Legal Information:

In recent years the illegal trade of antiquities has been rampant, posing a significant threat to cultural heritage preservation worldwide. Which is why it’s so important to only buy pieces with trackable provenance’s or pieces from dealers and associations registered with CINOA.

Generally, antiquities from other countries are legally purchasable and ownable in the US under certain conditions:

  1. They have well-documented pre-1970 provenance.

  2. They are accompanied by a valid Export Permit.

  3. They were imported into the US before the effective date of the US Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the country of origin.

These MOUs also delineate which types of items are subject to the agreement, with variations existing between countries. For specifics, refer to the US Bilateral Agreements.

As of August 2017, the US has MOUs with the following countries and their respective effective dates:

  • Belize: February 27, 2013

  • Bolivia: December 4, 2001

  • Bulgaria: January 14, 2014

  • Cambodia: September 19, 2003

  • China: January 14, 2009

  • Colombia: March 17, 2006

  • Cyprus: July 16, 2002

  • Egypt: November 30, 2016

  • El Salvador: March 8, 1996

  • Greece: July 7, 2011

  • Guatemala: September 29, 1997

  • Honduras: March 12, 2004

  • Italy: January 19, 2001

  • Mali: September 19, 1997

  • Nicaragua: June 16, 1999

  • Peru: June 9, 1997

  • Iraq* (Emergency Protection Acts): April 30, 2008

  • Syria* (Emergency Protection Acts): May 9, 2016

In essence, any item with documentation proving its presence in the US before the relevant MOU's effective date is typically legal to purchase and own in the US. Additionally, items from countries without an MOU are generally legal, barring evidence of theft or illegal export. The majority of pieces in our inventory come with documented proof of their presence in the US before the relevant MOU took effect.

-Information courtesy of Edgar L Owen, please visit his store Here.