Art exports

V&A and the Met in tug-of-war over £2m medieval ivory

The 12th-century walrus ivory sculpture represents “one of the most culturally and aesthetically significant objects” the UK government’s reviewing committee has handled in the past five years

'Will it end up on a yacht—or in a museum?' Art export licences should be reformed, suggests UK arts minister

The world is “much more connected than it was” but the criteria for issuing export bars have remained unchanged since 1952, Stephen Parkinson explains

Italian police stop sale of 'exceptional' Artemisia Gentileschi painting that may have been illegally shipped to Vienna

If judges rule that the owners of the work broke the law, the painting will be definitively confiscated by the state and could be donated to a museum

How did this gem—an ‘archaic Greek masterpiece’—end up for sale at Christie’s in New York after being banned from leaving the UK?

The Ionides Scarab sold for $250,000 in April—but it may not have been the auction house’s, nor the consigner’s, right to sell the object in the US

Legal battle over €15m Leonardo discovery: owner, Tajan auction house and French government fight it out

An export ban was placed on the drawing in 2017 but the French culture ministry has not purchased the drawing as planned

'An opportunity for bargain hunters' or a waste of time? Italy relaxes stringent export laws for Old Masters and antiques worth less than €13,500

Lower-value older works and those by artists who died less than 50 years ago no longer need an export licence to leave the country—but the process can still be slow

Roman bust seized in Germany after confusion around import laws for artefacts in transit

The bronze was taken because German law requires archaeological objects have export licences from the country of origin—but it was only travelling through to Austria from the US

Export bar placed on Turner's masterpiece The Dark Rigi

The watercolour painting, considered one of the artist's finest works, was sold to a private collector in 2006

Will the V&A buy this £7 million roundel?

Export license could be extended until November

Louvre bids to buy Rembrandt masterpiece from Rothschild collection in France

The state has deferred the painting's export licence giving the museum 30 months to find the funds

Leaked document on EU import licensing proposals is deeply concerning, say dealer associations

IADAA and CINOA argue that compromise amendments to contentious new cultural goods regulations are still too stringent and ill-defined

Owner of £10m Giotto to appeal High Court ruling that painting left Italy unlawfully

Judge finds in favour of Arts Council England, but collector Kathleen Simonis argues Italian laws are incompatible with EU free movement of goods

UK permits Nazi-looted Meissen figure to leave for Japan despite spoliation claim

There appear to be no winners in what the Arts Council refers to as an “extremely unusual” case

UK government still seeking Surrealist connoisseur mad about Dalí’s Mae West Lips sofa

Export bar placed on plush piece with asking price of more than £480,000

Italy relaxes stringent export laws for post-war art

New legislation eases movement of post-war Italian art out of the country, lifts restrictions on photography in state archives

French government places export bar on €15m Leonardo da Vinci drawing

State has 30 months to buy newly discovered work hailed as a “national treasure”<br> <br>

Hands off, it’s ours: French buyer refuses to return Joan of Arc ring to UK

Arts Council insists export licence is required for relic of the martyred Maid<br>

France and Britain prepare for battle over Joan of Arc’s ring

Jewel sold in UK for £300,000 last month has left the country—but did it have an export licence?

Bible museum founders may have illicit antiquities from Iraq

Federal investigators have seized more than 200 cuneiform tablets imported from Israel by the Green family

Are Italy’s export laws about to change?

Interest groups are putting up a united front in the hopes of reform

Plan foiled to sail off with portrait by Picasso

Spain could claim painting in private collection seized from banker's super yacht

Georg Baselitz leads fight against German cultural minister's radical proposals

Monika Grütters faced by "storm of protest" as other artists vow to withdraw works on loan to German museums if export restrictions become law

Judge decides Getty knew its Greek bronze was illegal

Italian minister asks for restitution of the Fano Athlete

Prince of Liechtenstein cancels Royal Academy show

Ruler angry over block on Coello masterpiece

Prince of Liechtenstein threatens major Royal Academy show

If one of his works is not released by the UK authorities, an exhibition drawn from his collection will be pulled

Spanish portrait bought by Prince of Liechtenstein detained in UK

The National Gallery is now trying to raise the funds to buy it