Given in tribute and taken as plunder, objects of value and beauty have travelled the world throughout history. In our time, the art trade is heated by precarious financial markets, making art an attractive investment with ever-escalating value. Political instability, cultural vogue and the drive for profit all contribute to phenomenal activity in the international art market. A maelstrom of ownership theories, property laws and export/import policies now surrounds the material heritage of mankind. This article considers actions taken by Unesco, individual nations, museums and private parties as they confront the complicated questions relating to ownership and possession of works of art. Particular focus is given to recent cases in the United States, which herald a shift in sensibility favourable to the claims of other nations as they seek the retrieval of their cultural heritage from America.