Abstract

In the history of the illicit art and antiquities trade, private auction houses have played major roles in encouraging the theft and smuggling of art. Two major auction houses, Sotheby's and Christie's, have been found on multiple occasions to have violated international law between the 1980s and present day. Tactics such as organized smuggling, anonymous consignment, liability warranties, and insufficient provenance research were used by the houses to facilitate the sale of stolen or forged artworks. In bypassing international law, auction houses acquired authentic art and antiquities that could generate high sale prices, which in turn increased profits for the houses by taking cuts of the sale. In recent decades, Sotheby's and Christie's have attempted to improve their practices by creating their own provenance research departments and by forming partnerships with museums to investigate their collections and organize restitution of stolen material. However, illicit objects still have appeared in recent auctions, and errors are still being made in provenance research that result in issues such as incorrect ownership attribution. Despite attempts at moving past their legacies and improving their standards, both houses have failed to make major changes.

How to Cite:

Carrik, J., (2025) “Buyer Beware: How Auction Houses Encouraged The Illicit Art Trade and Modern Changes in Practice”, Arizona Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies 11(1), 24-37.