Assessing the illegal trade in cultural property from a public policy perspective

Siobhan Ni Chonaill, Anais Reding, Lorenzo Valeri

ResearchPublished Mar 29, 2011

The aim of this research is to explore new ways of curtailing the illegal trade in cultural property. Despite a range of legislative and policy interventions, the trade in illicit art and antiquities continues to flourish, resulting in damage to the arts, scholarship and heritage. Through an exploration of existing intervention tools, two case studies and a set of key informant interviews, this study demonstrates the existing difficulties in curtailing the market in cultural property and explores the potential for new policy interventions. More specifically, we map the supply chain for the illegal trade in cultural property and explore the failures of current policy interventions through two case studies, the Medici trading cartel and the Beit collection robberies. We conclude with a number of research and policy conclusions.

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Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web-Only
  • Year: 2011
  • Pages: 46
  • Document Number: DB-602-RE

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Ni Chonaill, Siobhan, Anais Reding, and Lorenzo Valeri, Assessing the illegal trade in cultural property from a public policy perspective. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2011. https://www.rand.org/pubs/documented_briefings/DB602.html.
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