An exchange of arms and art is shown by a new reportage of Domenico Quirico, and was published today in La Stampa (so far available only in Italian). D. Quirico describes the allegedly close connections between ISIS and the ‘ndrangheta in Calabria/Italy, and how the port of Gioia Taura acts as a hub for archaeological…
Robin Symes and Christos Michaelides formed a duo of dealers who dominated the international antiquities market in the 1980s and 1990s. During that period they became the best suppliers of illicit antiquities to the most ‘reputable’ museums, private collections and auction houses. Many of their antiquities came from lower-level dealers such as Giacomo Medici and…
From the confiscated archive of Robin Symes, a Roman marble figurine of a draped goddess at Christie’s forthcoming antiquities auction in New York, October 25th 2016 (lot 92) was identified by Christos Tsirogiannis, who is also member of our committee. Greek police seized the photographs during a 2006 raid on Robin Symes’ villa on the…
This catalogue is designed to aid in the identification of those Latvian archaeological artefacts, which are more frequently acquired illegally, illegally traded and exported outside the territory of Latvia. The catalogue is meant for Latvian and foreign traders, buyers and collectors of cultural objects, law enforcement agencies, museums and other organizations working in the cultural…
Investigators recovered more than 2,000 objects, mostly coins, that they say were offered for sale through auction houses. Greek police have busted what they say is a criminal organisation that has been looting antiquities from ancient sites in the country for the past 10 years and smuggling them out to auction houses and private buyers…
Following the recent return of antiquities from the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek to Italy, the spotlight will be on other European collections that contain archaeological material that appears to have been derived from Italy. Among the museums are: Amsterdam, Allard Pierson Museum. Some 15 disputed objects linked to Ellie Borowski, Palladion Antike Kunst, and Robin Symes.…
The European Commission has proposed 2018 as the European Year of Cultural Heritage. The final decision now lies with the European Parliament and the Council. Because cultural heritage is so central to Europe’s identity and due to the grave threats it faces in conflict zones, the European Commission considers that the time is right to…
In the National Museum of Damascus are antique books of black magic or witchcraft listing curses and spells designed to dumbfound or destroy whatever enemy is targeted by the user. Alongside these tattered works lie a bible made out of copper, religious works from the Crusader period and, elsewhere in the museum, a striking stone…
The German ‘Gesellschaft für Ur- und Frühgeschichte e. V.’ informs about the destruction of cultural heritage through metal detectoring. read more (in German)
The German ‘Gesellschaft für Ur- und Frühgeschichte e. V.’ informs about how to (or not to) buy antiquities online. read more (in German)
EAA-Community on the Illicit Trade in Cultural Material 