from The Art Newspaper -
The time has come for a statute of limitations
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from The Guardian -
Should all looted art be returned?
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In the complex (and excruciating) debate on restitution of cultural artefacts, the motivation for advancing such claims are often hidden. Financial gains, national agenda, or just simple pride, are all thrown into the mix. And often, one motivation is often cited while the real driving force is yet another.

It is near impossible to accurately divine motivations. Hence the next best approach is to put in place a set of agreed practices. Acquisitions to be made by museums are already governed by internal guidelines and international conventions on establishing provenance.

However, the sticking point is what to do with cultural artefacts already in the collection of world-renowned museums. Long-standing efforts by various countries to recover cultural artefacts are seeing moderate success, in turn fueling fears that well-established museums will be left empty.

See earlier posts:

"Sharon Waxman's 'Loot': A Definitive History of the Antiquities Wars"

"Towards a Ceasefire in the Antiquities Wars: The Next Step"

"Antiquities, the World Is Your Homeland"

"Finders, keepers"
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