Culture crime news 10–16 September 2018

News

Hot this week: Another stolen Shiva

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General

Six greatest real-life heists of all time
(9 September 2018; The Economic Times)

Is it okay to steal back looted colonial-era treasures?
(12 September 2018; The Washington Post)

Africa

Edo monarch calls for return of stolen artefacts (Nigeria, UK)
(9 September 2018; Daily Trust)

Unending talks about return of stolen Benin artifacts (Nigeria, UK)
(10 September 2018; Vanguard)

Edo Fest 2018 to display pictures of stolen artefacts, cultural heritage —Commissioner (Nigeria)
(15 September 2018; Nigerian Tribune)

Plagiarism or remixing? South African photographer accuses artist of theft (South Africa)
(13 September 2018; The Guardian)

Americas

Indiana Jones and the relics of Brazil (Brazil)
(13 September 2018; The Guardian)

Gael García Bernal’s new film Museo turns Mexico’s biggest art heist into a madcap caper (Mexico)
(11 September 2018; The Art Newspaper)

Roban campanas de la iglesia en Rancho Jesús, Oaxaca (Bells from church in Rancho Jesús, Oaxaca, stolen; Mexico)
(12 September 2018; NVI Noticias)

The Bug Black Market (USA)
(8 September 2018; NPR)

Clinton woman gets 20 months for stealing from Russian Icons Museum (USA)
(11 September 2018; Telegram & Gazette)

Hillel Investigating Allegations Against Major Philanthropist (USA)
(12 September 2018; The New York Jewish Week)

Former LSU Museum volunteer died in prison after art thefts (USA)
(14 September 2018; The New Orleans Advocate)

Nazi-Looted Art: Cranach Paintings to Remain at Norton Simon Museum (USA)
(14 September 2018; The National Law Review)

Recent Finds Spur Interest in Missing Delaware Moon Dust (USA)
(12 September 2018; WBOC)

Delaware’s stolen moon dust and the man trying to track it down (USA)
(14 September 2018; Delaware Online)

First-edition Audubon prints coveted by collectors — and thieves (USA)
(14 September 2018; The New Orleans Advocate)

Nazis Stole His Renoir. His Granddaughter Finally Got It Back. (USA, France)
(12 September 2018; The New York Times)

The long, strange journey of a Renoir painting stolen by the Nazis (USA, France)
(13 September 2018; Quartz)

Nazis stole a Jewish man’s Renoir painting in 1941. Now it’s been returned to his only living heir. (USA, France)
(13 September 2018; The Washington Post)

Europe

Nazi-looted art: 4 further works from Gurlitt collection identified (Germany)
(10 September 2018; DW)

It Turns Out Cornelius Gurlitt’s Sister Hid Nazi-Looted Art, Too, as Four Drawings Are Returned to Jewish Heirs (Germany)
(11 September 2018; ArtNet News)

Cornelius Wasn’t the Only Gurlitt Sibling to Inherit Nazi-Looted Art (Germany)
(13 September 2018; Smithsonian)

Rare Stolen Antiquity Returns to Greece (Greece, UK)
(9 September 2018; Greek Reporter)

Bulgarian women on trial for damaging antiquities in Athens (Greece, Bulgaria)
(10 September 2018; DW)

Author Gail Jones on how a theft from a Palermo church inspired her novel (Italy)
(9 September 2018; Metro)

From LA dining room to Warsaw’s National Museum: Looted WWII art returned after more than 70 years (Poland, USA)
(15 September 2018; The First News)

Recuperan carta de Colón en Barcelona (Columbus letter recovered in Barcelona; Spain)
(10 September 2018; El Mañana)

El Museo Nacional de Arqueología acoge una exposición con piezas restauradas de la fragata Mercedes (The National Museum of Archaeology mounts an exhibition with restored pieces from the frigate Mercedes; Spain)
(14 September 2018; La Vanguardia)

Sweden Arrests Person Over Royal Jewels Heist (Sweden)
(13 September 2018; US News and World Report)

Cambridge art project’s 100,000 pennies all taken in a day (UK)
(11 September 2018; BBC News)

The pelican thief … police probe after golden bird statue stolen from church (UK)
(11 September 2018; Daily Post)

Court rejects claim to Matisse owned by National Gallery (UK, USA)
(11 September 2018; The Art Newspaper)

Sculptures worth thousands taken in raids at art galleries (UK)
(12 September 2018; Devon Live)

Oceania

Dancing Shiva at Art Gallery of South Australia was stolen from India (Australia, India)
(12 September 2018; ABC Australia)

Another dancing Shiva in the eye of a storm (Australia, India)
(12 September 2018; The Times of India)

South and East Asia

Buddha statue pulled from Sotheby’s auction on suspicion it may be from China Unesco site (China, USA)
(14 September 2018; South China Morning Post)

No decision on Tamil Nadu government order to transfer idol theft cases: CBI (India)
(12 September 2018; The Economic Times)

Theft Of Aurangzeb-Era Quran Copy: CBI Gives Up, HC Adjourns PIL (India)
(13 September 2018; Kashmir Observer)

Idols stolen from Jain temple in MP (India)
(13 September 2018; Business Standard)

Precious Astadhatu Idols Stolen From Radhakanta Temple Recovered (India)
(14 September 2018; Odisha TV)

Odisha: Six stolen Astadhatu idols recovered a month after (India)
(15 September 2018; The New Indian Express)

Hyderabad police recovers gold tiffin box, artifacts stolen from Nizam’s Museum; nabs two (India)
(11 September 2018; International Business Times)

Hyderabad: Security to be beefed up in Nizam’s Museum (India)
(13 September 2018; The New Indian Express)