Looted art

Historic Tunisian items withdrawn from Paris auction after heritage body claims works left country illegally

More than 100 objects once belonging to the Tunisian politician Habib Djellouli, including an ancient Quran, are at the centre of the controversy

Hobby Lobby sues Christie’s for selling it an antiquity authorities say was looted

The auction house knew that the provenance of an ancient cuneiform tablet inscribed with the Epic of Gilgamesh was made up, lawsuit claims

Looted Benin treasures to go online in international project led by Hamburg museum

Project is backed by the Ernst von Siemens art foundation, which seeks “a more factual focus to the discussions about restitution”

'We want to be part of the solution': UK museum says it is open to discussing fate of Benin bronze after prince demands its return

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery wants to work in tandem with the Benin Dialogue Group, which is made up of institutions that hold the majority of the pieces

Aggressive seizures by police at Brafa leave dealers feeling ‘assaulted’

Authorities brazenly took 34 artefacts during public opening hours at the Brussels fair

India asks Ashmolean Museum to return 15th-century bronze idol believed stolen from temple

Independent scholar uncovers questionable provenance for the sculpture that the Oxford institution bought from Sotheby's in 1967

Lootnews

Looted ancient temple sculpture—seized by UK police—will go home to Afghanistan

British Museum and Art Loss Register collaborate over recovery of ancient bull decoration that was consigned to an online auction

Three Nazi-looted works bought by Gurlitt return to Jewish collector’s heirs

Two paintings by Jean-Louis Forain were discovered in Cornelius Gurlitt’s trove; the third work, by Constantin Guys, was restituted by another family member

George Soros's Open Society Foundations pledges $15m to help Africa recover looted heritage

Paid over four years, it will support efforts made by museums, grassroots-organisations and governments

Abuse of diplomatic privilege? How missing art has been linked to embassy officials

Recent cases involving stolen art have raised questions over the behaviour of diplomats

Looted coffin acquired by Metropolitan Museum is headed back to Egypt

US and Egyptian officials presided over handover at a repatriation ceremony in New York

German Nazi loot panel divided on Max Stern painting—but returns it to his heirs anyway

For first time, advisory team stipulates that work must not be sold for ten years in case evidence emerges that contradicts its ruling

Stolen artefacts from 'prolific art smuggler' returned to India

Objects are reportedly linked to antiquities dealer Subhash Kapoor who is facing criminal charges in the US

US authorities file criminal charges against antiquities dealer Subhash Kapoor and seven others

The government’s complaint outlines a massive alleged smuggling ring involving other dealers, art restorers and associates who helped create false provenances for looted objects

Mass theft of art from East German citizens revealed in new report

Study reveals that up to 8% of museum acquisitions were looted from private citizens

Court case over three Derain paintings will test France's promise to speed up Nazi-era claims

Grandchildren of art dealer René Gimpel accuse French culture ministry of blocking restitution of works hanging in state museums

Lawnews

US Supreme Court declines to hear appeal on Nazi-looted art

Norton Simon Museum can keep two Cranach masterpieces

Leaderscomment

Gilded coffin gives Met a golden opportunity

To prevent similar high-profile losses in the future, the Met should hire a permanent, full-time provenance curator

Heirs of Baron Herzog continue battle for Nazi-looted art collection despite US Supreme Court dismissal

Decades-long case to reclaim works held in Hungary’s museums will now go through US District Court

Ivan the Terrible returns to Ukraine

19th-century oil painting, stolen during the Second World War, was found in the US

Austria returns wrong Klimt to wrong family

Painting of apple trees is pulled from exhibition after admission that its restitution was a mistake

President Rouhani personally takes looted ancient relief back from New York to Tehran

Piece depicting a Persian soldier was seized last year at Tefaf New York

Looted artinterview

Meet the amateur art sleuth who is helping India recover its stolen antiques

Shipping company executive S. Vijay Kumar was responsible for recovering a Buddha stolen from India 57 years ago among many other looted works

Looted Renoir is returned to French heir in New York

Granddaughter of Jewish collector flies in for restitution ceremony

Lawnews

Court rejects claim to Matisse owned by National Gallery

Rebuffing heirs, an appeals panel in New York says the court lacks jurisdiction

Starry Night is held by Russian government

Van Gogh drawing had been folded in half in 1945 to fit inside a suitcase

a blog by Martin Bailey

Goudstikker heir files petition for rare rehearing of Cranach claim

Marei von Saher asks an appeals court in California to reconsider her case against the Norton Simon Museum