Preserving History with Integrity

Objects Covered by This Policy:

This policy applies to objects considered for purchase, consignment, sale, trade, research, valuation, or other commercial handling by Relic & Rarity, including:

• Archaeological and ancient objects
• Ethnographic and Indigenous cultural material
• Religious and devotional objects
• Human remains and funerary material
• Fossils and natural-history specimens
• Arms, armour, militaria, and conflict-related material
• Manuscripts, archives, maps, and historic documents
• Coins, seals, jewellery, sculpture, ceramics, glass, and metalwork
• Objects containing ivory, bone, horn, shell, coral, feathers, skins, or other wildlife materials
• Items originating from regions affected by conflict, looting, political instability, or widespread illicit excavation

The presence of an object in a prior collection, auction, dealer inventory, publication, or exhibition does not automatically establish lawful ownership or export. Previous market history is considered as one part of the overall review.

Relic & Rarity supports the objectives and guiding principles of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.

The Convention encourages participating states to prevent illicit trafficking, strengthen documentation, restrict unlawful import and export, and support the return of cultural property removed contrary to applicable law. In Canada, these obligations are principally addressed through the Cultural Property Export and Import Act.

The year 1970 is an important reference point in responsible collecting, but it is not an automatic test of legality. An object documented outside its country of origin before 1970 may still require further review. Likewise, an object entering the market after 1970 is not necessarily unlawful when its ownership and movement are supported by appropriate evidence and comply with applicable laws.

When reviewing archaeological or culturally significant material, we seek credible evidence that the object:

• was outside its country of origin before 1970;
  
• was lawfully exported after 1970; or
  
• has another reasonable and documented basis supporting lawful ownership and circulation.
  

Where satisfactory evidence is unavailable, Relic & Rarity may decline the object even when no theft report, ownership claim, or database record has been identified.

Our acquisition procedures are informed by the principles and objectives of the UNESCO 1970 Convention.

Relic & Rarity conducts its activities with consideration for the laws and regulations governing the acquisition, ownership, import, export, sale, and shipment of cultural property.

Depending on the object and transaction, our review may consider:

• Canadian federal, provincial, and territorial requirements
  
• Laws and export controls in the object’s country of origin
  
• Import requirements in the buyer’s destination country
  
• Customs, sanctions, and trade restrictions
  
• Wildlife and endangered-species regulations
  
• Requirements affecting archaeological material, human remains, funerary or sacred objects, fossils, arms, and other controlled property
  

Cultural property may be restricted from entering Canada when its sale or export is prohibited or controlled by its country of origin. Certain cultural or heritage objects may also require a Canadian export permit when they fall within the Canadian Cultural Property Export Control List and meet the applicable criteria.

Each decision is based on the object, available documentation, intended destination, and circumstances of the transaction. Where additional guidance is required, we may consult customs brokers, legal professionals, government agencies, scholars, conservators, or other qualified specialists.

Anyone offering an object to Relic & Rarity may be asked to provide information and documentation sufficient to establish their identity, ownership, and legal authority to transfer the object.

Depending on the nature of the item, we may request:

• Full name, contact information, and government-issued identification
  
• Confirmation of lawful ownership or authority to act for the owner
  
• Details of when, where, and how the object was acquired
  
• Previous ownership, estate, or collection history
  
• Auction invoices, dealer receipts, bills of sale, or inheritance records
  
• Import, export, customs, or permit documentation
• Earlier catalogues, publications, appraisals, certificates, or collection records
  
• Photographs of labels, inscriptions, collection numbers, repairs, or other identifying features
  
• Written authorization where the seller is acting on behalf of another person, estate, trust, or organization
  

Seller and Consignor Declaration

By submitting an object to Relic & Rarity, the seller or consignor represents that they have lawful title to the object, or valid authority to act on behalf of its lawful owner. They also confirm that the information provided is accurate to the best of their knowledge and that they are unaware of any theft report, ownership dispute, lien, seizure, restitution claim, export violation, or other legal restriction affecting the object.

Relic & Rarity may request additional information or documentation at any stage. We are not obligated to proceed with an acquisition or consignment where the information provided is incomplete, inconsistent, unverifiable, or otherwise insufficient to support responsible transfer and ownership.

Relic & Rarity follows a risk-based due-diligence process. The level of review varies according to the object’s age, origin, material, value, cultural significance, ownership history, and the circumstances in which it is offered.

Greater scrutiny may be applied to archaeological material, culturally sensitive objects, recently surfaced items, objects associated with conflict-affected regions, regulated wildlife materials, and pieces with limited or unclear provenance.

