Dear MMDs,  As a Frenchman specialized in mechanical music and acting
as consultant for auctioneers and private people, I am very surprised
by the posting of Tim Trager to the MMD.

It must be understood that any country has a right to protect its
patrimony and forbid export of some pieces.  And it is normal that the
opinion about which piece should be protected and which one should not
be protected would vary if the specialist (or non specialist) who tells
this opinion is from the country or not.

I am afraid Tim Trager in his yesterday's posting is generalizing an
unhappy affair (let's not give details, because the people involved
would not be happy with that) where a big mistake was made by a foreign
buyer (or his representatives), i.e., buying a very well-known and
rather unique historical piece without asking *previously* to the French
official museums if it could be exported or not, as does every serious
auctioneer or dealer in France every time they want to sell such pieces
to foreign buyers.

The administrative formalities are well known and rather simple, and an
answer is always given within about six weeks.  It is actually rather
rare that the French official museums forbid a piece to leave France,
because in that case, the French State may be obliged within 3 years
either to buy the piece, either to let it leave the country.  That
explains why many historical pieces were actually allowed to leave
France -- without speaking of all that went away unofficially, but the
risks then are quite high for the people involved.

Let me say again that the regulations for exporting antiques from France
are quite well known for years now, and as long as you conform with
them, you should not have too many problems.

(Shall I precise that I speak only on my behalf, and that I am in no way
part of the French official Museums administration).

Best regards,

Philippe Rouille  (Paris, France)
http://www.cnam.fr/museum/musica_mecanica/

PS: I would like to know if there is in the United States any official
policy or guidelines preventing the departure from the United States
towards another country of "cultural goods", such as autographs by
Georges Washington, for example, or an Indian totem, etc.

Philippe