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Stolen art databases


Returned clock

Stolen 18th century bracket clock returned to museum after more than 20 years

30 April 2024

An 18th century bracket clock by the English clockmaker Thomas Hunter Jr (c.1760-70) has been recovered after being stolen 23 years ago.

Chinese bronze vessel

Stolen ancient bronze recovered 40 years later and returned to China

07 February 2024

A 2900-year-old Chinese bronze vessel that was stolen 40 years ago has been returned to China following a repatriation ceremony.

British Museum

British Museum steps up recovery plan for stolen jewellery

26 September 2023

The British Museum has begun a series of measures to try to recover the 2000 jewellery items that were stolen from its collection.

Anglo Saxon brooch

Stolen Anglo-Saxon brooch returned to museum after 26 years

11 September 2021

An Anglo-Saxon brooch stolen from Rutland County Museum has been returned 26 years after it went missing.

Victorian finials as rampant lions

Family’s lions roar once more

24 May 2021

A pair of 3ft 7in high (1.12m) Victorian iron pier finials cast as rampant lions have returned home after two decades missing from a family home.

Sally.jpg

ILAB president announces launch of missing books database following re-election

07 October 2020

Australian book dealer Sally Burdon said she will use her second term as ILAB president to consolidate changes and launch a new missing books register following the international book trade association’s recent election.

Joshua Reynolds portrait

‘Stolen’ Joshua Reynolds portrait at centre of controversy between UK family and Japanese museum

12 September 2019

A Japanese museum has claimed it bought a painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds “in good faith and without fault from a respectable art dealer” after it was identified as being stolen from a UK stately home.

Lares statuette.jpg

Etruscan bronze returned to Italy 30 years after disappearance

17 October 2018

An Etruscan bronze lar statuette has been repatriated to Italy after more than 30 years with the help of the Art Loss Register.

Bacon

Spanish police recover stolen Francis Bacon paintings after tip-off from the Art Loss Register

24 July 2017

Three Francis Bacon artworks stolen in Madrid in 2015 have been recovered by Spanish police near Barcelona.

Jade 2

Stolen Chinese jades make 10 times their estimates years later

08 July 2017

Four Chinese jade vessels have sold for 10 times their estimate after being stolen more than 12 years ago.

Marinello

Art Recovery Group’s database goes non-profit

16 November 2016

Art Recovery Group, founded by Chris Marinello three years ago as a rival to long-established The Art Loss Register, has split the firm to create a not-for-profit organisation called Artive.

Battle Scene by Aniello Falcone

Two stolen paintings return to Italy after 22 years

07 June 2016

Two large Old Master paintings worth up to €180,000 (£123,530) have been returned to Italy 22 years after they were stolen.

New stolen art database launched

19 January 2015

ArtClaim, a new database launched in London this week to track lost, disputed and stolen cultural objects, promises new ways of identifying and recording interests attached to works of art.

Police chiefs call for new theft database

27 November 2013

Talks have begun once more on creating a national stolen property database to tackle the £300m problem of heritage and cultural property crime.

New campaign for national database of stolen art and antiques

27 November 2013

EDITOR’S COMMENT – In 2001, I had the privilege of being the first journalist to quiz the then arts minister, Alan Howarth, on recommendations submitted by an expert panel investigating measures for tackling the illicit trade in cultural goods.

Interpol launch online database for stolen art

18 September 2009

IN a fresh attempt to help the fight against the illicit art trade, the international police organisation Interpol has made its database of stolen art available to access online.

Change on catalogue checks for stolen art and antiques

26 June 2006

THE online registry of valuables Swift-Find have taken over the Trace database of stolen art and antiques. It means Invaluable are no longer conducting Due Diligence as part of their online services for auctioneers, dealers and collectors.

Databases to merge as Swift-Find buys Trace

24 April 2006

SWIFT-Find, the international registry of valuable items, have bought the Trace stolen valuables database from the Invaluable Group.

New online service to trace Nazi looted art

23 January 2006

AGAINST a flurry of publicity on the subject, online registry of stolen valuables Swift-Find.com has launched a new initiative to help identify and reclaim Nazi looted art.

National database for stolen art a step closer

05 January 2004

HOPES of establishing a national database of stolen art have taken a significant step forward. MPs on the parliamentary committee who recommended the database be set up three years ago gave the project a new boost after publicly criticising the Government for failing to act despite promises to do so.