Our review may include:

Initial Identification

We assess the object’s apparent culture, period, material, function, condition, and probable geographic origin.

Seller and Ownership Review

We consider how and when the object was acquired, how long it has been held, where it was previously located, and whether supporting documentation is available.

Relevant records may include invoices, auction catalogues, collection labels, photographs, correspondence, publications, estate documents, certificates, and import or export records.

Legal and Export Review

Where appropriate, we consider whether permits, licences, customs declarations, or evidence of lawful export or import may have been required.

Database and Public-Record Searches

Depending on the object and its risk profile, we may review stolen-property databases, published loss notices, auction archives, museum collections, dealer catalogues, and other available records.

Comparative Research

The object may be compared with documented examples in museum collections, academic publications, excavation reports, auction catalogues, and specialist literature.

Specialist Consultation

Where additional expertise is required, we may consult scholars, conservators, scientists, appraisers, customs professionals, or other qualified specialists.

Scientific or Technical Testing

Scientific testing may be commissioned when appropriate and reasonably necessary. Methods may include radiography, microscopy, material analysis, thermoluminescence testing, radiocarbon dating, pigment analysis, or wood and species identification.

Testing is selective and is not performed on every object.

Final Review

The available evidence is considered as a whole before an acquisition or consignment decision is made. No single certificate, database result, prior auction record, scientific test, or specialist opinion is treated as automatically conclusive.

Where significant concerns remain unresolved, Relic & Rarity may decline, suspend, or withdraw the object.

Provenance is the documented or reported history of an object’s ownership, custody, location, and movement through the market. It can help establish where an object has been, who previously owned it, and whether its history supports lawful and responsible circulation.

Supporting evidence may include:

• Original invoices, receipts, and bills of sale
  
• Dated photographs and collection inventories
  
• Auction catalogues and dealer records
  
• Export permits and customs documentation
  
• Publications and exhibition records
  
• Estate, inheritance, or probate documents
  
• Labels, inscriptions, collection numbers, and correspondence
  

When reviewing provenance, we may consider:

• The identity and credibility of known owners
  
• The dates and locations of previous ownership
  
• Whether the ownership history is internally consistent
  
• Whether documented dates align with relevant export restrictions
  
• Whether the object appears in earlier photographs, catalogues, publications, or inventories
  
• Whether labels, receipts, inscriptions, or collection numbers can be verified
  
• Whether gaps in the ownership history are reasonable or concerning
  
• Whether the object’s condition is consistent with its reported history
  
• Whether it may be associated with a region affected by conflict, looting, or illicit excavation
  

Transparency in Provenance Descriptions

A provenance summary may contain documented facts, information reported by a previous owner, or qualified statements such as:

• Formerly in a private collection
  
• By repute
  
• Reportedly acquired
  
• Sold through a named dealer or auction house
  
• Property of an estate
  
• Acquired before a stated date
  

These terms are not interchangeable and do not carry the same evidentiary weight. Where information is based primarily on a seller’s statement rather than independent documentation, qualified language may be used to reflect that distinction.

Many historical objects, particularly those collected decades ago, do not retain a continuous written ownership history from their place of origin to the present day. The absence of early documentation does not by itself establish that an object was unlawfully acquired or exported, but it may increase risk and require additional review.

Where early provenance is incomplete, we may consider:

• The object’s earliest verifiable collection or market appearance
  
• Whether it was held in a long-established private or institutional collection
  
• Dated photographs, labels, inventories, correspondence, or insurance records
  
• Records associated with previous dealers or auction houses
  
• The object’s country or probable region of origin
  
• The date and scope of relevant source-country ownership or export restrictions
  
• Whether similar material has been widely affected by looting, illicit excavation, or trafficking
  
• Whether the seller’s account is detailed, credible, and internally consistent
  
• Whether significant concerns remain after further research
  

Relic & Rarity may consider an object with incomplete early provenance where the available evidence provides a reasonable and supportable basis for lawful ownership and circulation.

We may decline, suspend, or withdraw an object where substantial gaps cannot be reasonably addressed or where the risk of unlawful excavation, removal, export, or ownership is considered too high.

Cultural-property laws vary between countries. An object that may be lawfully owned or sold in Canada can still require permits, declarations, licences, or supporting documentation before entering another jurisdiction.

