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Category Archives: Antiquities

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Appeals Court Rules Mask of Ka-Nefer-Nefer Will Stay at St. Louis Art Museum Because Government Missed Deadlines

By Nicholas O'Donnell on Posted in Antiquities, Customs, Restitution

 The Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit has affirmed the dismissal of the U.S. government’s attempt to seize the Mask of Ka-Nefer-Nefer from the St. Louis Art Museum.  Despite the government’s persistent characterization the mask as stolen before it entered the country, the civil forfeiture case has been rebuffed.  The narrow issue was whether the trial… Continue Reading

MFA and Harvard To Keep Iranian Antiquities, FSIA/Seizure Questions for Museums Left Unanswered

By Nicholas O'Donnell on Posted in Antiquities, Cultural Property, Foreign Sovereign Immunities, Museums, Restitution

The First Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a win for the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and Harvard University concerning possession of a number of Iranian antiquities.  The ruling left open, however, some interesting questions about the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA).  In particular, the First Circuit did not have to rule on whether antiquities… Continue Reading

“Restitution and Repatriation, the Return of Cultural Objects” at DePaul University Next Month

By Nicholas O'Donnell on Posted in Antiquities, Cultural Property, Restitution, World War II

Next month’s symposium at DePaul University College of Law Center for Art, Museum & Cultural Heritage Law entitled “Restitution and Repatriation, the Return of Cultural Objects” looks terrific.  The keynote speaker will be Lynn Nicholas of The Rape of Europa fame, and other topics include provenance research, museum acquisitions, and the moral and ethical quandaries posed… Continue Reading