Repatriation of Ancient Artifacts to Italy
Yesterday Amineddoleh & Associates LLC had the honor of attending the repatriation ceremony for a collection of ancient artifacts returned to the Italian Republic. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. recognized the importance of returning antiquities and honoring their repatriation with a ceremony and press release. He noted that the trade in looted objects signals the willingness of collectors and institutions to condone this harmful practice, and that efforts should be made to halt the trade in looted works. The seized pieces were returned to the Consul General of Italy in New York, Francesco Genuardi who thanked the DA for “achieving another important result in the fight against the international smuggling of antique artifacts.”
The role of Amineddoleh & Associates LLC in the ongoing federal seizures and repatriations is as an expert legal consultant on the topic of international cultural patrimony laws. The Republic of Italy arguably has the best laws protecting cultural patrimony, or at least some of the most stringent and protective ones. In addition, Italian law enforcement agents have been celebrated for their successful protection and recovery of artifacts. The Comando Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturale (the Carabinieri Headquarters for the Protection of Cultural Heritage) is the best trained and most successful unit protecting heritage sites, preemptively halting the plunder of heritage, and demanding the return of nationally owned objects.
Yesterday’s repatriation ceremony after the seizure should be viewed as an example to collectors, dealers, and other art institutions. The US government treats these crimes seriously and will pursue the rightful return of plundered goods. Assistant District Attorney, and famed cultural heritage preservationist, Matthew Bogdanos, is a inspiring advocate for the rightful restitution of cultural property. During the ceremony, he spoke about the well-documented cultural plunder that occurred in Italy, and the impossibility of determining the number of objects that have been looted. Some have appeared on the art market, however many are still hidden in private and public collections. Congratulations to the US and Italian agents working on this case!
The repatriated objects will be displayed at the General Consulate of Italy in NY, and then displayed at museums located in Italy.
http://manhattanda.org/press-release/8th-century-bce-bronze-statues-among-collection-ancient-artifacts-being-repatriated-it
http://www.kiro7.com/news/looted-statues-pottery-returned-to-italy-after-probe-in-nyc/526609581