Precious Treasure

Many people will be familiar with the export licensing of electronics, technology and weapons but this week a different kind of export licensing achieved its purpose.

The export licensing of cultural goods in the UK follows a different process to ‘normal’ export licensing but is just as rigorous.  It does though involve a rather different approach for items sold for export.   A process which I have had cause to understand in detail during my career!

 

This process was demonstrated with the gold and turquoise ring that once belonged to author Jane Austin and was recently purchased by singer Kelly Clarkson.

Under the export licensing rules Kelly Clarkson was stopped from taking the ring out of the UK by a temporary export ban.  The ban was put in place to allow interested parties in the UK to raise the money to buy the ring and thus keep in the UK what was considered an important piece of UK heritage. In this case the Jane Austen’s House Museum managed, by public donation and within the strict time limit, to raise the money needed to purchase the ring and it is now theirs to keep.

The export licensing of cultural goods can apply to any object of almost any age if it is judged to be of sufficient national interest – buyer beware!

www.morley-consulting.co.uk