Paperless Objects Can't be Sold in Germany

Many works have already been shipped
to London in anticipation of the law change.

The sky is falling!!The sky is falling!! "German auctioneers are preparing to move sales abroad following the passing of new cultural heritage law!! (so writes Roland Arkell on 18th Jul 2016 for the Antiques Trade Gazette). The end of civilization as we know it is no doubt just round the corner. German auctioneers are reportedly preparing to move sales abroad to avoid having to provide proper collecting histories following the passing of a new cultural heritage law:

Sales of Asian art, heavily dependent upon an overseas audience, will be the first to move from German soil. Under the new due diligence guidelines, the Kulturgutschutzgesetz demands proof of provenance before ‘cultural goods’ are sold – paperwork that is often not available. [...] Many items need to be accompanied by an export licence from the country of origin before they can be offered for sale.

 and oh dear, what a tragedy, in an effort to prevent these people selling off cultural property without controls, in order to have some chance to define works and objects which should should not be sold off to the highest foreign bidder and in order to keep some in Germany:

Export licences are also required when these items [...] are sold to a foreign buyer.

Welcome to the 1970 UNESCO Convention... 46 years late. Why should the foreign buyer dictate what cultural property the German people can have and what they will lose? So Nagel’s sales of Asian art when the items have no paperwork will move to Salzburg in Austria (don't they need any paperwork there too?). Lempertz in Cologne say they will be moving sales of Asian art to Brussels.

They told ATG this represents an administrative headache – individual consignors must apply to move their items out of the country – but it will allow items to be sold without the need to prove their recent history or for the red-tape of export licences.

It is reported that the German market currently accounts for 2% of the global art trade. When it comes to antiquities the German market is one of the main clearing hoses for all sorts of stuff from all sorts of sources. it is good that a start has been made on cleaning it up - a decision which no doubt will please responsible collectors.