Depending on the object and destination, Relic & Rarity may obtain or retain:

• Canadian export permits
  
• Import and customs declarations
  
• Commercial invoices and shipping records
  
• Country-of-origin or prior-ownership documentation
  
• CITES permits or wildlife certificates
  
• Archaeological or cultural-property licences
  
• Certificates issued by heritage or government authorities
  
• Evidence that an object was outside its country of origin before relevant restrictions took effect
  

Under Canada’s Cultural Property Export and Import Act, certain cultural and heritage objects require an export permit before leaving Canada. Objects outside the Canadian Cultural Property Export Control List may not require a cultural-property permit, although other Canadian laws or export requirements may still apply.

Our Responsibility as the Exporter

Relic & Rarity is responsible for ensuring that each object is exported from Canada in accordance with applicable Canadian law. Where a Canadian export permit, declaration, licence, or other authorization is required, we will obtain or complete it before shipment.

We will not knowingly export an object from Canada without the documentation or authorization required under Canadian law.

Buyer Import Responsibility

The lawful export of an object from Canada does not guarantee that it can be imported, possessed, or delivered in every country.

The buyer is solely responsible for:

• Confirming that the object may be legally imported into the destination country
  
• Obtaining any destination-country permits, licences, approvals, or registrations
  
• Paying applicable duties, taxes, brokerage charges, storage costs, and government fees
  
• Complying with restrictions concerning cultural property, wildlife materials, human remains, fossils, arms, sacred objects, or other regulated material
  
• Providing any information or documentation requested by customs or destination-country authorities
  

Relic & Rarity will provide available documentation and reasonable assistance; however, we cannot guarantee admission by foreign customs authorities or acceptance by a particular carrier.

Shipment Restrictions

We may delay, modify, or decline shipment until all required Canadian export documents have been obtained and any known destination-country requirements have been reasonably addressed.

Where an object cannot be lawfully exported from Canada, or where the risks of seizure, refusal, or unlawful import are considered too high, Relic & Rarity may decline the transaction or restrict the countries to which the object can be shipped.

Relic & Rarity does not knowingly acquire, consign, or sell stolen property.

Relic & Rarity works with the Art Loss Register as part of our commitment to responsible acquisition and the screening of appropriate artifacts. Learn more about this relationship and our professional affiliations on our Accreditations & Memberships page.

As part of our due-diligence process, appropriate objects may be checked against the Art Loss Register, the world’s largest private database of stolen and missing art, antiques, and collectibles. Depending on the object’s significance, value, provenance, and risk profile, we may also review:

• The INTERPOL Stolen Works of Art Database
  
• Museum and institutional loss notices
  
• National or regional stolen-property records
  
• Auction-house and dealer archives
  
• Published restitution or ownership claims
  
• Public law-enforcement notices
  
• Relevant academic and cultural-heritage resources
  

Limits of Database Screening

A negative database search does not conclusively establish lawful ownership, export, or clear title. Many stolen, looted, or illegally excavated objects were never photographed, inventoried, or formally reported.

Database screening is therefore one part of our broader provenance and ownership review rather than a guarantee that no competing claim exists.

Responding to a Possible Match or Claim

Where an object appears to match a stolen, missing, or disputed item, Relic & Rarity may:

• Immediately suspend the acquisition, sale, or shipment
  
• Preserve all available records, photographs, and correspondence
  
• Request further ownership and provenance documentation
  
• Contact the Art Loss Register, relevant institution, prior owner, or insurer
  
• Consult police, customs authorities, cultural-property agencies, or legal counsel
  
• Withhold transfer or return where required by law or official direction
  
• Cooperate with any lawful investigation, recovery, or restitution process
  

Relic & Rarity may decline or withdraw an object whenever concerns regarding ownership, theft, loss, seizure, or restitution cannot be satisfactorily resolved.

Human remains and associated funerary material require heightened care, dignity, legal review, and cultural sensitivity. Relic & Rarity considers such material only where its ownership, collection history, lawful circulation, and ethical suitability can be reasonably supported.

This category may include:

• Mummified human remains
  
• Skeletal material, teeth, hair, tissue, or anatomical specimens
  
• Reliquaries containing human material
  
• Coffins, funerary masks, wrappings, grave goods, and burial objects
  
• Objects believed to have originated from tombs or burial sites
  
• Indigenous or community-specific ancestral remains
  

Review Considerations

Before acquiring, consigning, offering, or shipping human remains or funerary material, we may consider:

• Applicable Canadian and international laws
  
• Ownership, provenance, import, and export documentation
  
• The date and circumstances in which the material was collected
  
• Whether it originated through archaeological excavation, medical study, colonial collecting, grave disturbance, or another context
  
• Whether a nation, community, religious body, descendant group, institution, or government may have a legitimate interest or claim
  
• Whether possession, photography, public display, sale, or shipment would be inappropriate
  
• Whether specialist handling, storage, permits, or external consultation are required
  

Respectful Treatment

Human remains are not treated merely as decorative or commercial objects. Where accepted, they are handled, stored, researched, described, photographed, and displayed with restraint, dignity, and respect.

