Edward Elgar Publishing Research Handbook on Art, Culture and Heritage Law (Research Handbooks in Law and Society series)

This interdisciplinary Research Handbook brings together leading scholars from different disciplines to explore art, culture and heritage law, their definition, protection and contestation. It critically assesses legal frameworks and ethical practices through four challenges: sustainable development, intergenerational equity, decolonisation and cultural rights. Adopting both a theoretical and practical approach, contributors debate the key areas in art, culture and heritage law, including the nature of cultural heritage, ethics and the art market, the development of international norms on the protection of cultural heritage, repatriation and its consequences, trafficking in peacetime and the intentional destruction of heritage and looting in wartime. Chapters discuss the significance of provenance research from both legal and ethical perspectives, outlining the changeable nature of heritage objects and the connections they can forge. This Research Handbook ultimately underscores the significance of cross-disciplinary research and public participation in cultural and heritage issues, drawing insights from law, criminology and sociology. The Research Handbook on Art, Culture and Heritage Law is a valuable resource for scholars and students of law, particularly those interested in the evolution of art and cultural heritage law. It is also a necessary read for those in related fields such as criminology, archaeology, museology and cultural studies.