One database check is useful, but it is not a clean-title certificate
Before buying an archaeological object or other cultural property, a collector should ask whether it may be stolen or unlawfully exported. INTERPOL maintains resources concerning stolen works of art and cultural-heritage crime, including a database search channel. A record match can be a serious warning. A no-match result does not prove that the object is lawful, authentic or unencumbered.
Databases reflect what has been reported and recorded. Some losses are never reported, some descriptions are incomplete, and objects can be photographed differently across time. Treat the search as one step in a wider evidence review, not as a warranty.
What to gather before checking
- Clear photographs of the front, back, base, markings and any distinctive damage.
- Dimensions, material, proposed region and period, and any inventory number.
- Copies of invoices, collection labels and older catalog references.
- A written record of who supplied each piece of information and when.
- The exact sales description as offered, rather than a cleaned-up version of the claim.
Use the object's distinctive features when searching, not only its generic label. “Ancient vase” is too broad to be a useful sole identifier.
Where to begin
Use INTERPOL's official Stolen Works of Art Database information. Review the current access and search instructions rather than relying on a third-party “clearance certificate” sold online. Check the U.S. State Department's current cultural-property restrictions if an item is being imported to the United States, and consider relevant national laws for the reported country of origin and export.
If you find a credible match, preserve the listing and the records and seek appropriate professional or legal guidance. Do not contact an unverified seller with accusations based only on a rough visual resemblance.
Write down the search limitations
Create a dated research note: exact search terms, identifiers examined, which database or guidance page you consulted, and what remained unresolved. A screenshot alone may not document the search comprehensively. Keep the note with the object's accession file and revise it when new information appears.
Even a clean-looking database search cannot answer questions about archaeological site looting, export law, the validity of a provenance chain or false attribution. Our provenance documentation guide and authenticity red flags cover those separate issues.
Better buying decisions
Pause or decline a purchase when the seller cannot show credible ownership history or when import/export issues remain unclear. If the object is primarily decorative or educational, an openly labeled replica avoids many of the problems associated with undocumented antiquities.