via Bangkok Post, 02 Sep 2019: Last month Unesco Bangkok organised a forum for art collectors and others involved in the antiquities trade to inform and discuss issues of provenance, and laws regarding import and export of artefacts.

Popular culture tends to depict art and antique collectors as evil thieves who rob priceless treasures belonging to all of humanity. Nonetheless, many collectors and private museums say they collect for the purpose of preservation, because national entities do not have the capacity to safeguard rare objects from destruction by environmental harm and war, the actual thieves in their view.

Collecting and trading undeniably involve making profits from cultural objects, but buyers and ethical traders’ goodwill is the focus of a widespread discussion in antiquity trade circles, second only to how buyers can be certain that objects are authentic. While the issue of authenticity requires major scientific expertise, goodwill and ethical trade are intertwined in the legal aspects of acquisition, ownership and proof of good intention. Most importantly, what proves collectors’ responsibility is their knowledge and records of the artefacts’ provenance.

Protecting national treasures

Source: Protecting national treasures