National Museum of Asian Art: Preserving Cultural Heritage through Rigorous Acquisition and Provenance Research

Explore Art + Culture, Programs and Initiatives at the National Museum of Asian Art

Discovering a vast array of cultural heritage items as invaluable treasures that are essential for understanding past generations and safeguarding knowledge for future generations. Unfortunately, this global market has seen an alarming increase in the illegal removal of significant artifacts from their original locations, leading to severe damage to museums and monuments, resulting in irreversible loss of archaeological remns.

Global efforts are being made worldwide to prevent cultural treasures' losses by adopting regulations, laws, professional ethics codes, which emphasize that cultural properties should not be removed, sold, or traded without the permission of legitimate representatives of the country of origin. The Smithsonian Institution has established a robust policy, The Smithsonian Institution Policy on Acquisition of Art, Antiquities, Archaeological and Ethnographic Material and Historic Objects April 13, 2015, med at guarding agnst any acquisition or exhibition that was ethically flawed, scientifically gathered or excavated in an unauthorized manner.

In alignment with local, national, international laws, treaties, conventions, and guidelines issued by American Alliance of Museums AAM and Association of Art Museum Directors AAMD, the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery's National Museum of Asian Art follows a strict process to evaluate objects for acquisition.

All acquisitions are subject to thorough provenance research the examination of ownership history, including documentation that verifies legal and ethical sourcing and compliance with all laws and regulations concerning cultural property acquisition.

Important Documents Relating to Cultural Property:

• Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the National Historic Preservation Act

• International Council of Museums' Red Lists Database

• American Antiquities Act of 1906 U.S. Code Title 16

• UNESCO Convention for the Prohibition and Prevention of Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property 1970

• Guidelines on Art Acquisition and Ancient Art 2013, Association of Art Museum Directors

• Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act

Organizations Advocating for Cultural Property Preservation:

• Advisory Council on Historic Conservation

• American Alliance of Museums

• Association of Art Museum Directors

• International Council of Museums

• UNESCO World Heritage Centre

• Department of State's Cultural Heritage Center

Provenance Research at National Museum of Asian Art:

We value inquiries regarding the provenance of works in our collection. Should you have information or questions, please contact us through eml: [email protected].

Joanna M. Gohmann, Ph.D., Provenance Researcher Object Historian,

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art

that information on this website may be updated at any time due to ongoing research or warranted changes. The Smithsonian Institution assumes no responsibility for inaccuracies, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information provided on this site. The use of this site is subject to your own discretion.

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