Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0 1.0Fourteen years of activity
Between 2011 and 2024, the TAO went from 18 to 212 requests a year. This nearly continuous progression reflects the generalisation of the arbitration clause in art contracts and the confidence placed in the institution.
The page presents the annual series, the breaks in trend and their explanations.
The complete data can be downloaded as CSV.
Cases per year in figures
Source: Registry of the OIMAP Arbitral Tribunal.
Steady growth
Average annual growth has been 21% since 2011, with a slowdown in 2020 (+11%) linked to the pandemic, followed by a recovery driven by remote hearings. The 2024 rise (+12.8%) is explained by the online request and the appeal of the expedited procedure.
The number of awards made follows the same curve, with a lag of about a year. In 2024, 169 awards were made, including 47 consent awards following mediations.
Durations and procedures
The average duration fell from 13 months in 2015 to 11 months in 2024. The expedited procedure, created in 2019, accounts for 38% of cases in 2024. Proceedings before a tribunal of three arbitrators are less frequent (29%) but cover the majority of amounts.
Withdrawals, before or after the tribunal is constituted, account for 9% of cases. They most often result from an agreement reached outside, sometimes after a mediation.
Amounts at stake
The median amount of disputes is €280,000, with wide disparities: 31% of cases concern less than €100,000, 44% from €100,000 to €1 million, 25% more than €1 million. The largest cases involve major works or collections.
The average cost of a procedure, administrative costs and fees included, is 4.8% of the amount in dispute.
Capacity outlook
To absorb the rise in cases without lengthening time limits, the tribunal is recruiting arbitrators, developing mediation and the online request tool, and training new registrars. The aim is to keep the average duration at around eleven months through 2027.
The council is also studying the creation of regional offices, in Asia and the Middle East, to bring the tribunal closer to its users.
Annual series
| Year | Requests | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 131 | 103 |
| 2021 | 150 | 118 |
| 2022 | 169 | 136 |
| 2023 | 188 | 151 |
| 2024 | 212 | 169 |
Milestones
- 18
Start-up.
- 61
Growing momentum.
- 118
Expedited procedure.
- 169
Remote hearings.
- 212
Online request.
Effect of the standard clause
Growth or stabilisation
Growth
Observed trend- Reflects trust
- Requires additional arbitrators
- Requires adjusting the Registry
Capacity challenge.
Stabilisation
Hypothesis- Less pressure
- Shorter time limits
- Less reach
Unlikely in the short term.
Reading a series
- Choose
Period.
- Identify
Trend.
- Explain
Events.
- Compare
Other series.
- Conclude
Caution.
Points to watch
A registrar
« Each year we follow the curve closely: it tells us whether we have enough arbitrators and whether time limits are holding. »
Vocabulary of series
- Requête
- Opening act.
- Consent award
- Award recording an agreement.
- Withdrawal
- Abandonment of the proceedings.
- Median
- Central value.
Comparison with other institutions
Relative to international commercial arbitration as a whole, the TAO's volume remains modest, but it is exceptional for an institution specialised in a single sector. Few arbitration institutions have such a large share of disputes in one field, which explains the strong specialisation of its arbitrators.
The tribunal does not seek growth for its own sake: it aims at quality of procedure, speed and the parties' satisfaction. The figures are therefore read with caution, looking at time limits and quality of awards rather than the number of cases alone.
Frequently asked questions
Do the figures include mediation?
It is counted separately.
Are there pending cases?
Yes, excluded from durations.
May I download the series?
Yes, as CSV.
Where can I see the regions?
See By region.
Useful documents
Contacts
Related pages
TAO statisticsThe figures of art arbitration: cases per year, by region and by type of dispute, since the tribunal's creation in 2011.›
Cases by regionEurope, North America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Latin America: where the parties come from and why.›
Cases by type of disputeContracts, authenticity, provenance, restitution: the breakdown of TAO cases, durations and outcomes by type of dispute.›
See the breakdown by region
Image credits (16)
- The Calumny of Apelles, Giorgio Ghisi (1560) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Coronation of the Virgin, Christoffel Jegher (1632–36) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Dr. James Stuart; Mary Campbell Stuart, Gilbert Stuart (c. 1815) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Seal with Two Qilin Playing (1849) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- The Judgment of Solomon and Esther before Ahasuerus (pair), Dirk Vellert (c. 1530) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- The Dance at the Court of Herod, Israhel van Meckenem (c. 1500) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- The Antechamber of the Palace of Justice, Paris, Charles Meryon (1855) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Carved Lacquer Scroll Box (1736–95) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Sketches in Belgium and Germany, Volume I: Hall of Justice of the Magistrates du Franc, Bruges, Louis Haghe (1840) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Portrait of John VIII Palaoelogus, Emperor of Constantinople, 1424-1428 (reverse), Pisanello (c. 1438–1439) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- The Victory Banquet: from Battle Scenes of the Quelling of Rebellions in the Western Regions, with Imperial Poems (c. 1765–74; poem dated 1760) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Eighteen Views of Rome: The Piazza Farnese (recto); Cartouche (verso), Lievin Cruyl (1664) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- The Triumph of Mordecai, Lucas van Leyden (1515) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Carnet (1863–1865) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Plaque (1500s–1600s) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Teapot with Landscape and Imperial Poem, Chen Hanwen (1762–95) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0