New regulations relating to anti-seizure legislation passed by parliament late last year came into force last month.
The Protection of Cultural Objects on Loan (Publication and Provision of Information) Regulations 2008 is associated with part six of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007. This immunity from seizure legislation, which covers objects on loan from other countries for temporary exhibitions, was originally scheduled to come into effect in February.
But the Russian ministry of culture's threat to withdraw works from the Royal Academy's From Russia, French and Russian Master Paintings 1870-1925 show last December prompted former culture secretary James Purnell to speed through the legislation at the end of 2007.
Institutions that seek protection for works on loan from abroad must first be approved by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Evidence of due diligence procedures "for establishing the provenance and ownership of objects" must be provided to gain approved status.
The DCMS is to appoint an expert adviser who will assist in the process of selecting museums wishing to benefit from the immunity. A condition of the new legislation is that borrowing institutions must publish online information about the lender, type of object, details of provenance and, if possible, a history of ownership from 1933 to 1945.
The British Museum (BM) has, for example, listed on its website more than 100 objects it plans to borrow for the Hadrian exhibition (24 July- 26 October), with full lender and provenance descriptions.
"We welcome this process," said a BM spokeswoman. "We have chosen to list all the loans coming for the Hadrian exhibition, but this is not to say that all lenders have requested immunity from seizure. The British Museum, as part of due diligence on all the material it borrows, complies to DCMS/Unesco/National Museum Directors' Conference procedures on checking provenance."
The Protection of Cultural Objects on Loan (Publication and Provision of Information) Regulations 2008 is associated with part six of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007. This immunity from seizure legislation, which covers objects on loan from other countries for temporary exhibitions, was originally scheduled to come into effect in February.
But the Russian ministry of culture's threat to withdraw works from the Royal Academy's From Russia, French and Russian Master Paintings 1870-1925 show last December prompted former culture secretary James Purnell to speed through the legislation at the end of 2007.
Institutions that seek protection for works on loan from abroad must first be approved by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Evidence of due diligence procedures "for establishing the provenance and ownership of objects" must be provided to gain approved status.
The DCMS is to appoint an expert adviser who will assist in the process of selecting museums wishing to benefit from the immunity. A condition of the new legislation is that borrowing institutions must publish online information about the lender, type of object, details of provenance and, if possible, a history of ownership from 1933 to 1945.
The British Museum (BM) has, for example, listed on its website more than 100 objects it plans to borrow for the Hadrian exhibition (24 July- 26 October), with full lender and provenance descriptions.
"We welcome this process," said a BM spokeswoman. "We have chosen to list all the loans coming for the Hadrian exhibition, but this is not to say that all lenders have requested immunity from seizure. The British Museum, as part of due diligence on all the material it borrows, complies to DCMS/Unesco/National Museum Directors' Conference procedures on checking provenance."
