Monday, June 04, 2012

Court ruling on gold cuneiform tablet

SOME NEWS ON THAT GOLD CUNEIFORM TABLET:
Nazi Victim’s Family Told to Return Artifact

By PATRICIA COHEN (NYT
Published: June 1, 2012

A state appellate court in Brooklyn has ordered the family of a Holocaust survivor to return an ancient gold tablet to a German museum.

[...]

Raymond J. Dowd, the lawyer who represented the museum and who has represented the families of Holocaust victims trying to recover lost art, called the decision historically significant.

“The principle that property taken unlawfully should be returned is consistent with the rights of Holocaust victims,” he said. “This precedent will help those seeking return of stolen works that are museums not only in the U.S. but throughout Europe.”

But a lawyer for the family, Seth A. Presser, said the decision had “caused a remarkably inequitable result” and that it would be appealed.

“We believe that the court has misapprehended certain facts and, as a result, misapplied New York law,” he said.

[...]
Via the Agade list. Background here.