While attention is focused on western museums and governments giving back looted items, heritage workers in the global south are laying the groundwork for new claims.
Tag: Arts and Antiquities Looting
After Ukraine’s Kakhovka Dam Disaster, a Hunt for Ancient Treasures
After the Kakhovka dam was blown up in June, the reservoir above it quickly drained, revealing a bonanza of artifacts that has electrified Ukrainian archaeologists.
Australia Will Return Looted Sculptures to Cambodia
A centuries-old Buddhist sculpture was taken from a rural area in Cambodia nearly 30 years ago. It was later sold with two other statues to the National Gallery of Australia.
Richard Barancik, Last of the World War II Monuments Men, Dies at 98
He played a role in the celebrated Allied operation to preserve European artworks and cultural treasures stolen by the Nazis.
Artifacts Stolen From Kenya Decades Ago Are Returned
Even after museums decide to return stolen artifacts to their countries of origin, tariffs and red tape can prolong the process.
Sudan War Strikes a Blow to the Country’s Emerging Art Scene
Dozens of Sudanese artists and curators have fled their studios and galleries in the capital, jeopardizing thousands of artworks and imperiling an art scene central to the 2019 revolution.
How a Terra-Cotta Warrior Lost Its Thumb to a Delaware Shoe Salesman
Michael Rohana stole the clay digit six years ago at a Philadelphia museum where he had been attending an ugly-sweater party. He pleaded guilty this week.
When a Visit to the Museum Becomes an Ethical Dilemma
Western museums are major tourist attractions, drawing travelers from around the world. But what responsibility do we bear as spectators for patronizing institutions that display what critics say are stolen works?
$20 Million Worth of Looted Art Returns to Italy From the U.S.
The authorities of the two countries have worked together to round up statues, vases and bronzes, some of which had appeared in American museums.
As Russians Steal Ukraine’s Art, They Attack Its Identity, Too
Russian forces have looted tens of thousands of pieces, including avant-garde oil paintings and Scythian gold. Experts say it is the biggest art heist since the Nazis in World War II, intended to strip Ukraine of its cultural heritage.