antiquities trade
Ancient object market
The antiquities trade is the buying and selling of ancient artifacts—sculptures, pottery, coins, manuscripts, and other objects from past civilizations.
The trade spans legitimate dealers, auction houses, and museums, but also includes a shadowy market in looted or smuggled items.
The antiquities trade has stripped archaeological sites across the Middle East.
Laws increasingly restrict trade in unprovenanced pieces.
- restitution claimsDemands for wrongful-loss recovery
- art dealersSellers of creative works
- auction housesFirms selling to highest bidder
- excavation sitesPlaces for archaeological digging
- private collectorsNon-institutional art buyers
international treaties · black markets · smuggling networks · ethical guidelines · appraisals · customs enforcement · burial goods · stratigraphy · pottery shards · online marketplaces · gallery exhibitions · digital archives · stolen artifacts · investment portfolios · due diligence · public awareness campaigns · country of origin · Elgin Marbles
antiquities tradeheritage preservation
Protecting historical and cultural assets
antiquities, trade, antiquity, antique, antiques, antiqued, antiquing, antiquarian, antiquarianism