Anaïs Mattez — Cultural Heritage and the Law
I am a researcher and PhD candidate at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), School of Law
Selected Publications
(2024). When Did Everyone Start Talking About Heritage Restitution? And What Does International Law Have to Do with This? in International Law, Völkerrechtsblog.
(2024). Cultural Treasures and Their Place of Origin: Crimean Treasures Return to Kyiv, in Heritage in War and Peace. Legal and Political Perspectives for Future Protection, Springer.
(2023). Restitution of Cultural Property: The Rise and Fall of a Cosmopolitan Ideal, International Journal of Heritage Studies: IJHS, 2023.
(2023). book review. Implementing the World Heritage Convention: Dimensions of Compliance by E. Hamman and H. Holleland, Asian Journal of International Law, 13(2), 395–396. Cambridge University Press.
(2022) Ethnonationalism and Cultural Heritage Law in Myanmar. Santander Art and Culture Law Review, 217–244, 2022.
(2020). Unidroit at 25: A Matter of Equilibrium. The Journal of Art, Crime, 24, 2020, 85–87. (co- authored with G. Giardini)
Restitution of Cultural Properties in the Age of Internationalism and National Identities
My research explores the restitution of cultural objects and the decolonisation of heritage more generally. In my doctoral dissertation, I analyse the ideological undertones and political influences surrounding the implementation of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property/
My disseration sets to answer the question: what kind of legal principle justifies the restitution of cultural treasures in the 21st century?
I found that early disputes over cultural objects were primarily concerned with the proof of a particular title of ownership. Recently, however, the existence of historical, spiritual, or religious connections to an object seems to hold a place of high importance in decisions regarding restitution, even in mainstream case law doctrine.
