In 2020, more than 28,000 cultural goods were seized by French customs. In association with customs, the French archaeological mission in Libya and the anti-trafficking office.

"Traffic in Antiquities": an exhibition at the Louvre Museum

One of the four funeral statues looted in the ancient Greek city of Cyrene in Libya, then seized by French customs, here on display at the Louvre on May 21, 2021 in Paris.

AFP - ALAIN JOCARD

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

In 2020, more than 28,000 cultural goods were seized by French customs.

In association with customs, the French archaeological mission in Libya and the office for the fight against the trafficking of cultural goods, the Louvre museum in Paris allows its public to see works seized in France in 2012 and 2016 while they are were going to be exported illegally.

An unprecedented presentation until December 13 which contributes to the fight against the trafficking of works of art and antiques.

Publicity

Next to the bas-reliefs surely originating in Syria, four funerary half-statues from the ancient Greek city of Cyrene in Libya.

That is to say six visible pieces and one objective, explains Ludovic Laugier, curator of the Parisian museum, interviewed by

Raphaël Thomas

, of the Culture department: "

Raising the general public's awareness of the fight against trafficking, because it is kind of everyone's business. the world antiques trafficking.
If it is more difficult to sell the works, they will be trafficked less.

The courts authorized the exhibition of the works despite legal proceedings still ongoing.

A first for the museum and its Department of Antiquities.

Antiquities are conducive to looting because archaeological sites are often vast and difficult to keep,"

continues Ludovic Laugier

.
And then there are areas that are not even referenced as archaeological sites, so anyone who then wants to withdraw money for their own benefit can go into the field quite easily to loot the sites and especially the necropolises and tombs. .

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See also: Trafficking in works of art: blood antiquities at the IMA in Paris

Two million pounds sterling

On the market these coins can reach several hundred thousand euros.

Sometimes much more, according to archaeologist Vincent Michel: “

For the best preserved, we have a parallel which has been seized in England, which has been estimated at two million pounds sterling.

»Here, the Louvre is just a stopover.

The goal,"

explains Vincent Michel, "

is precisely to ensure that the state which has been stolen can recover all of its heritage."

The fight against trafficking has already allowed several renditions.

In February, thousands of looted objects were returned to Morocco.

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To listen: Grand Reportage - antiques trafficking, everyone's business

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The president of the Musée d'Orsay Laurence des Cars will direct the Louvre

The president of the Musée d'Orsay, Laurence des Cars, was chosen to replace Jean-Luc Martinez from September 1 at the head of the Louvre, which he had directed since 2013, the Élysée said on Wednesday May 26.

Laurence des Cars, 54, art historian, will become the first woman to become the head of the largest museum in the world.

"Traffic in Antiquities": an exhibition at the Louvre Museum

"Traffic in Antiquities": an exhibition at the Louvre Museum

Two million pounds sterling

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