Descriptions and imagery will avoid sensationalism and will provide relevant cultural and historical context wherever reasonably possible.

When Material May Be Declined

Relic & Rarity may decline, suspend, or withdraw human remains or funerary material where:

• The material appears to have been recently or unlawfully removed from a burial context
  
• Lawful ownership or authority to transfer cannot be reasonably established
  
• Import or export legality remains uncertain
  
• The material is associated with a credible restitution, repatriation, or ownership claim
  
• Available evidence suggests grave robbery, coercion, colonial seizure, or unethical medical acquisition
  
• Sale or display would conflict with a clear request from an identifiable source community or appropriate cultural authority
  
• The circumstances of acquisition or proposed use are considered disrespectful, exploitative, or inconsistent with responsible stewardship
  

Claims and Repatriation

Where credible evidence indicates that human remains or culturally significant funerary material may be subject to return, repatriation, or restitution, Relic & Rarity will review the matter in good faith and cooperate, where appropriate, with relevant authorities, institutions, communities, descendants, or legal representatives.

A decision to suspend or decline an object does not necessarily constitute a finding of wrongdoing. It may reflect unresolved legal, ethical, cultural, or documentation concerns.

Some historical objects retain sacred, ceremonial, communal, or restricted significance within living cultures and religious traditions. Their age or appearance on the commercial market does not necessarily mean that unrestricted private ownership, sale, photography, or display is appropriate.

Such material may include:

• Indigenous ceremonial objects
  
• Objects associated with initiation rites or restricted societies
  
• Sacred bundles and ritual contents
  
• Temple, shrine, church, monastery, mosque, synagogue, or other religious property
  
• Community-owned regalia
  
• Objects containing ancestral or funerary material
  
• Items traditionally restricted from public viewing, photography, or publication
  

Review Considerations

When assessing culturally sensitive material, Relic & Rarity may consider:

• Whether the object was intended for private or individual ownership
  
• Whether it appears to have been removed from an active religious or ceremonial setting
  
• Whether its transfer was authorized by a lawful owner or recognized custodian
  
• Whether the object remains ceremonially active, communally owned, sacred, or restricted
  
• Whether its sale, display, photography, publication, or shipment could cause cultural or religious harm
  
• Whether consultation with an appropriate community, religious authority, scholar, institution, or cultural representative may be warranted
  

Responsible Stewardship

Legal possession does not always resolve every ethical or cultural concern. Relic & Rarity may decline, suspend, or withdraw an object even where commercial ownership appears legally supportable if its sale or display would be inconsistent with responsible cultural stewardship.

Where appropriate, descriptions and imagery will be presented with sensitivity and without unnecessary sensationalism. Restrictions on photography, publication, display, or shipment may also be applied when justified by the object’s cultural or religious significance.

Historical objects may contain materials derived from animals or plants, including ivory, bone, horn, tortoiseshell, marine shell, coral, feathers, skins, teeth, claws, baleen, reptile products, and protected woods.

International trade in many wildlife materials is regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). CITES is intended to ensure that international trade in protected animals, plants, and products made from them is legal, sustainable, traceable, and does not threaten species survival.

Review Considerations

Before acquiring, offering, or shipping an object containing wildlife material, Relic & Rarity may consider:

• The species or probable species from which the material originated
  
• Whether the species is protected under CITES or other applicable legislation
  
• The object’s age, date of manufacture, and country of origin
  
• Whether the material was obtained before relevant protections took effect
  
• The object’s ownership, import, and export history
  
• Whether expert species identification or scientific testing is appropriate
  
• Whether permits, certificates, or re-export documentation are required
  
• Canadian federal or provincial restrictions
  
• Import requirements in the buyer’s destination country
  
• Carrier policies and transportation restrictions
  
• Whether the object can be sold and transported legally and responsibly
  

CITES controls may apply to animals and plants whether alive or dead, as well as to their parts, derivatives, and products made from them. Canada controls the cross-border movement of CITES-listed specimens through a permit system.

Antique and Pre-Convention Material

An object’s age does not automatically exempt it from wildlife-trade requirements. Where an antique or pre-Convention allowance may apply, the object’s age and acquisition history may need to be supported by invoices, dated photographs, earlier catalogues, expert opinions, scientific testing, or other credible evidence.

