Identify cultural property

Some signs should raise an alert: natural wear of surfaces, concretions of earth or limestone, uniform patina, traces of old tools, inscriptions or signatures. The packaging itself is a sign: old newspaper, careful wrapping, protective foam.

Context matters: place of discovery, presence of several similar objects, accompanying documents, behaviour of the persons questioned. An object found in a vehicle in transit without an invoice is more suspect than an object displayed in a gallery.

Photograph the object from the front, side, back and underneath, with a scale ruler and a neutral background. Add close-ups of details: signature, mark, break, restoration. These images make it possible to search by image in the BIOP database and to send them to an expert.

Images are timestamped and kept in the file. For a fragile object, photography replaces handling: avoid moving it until you are sure what you are doing.

After photographing, the officer consults the BIOP database: search by keywords, by criteria, by image. If there is a match, they compare the details: dimensions, marks, restorations, condition. They then contact the BIOP unit, which confirms or rules out.

Where there is no match, the object may still be suspect: the absence of a report is not proof of lawfulness. The officer then assesses the other signs and, if necessary, requests an appraisal.

Several pitfalls await the non-specialist. A repainted object may look recent when it is old. A careful copy may seem authentic. An ordinary object may be part of a major set. Investigators are invited to document widely and to rule nothing out without advice.

OIMAP's specialists remain available for any question, however simple. The unit would rather answer a useless question ten times than miss an important seizure.