Previously, the Smithsonian held that its museums were entitled to retain an artifact so long as its provenance rested on solid legal ground.
Restitutions
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Restitution of Franz Marc Painting Sets New Precedent for Art Sold Under Nazi Duress
Germany’s advisory commission recommended the work be returned even though it was sold “outside of the National Socialist sphere of influence.”
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In Surprise Ruling, Kandinsky Painting Will Not Be Returned to Jewish Collector Heirs
The Amsterdam District Court rejected claims from the heirs of a Jewish art collector that a 1909 painting by Kandinsky in Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum was sold under Nazi-era duress and should be returned.
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Artist Discovers a Looted Statue in a Canadian Museum’s Collection, Leading to Its Repatriation
After Divya Mehra uncovered the colonial history behind a misidentified 18th-century statue, the Mackenzie Art Gallery repatriated it and acquired Mehra’s work about the figure in its stead.
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After Years of Repatriation Debates, France’s Benin Restitution Bill Approved
Meanwhile, a new report commissioned by the Dutch culture minister suggests the return of “any cultural objects looted in former Dutch colonies if the source country so requests.”
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Activists Stand Trial for Protest in French Museum Over Plundered Artifacts
Members of a Pan-African group stood trial in Paris on charges of attempted theft for an action staged at the city’s Quai Branly Museum.