Restitution requests are on the rise, driving museums and collectors to grapple with the complex histories of the objects they hold.

In a recent Observer article, Chair of the Tarter Krinsky & Drogin Art Law Practice Leila Amineddoleh discusses why restitutions are so challenging, noting, “they are controversial, they involve ethical and legal questions, and they have strong diplomatic elements. Cultural items are unlike other objects—they are imbued with cultural significance. As such, some people feel objects in a transcendent way. Accordingly, cultural heritage has political and diplomatic currency.”

Read the full article here. Why Provenance Is Still the Art World’s Blind Spot | Observer