CITES Canada provides a specific permit process for antiques and other specimens obtained before the relevant species became protected. Required permits must generally be obtained before the object crosses an international border and cannot ordinarily be issued retroactively after an item has been detained.

Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn

Elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn are subject to particularly strict Canadian controls. Permits are required for the import and export of worked elephant ivory and worked rhinoceros horn, including antiques and personal or household objects. The import and export of raw elephant ivory and raw rhinoceros horn are generally prohibited, subject to limited exceptions.

When Material May Be Declined

Relic & Rarity may decline, suspend, or withdraw an object containing wildlife material where:

• The species cannot be identified with reasonable confidence
  
• Required permits, certificates, or supporting documentation are unavailable
  
• The material appears recently harvested or unlawfully obtained
  
• The object cannot be lawfully acquired, sold, exported, imported, or transported
  
• The ownership or cross-border history raises unresolved concerns
  
• The risk of detention, seizure, or unlawful trade is considered too high
  
• The transaction would be inconsistent with responsible conservation and stewardship
  

Where required documentation cannot be obtained, Relic & Rarity will not knowingly proceed with an unlawful sale or international shipment.

Research into historical objects has inherent limitations. Records may be incomplete, inaccurate, inaccessible, lost, destroyed, or never created. Laws may change over time, differ between jurisdictions, or be interpreted inconsistently. Databases are not comprehensive, and scholarly or specialist opinions may evolve as new evidence becomes available.

Accordingly:

• Due diligence can reduce risk but cannot eliminate it
  
• A negative stolen-property database search does not prove lawful ownership or clear title
  
• A previous sale by an auction house, dealer, or private owner is not conclusive proof of legality
  
• A certificate of authenticity does not establish lawful ownership, import, or export
  
• Scientific testing may support an object’s age, material, or method of manufacture but does not prove provenance or legal title
  
• Provenance information may include both documented facts and information reported by previous owners
  
• Attributions, dates, and cultural identifications may be revised in light of new research or scholarship
  

Relic & Rarity makes reasonable, good-faith efforts to assess objects using the information, documentation, expertise, and resources available at the time of review.

Nothing in this policy should be interpreted as a guarantee that every object has a complete ownership history, that all available records are accurate, or that every future legal, scholarly, cultural, restitution, or ownership claim can be identified or anticipated.

Responsible collecting is a shared commitment. Buyers are encouraged to review the available information carefully and consider the legal, ethical, and practical requirements associated with each object.

Before purchasing, buyers should:

- Review the complete description, condition report, provenance, and supporting documentation
- Request clarification or additional information where details are incomplete or unclear
- Confirm that the object may be lawfully imported, owned, and received in their jurisdiction
- Consider restrictions affecting cultural property, wildlife materials, human remains, arms, fossils, sacred objects, or other regulated material
- Retain invoices, certificates, permits, customs records, and provenance documents
- Maintain appropriate insurance, security, storage, and collection records
- Notify Relic & Rarity if credible new information arises concerning theft, ownership, restitution, cultural significance, or legal status

Collectors should preserve provenance and ownership records for the life of the object and transfer those records whenever ownership changes. Maintaining documentation supports responsible stewardship, future research, lawful resale, insurance, and the long-term protection of cultural heritage.

Relic & Rarity welcomes credible information concerning the ownership, provenance, export history, authenticity, cultural significance, or legal status of any object in our collection, sold archive, or published records.

To report a concern, please contact:

Relic & Rarity
7030 Woodbine Ave
Markham, Ontario, Canada

Email: support@relicandrarity.com

Website: relicandrarity.com

Where possible, please include:

• The object title, listing URL, or other identifying information
  
• Clear photographs of the object, labels, marks, or inscriptions
  
• A description of the concern
  
• Supporting documents, records, publications, or database references
  
• Your name, organization, and authority to act, where applicable
  
• Your preferred contact information
  

All credible submissions will be reviewed promptly and in good faith. Relic & Rarity may request additional information, consult relevant specialists or authorities, and temporarily suspend the sale or transfer of an object while a concern is being assessed.

Confidentiality will be respected where reasonably possible, subject to legal and regulatory obligations.

This page outlines Relic & Rarity’s ethical-acquisition principles and general review practices. It is provided for transparency and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, create a fiduciary relationship, guarantee complete provenance or clear title, or replace the laws and regulations applicable to a particular object or transaction.

Legal and regulatory requirements vary by jurisdiction and may change over time. Relic & Rarity may seek independent legal, customs, scientific, or specialist advice where appropriate.