Law, crime and regulation

The increasingly contentious issue of selling Benin works of art at auction raised its head again last week after an ancestral plaque catalogued as 16th or 17th century was withdrawn from an East Sussex sale.

The art and antiques sector has until April 21 to submit feedback on new rules on the import of cultural goods proposed by the European Union.

HMRC has renamed its Anti Money Laundering Supervision team as Economic Crime Supervision (ECS). The services will continue as normal.

Tapestry and textiles specialist S Franses is to face its landlord in court for the fourth time next month.

MADAM – As I read the ‘Fees proposal for ivory exemptions’ story (front page, ATG No 2484), I was overwhelmed by an attack of the Victor Meldrews.

BADA Ltd, the organiser of The Open Art Fair, has lost an appeal against a small claims court ruling that said two dealers need pay only part of their stand fee as the event was cut short.

The UK government is proposing a fee structure to cover the costs of processing antiques that qualify as exemptions under the 2018 Ivory Act.

For those who have studied or have even a passing interest in the field of art crime, Charles (or Charley) Hill was one of the giants in the world of recovering stolen masterpieces – from Munch’s 'The Scream' to Vermeer and Goya and many more.

MADAM – Re ‘EU propose ban on import and export of antique ivory’, front page, ATG No 2480.

Police are investigating the provenance of a collection of Japanese ivories in connection with a high-value burglary in Surrey.

The UK government has confirmed to ATG that it has “no plans to make changes to either the rates of Artist’s Resale Right that are applied or how the levy operates” following the post-Brexit trade deal agreed with the EU.

Brexit, CITES, new ivory act on the way… it can be hard for the UK art and antiques trade to keep up with the many regulations. However, the good news is that much of CITES has not changed fundamentally, as this update from expert Kim McDonald of The Taxidermy Law Company reveals

MADAM – We are concerned about the imminent imposition of restrictions to limit the trade of ivory works of art within the European Union (front page, ATG No 2480).