Countering art crime to protect the world's cultural heritage

Fruits of research

Cranfield’s researchers pioneered the use of the latest low and non-destructive analytical approaches, normally used for crime scene investigations, for working on art crime cases. The approach allows trace elements from an object to be analysed and compared with similar objects of a confirmed provenance, providing critical scientific evidence on location of origin and dating.

The work focused on techniques for examining high-value art objects, securing evidence that could be used for criminal prosecutions against forgers and smugglers — and, in particular, how to carry out analysis of museum art, such as early glass and glazed porcelain objects, too precious to take samples from.

The University’s Forensic Laboratory was used to explore the potential of X-Ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) (where elements in an object are identified via induced emission of characteristic X-Rays); Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), allowing for analysis of objects in their natural, uncoated state; and, Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICPMS), where a laser is used to obtain micro-samples.

The Cranfield team was the first to establish a database of evidence from a range of specific types of dated objects: the all-important baseline that suspected fakes and smuggled items could be judged against.

Objects from established museum and private collections were examined using the new techniques to create a timeline of the different compositions for different parts of objects (such as bodies, glazes and pigment decorations). This included, for example, analysis of Meissen porcelain from the Hoffmeister collection, one of the largest and best dated collections in the world; along with Sevres and English porcelain; Chinese blue and white and famille rose porcelain. Cranfield’s forensic methods were also applied to glass from the very beginning of glassmaking, 1500 BC, right through to the 19th century.

Re-building trust in the art market

Art is the third biggest criminal market, after drugs and weapons, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Thieves steal between $4 and $6 billion worth of art objects — often causing damage, undermining trust in the authenticity and provenance, and blighting a global art market worth more than £50 billion. Looted antiquities are also know by law enforcement bodies to be a significant source of insurgent and terrorist funding.

With only limited resources available to policing operations for art crime, businesses and cultural institutions are the focus of pressure to prove they are dealing in works with established provenance.

Cranfield’s work has opened up a whole new realm of defence against criminals and a means of securing trust in the authenticity of high value art:

• establishing which items in various important collections of European porcelain might be 19th century copies rather than 18th century originals for auction house Bonhams (and so worth thousands rather than tens of thousands of pounds). The resulting confidence helped a world-record price to be obtained for a porcelain snuff box in one of the sales;
• carrying out ongoing work with Bonhams, Christies and Sothebys, as well as other auction houses on their very high value or potentially controversial pieces;
• taking on a wide range of commercially or historically sensitive commissions from more than 20 museums and collectors worldwide, including UK Museums and institutions in North America and Europe; this included work on other European wares such as majolica, Limoges enamels, Islamic glass, early and Roman glass — and Chinese porcelain, where booming demand over the past 30 years has meant a trend for copies;
• building relationships with police and trading standards bodies nationally; the Metropolitan Police Arts and Antiques Unit has used Cranfield as its primary source of scientific advice on seized or discovered antiquities, including historic art treasures from Egypt, Iraq and Syria;
• And as a result of these successes, the methods have become established as a model of good practice, with other universities purchasing LA-ICPMS equipment and extending the availability of services to the art market.