Law, crime and regulation

The art and antiques trade has been asked to help track down a stolen wooden sculpture from a renowned former antiques shop in Hampshire.

Chattels auction houses operating at the lower end of the market are being told to close client accounts as the banking sector tightens its rules.

As the UK brought into force the EU’s fifth Money Laundering Directive in early 2020, it was believed that the art market had plenty of time to register and comply.

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including an appeal from police for information on two Roman vases stolen in Walton-on-Thames.

Two case studies reveal the kind of challenges the art trade has to tackle

New environmental laws in Germany and France mean overseas sellers of smaller items such as books are tackling another layer of red tape on top of those already presented by Brexit.

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including an export block extension for Sir Joshua Reynolds’ (1723-92) Omai portrait.

Referring to the UK’s near-total ban on selling antique ivory objects, would the beautiful Vizagatapam, India, c.1830-50, ivory chess set in the collection of Mr Holger Langer (Collector Interview, ATG No 2550) be classed as museum quality?

A suite of solid ivory and gilt furniture sold by Christie’s on July 7 appears to be the first auction lot to benefit from the exemption to the Ivory Act allowing the sale of items of ‘outstandingly high artistic, cultural and historical value’.

An expert view on how post-Ukraine invasion restrictions are giving the art market plenty to think about

The US, UK, EU and other countries have directed a slew of sanctions and restrictive measures at Russia which have seen the closure, suspension or quietening down of operations in Russia by international banks and companies, including some major international auction houses.

The Chinese government has written to a UK auction house to demand a halt to the sale of a silver hunting flask, taken from the Summer Palace when it was sacked by British troops in 1860 during the Second Opium War.

Thieves hit TEFAF Maastricht last week, entering the venue and smashing a jewellery case on the stand of London’s Symbolic & Chase.