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On Monday, UNESCO, the cultural arm of the United Nations, launched the world’s first virtual museum of stolen cultural objects, which lists thousands of artifacts that can be viewed in 3D form.   The initiative was launched at UNESCO’s World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development in Barcelona. The virtual museum was designed by the architect Francis Kéré in collaboration with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). Funding for the project was provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  UNESCO said in a statement that the museum “was developed in response to the call of [UN] member states for a coordinated strategy to raise awareness on illicit trafficking.” The statement added that “UNESCO’s 1970 Convention calls on signatory states to combat the illicit trade in cultural property—a market that Interpol warns is increasingly dominated by organized criminal networks.”  The museum is organized by geographic region and divided into ...

Oscar-winning movie director Guillermo del Toro has sold part of a prized collection of art, props, and rare objects tied to his fascination with the macabre. The trove, amassed over several decades and known as “Bleak House,” was divided into three parts, the first of which was sold through Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas, last week, and totaled $1.65 million. Swiss artist H.R. Giger’s painting for the unrealized project “The Tourist” stole the show, fetching $325,000 (his auction record). Among other highlights was one of Mike Mignola’s original illustrations for the fourth edition of the Hellboy: Seed of Destruction comic, which sold for more than $50,000. A cover for Meat Loaf’s 1981 Dead Ringer album by comic art legend Bernie Wrightson fetched $167,000. The artist’s original plate for Marvel’s adaption of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley made $250,000. Props from Del Toro’s movies were also eagerly pursued. A clay model of the Amphibian Man from The Shape of Water took in...