The works, which had been acquired in the past in good faith, have more recently been identified as not having the required title. Not being able to verify the export or provenance data necessary to proceed with a sale and as such they were returned voluntarily.
“Our main focus today is to return these objects and raise awareness of how vital it is to have access to all information to continue ensuring that only legitimate works are offered on the market. Research and its publication are a vital part of our work,” he said Stephen Brooks, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Christie's. “As custodians of the art that passes through our doors, we have a duty to carefully research the art and objects we handle and sell. There is an established and honorable market in the arts of the ancient world. Our due diligence processes make full use of current and available research and we continue to work closely with art loss organisations, authorities and databases to ensure we have verifiable title and provenance. “
Christie's is fully committed to eliminating any modern trade in illicit antiquities. In line with Company policy, if an item is identified and confirmed as not having the correct export or provenance data, Christie's works with all parties and authorities to try to facilitate a resolution for such work, including in some cases the return of the piece. It remains highly unusual for jobs to be withdrawn from the sales process, accounting for less than 0,8% of the hundreds of items offered.
“We would like to thank all parties involved. We are honored by the presence today of Mr. Alberto Bonisoli, Minister of Culture and we would like to thank Mr. Raffaele Trombetta, the Ambassador of Italy, for his support of this project. With even closer cooperation in the future, we hope to ensure that the required research occurs prior to catalog publication to continue to ensure that only legitimate items are offered in our auctions,” concluded Brooks.
