“This Is Not Over,” AC Executive Director Tess Davis Tells the Telegraph Following Death of Disgraced Art Dealer
August 20, 2020
Douglas Latchford, a now notorious antiquities trafficker, died at the age of 89 on August 2 in Bangkok, his family told The Art Newspaper. Once renowned as an expert in ancient Cambodian art, as well as a trusted dealer, his legacy has since been soured by a U.S. federal indictment unsealed at the end of November 2019, alleging that Latchford had spent decades trafficking looted artifacts into the West through fraudulent means. Latchford’s death will make it far more difficult for investigators to track down his own personal collection—goods that rightfully belong to the people of Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries.
“His collection is still out there, somewhere, and it remains the stolen property of the Cambodian people,” Antiquities Coalition Executive Director Tess Davis told reporters with the Telegraph, who on August 15 published a story about the art community’s calls for the repatriation of artifacts sold by Latchford. “Possession of stolen property is a crime—a continuing crime. This is not over.”
“Now, from Cambodia, to Hong Kong, to Bangkok, there are many people out there who have much valuable information,” Davis added. “I hope they do the right thing and come forward.”
Read the full story from the Telegraph here.