Law, crime and regulation

A ban on the commercial trade in elephant ivory “except in a very limited number of circumstances” announced by the USA this month promises far-reaching consequences for the antiques trade.

The British Antique Dealers’ Association, LAPADA and the National Antique and Art Dealers’ Association of America are taking the February 11 White House statement on ivory very seriously.

A 53-year-old man has been charged following a break-in at Shapes auction house in the west of Edinburgh last year.

The trade have alerted ATG to the latest scam guide trying to con dealers into paying thousands of pounds for useless advertising.

The latest report from the Department of Culture Media and Sport shows that of 12,089 export licence applications for 51,606 works of art from May 2012 to April 2013, just 28 cases were referred to the Export Reviewing Committee by experts.

A Paris auction firm has been banned from holding sales for nine months and two of its auctioneers suspended for three months following a disciplinary hearing by the government body appointed to oversee auction practice in France.

The Spanish government have cut the tax on sales of works of art by more than half from 21% to 10% as a means of boosting trade.

More than 80 lots of Danish rosewood furniture were withdrawn from Sworder’s January 28 sale of Decorative Art and Design after advice that their sale contravened the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.

Two men will appear for trial at Reading Crown Court on February 3 following the investigation into former Midgham-based Cameo Fine Art Auctioneers.

A renewed appeal for information has been made after part of a medieval burial stone was stolen in Herefordshire as thieves targeting church monuments seem to have become active again.

The New York Court of Appeals has overturned a decision that could have forced the state’s auctioneers to make public the names of their consignors.

Antique jewellery worth around £40,000 has been taken after a break-in at Shapes auctioneers in Edinburgh.

A man has been sentenced to life in prison for the “cold and calculated” killing of a silver dealer.

The Stradivarius violin which was stolen from Euston station in 2010 and recovered earlier this year will be offered at Tarisio auctioneers this month.

Jewellery worth between £10,000 and £15,000 has been stolen from Harrogate Antiques Centre.

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

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.

The sale by Christie’s of 24 items of Chinese ceramics from Croydon’s Riesco Collection will go ahead after a legal challenge failed through lack of funds.

A sale at Chippenham Auction Rooms had to be cancelled after thieves broke in overnight by removing tiles from the roof.