Stephen Murphy takes part in Cultural Property Anti-Trafficking Workshop
On 15 of June 2023, Dr Stephen Murphy participated in a Cultural Property Anti-Trafficking Workshop hosted by the Smithsonian Institution and supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Cultural Heritage Center, in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Art Crime Program and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cultural Property, Art, and Antiquities Program. This workshop was part of an online, anti-trafficking series focused on regional cultural heritage materials. These workshops provide training for US law enforcement agents working on cases involving trafficking and the restitution of antiquities.
The workshop focused on Southeast Asia. It began with opening remarks from representatives of the governments of Cambodia and Thailand. The morning sessions then began with papers from Smithsonian Institution curators and conservators and in-region and international academics. Stephen’s paper looked at aspects of maritime trade and the circulation of objects in relation to restitution issues.
Workshops such as these are essential in bridging the gap between academics, cultural heritage specialists, and law enforcement agencies working towards restitution.
Image: A lintel returned in 2021 on display at the Skok Kok Thom Museum, Thailand. This is one of two lintels that formed the basis of a restitution claim by the Thai government from Asian Art Museum San Francisco which was discussed at the workshop. Courtesy of Stephen Murphy.
