Stolen, sold, and destroyed
Sacred art is alive: it is a major component of the identities of living people and communities. Theft of sacred art is theft from everyone. Destruction of sacred items is profoundly destabilizing. The theft, trafficking, and destruction of sacred art is a special subset of the larger study of the movement of illicit art and antiquities. It has its own unique causes and, perhaps, its own unique solutions.
The purpose of this site is to try to understand this phenomenon better by collecting information. Find here articles and papers about the theft and destruction of the art and architecture of the world’s religious traditions and documentation of efforts to protect these sites and items.
Bringing the goddess home
(India; Canada)S. Vijay Kumar (2020). Bringing the goddess home. Mumbai Mirror. 13 December.
Nisga'a woman spearheads new effort to repatriate family house pole from Europe
(Canada; United Kingdom)Denise Ryan (2020). Nisga'a woman spearheads new effort to repatriate family house pole from Europe. Vancouver Sun. 12 December.
Smithsonian and Berlin museums join forces to investigate Asian art provenance
(Germany; United States of America)Catherine Hickley (2020). Smithsonian and Berlin museums join forces to investigate Asian art provenance. The Art Newspaper. 10 December.
Dutch government criticizes its own policy on Holocaust-stolen art
(Netherlands)Cnaan Liphshiz (2020). Dutch government criticizes its own policy on Holocaust-stolen art. The Times of Israel. 9 December.
Supreme court hears arguments in landmark cases over art stolen by Nazis during Holocaust
(United States of America)Ed Pilkington (2020). Supreme court hears arguments in landmark cases over art stolen by Nazis during Holocaust. The Guardian. 8 December.