by Alexander Herman
An interesting case came down last month from the High Court in London in the matter of Jeddi v Sotheby’s. The case was brought by an Iranian antiquities dealer named Ali Jeddi against Sotheby’s UK for refusing to return his property, a 10th century Fatimid jar made of translucent quartz and finely decorated with images of […]
Posted on: July 4, 2018 by Alexander Herman
We’re happy to be heading to Liverpool to provide legal training this week on collections, acquisitions and due diligence for the National Museums Liverpool. This is a one-day training open only to those working at museums within this larger network, including the Walker Art Gallery, the World Museum, the Maritime Museum, the Slavery Museum and […]