The fact remains, however, that many people here have some very nice collections and are seldom prosecuted or have the pieces confiscated. There are stone spheres in people’s front yards, and nobody does anything to remove them to the country’s parks or museums.

One factor that makes this case different is that the collectors are foreigners, who, as every foreign-born person here knows, receive a different standard of justice. An even more important factor is whether these people have been selling the artifacts. It is one thing to collect out of an appreciation for the artifacts of a culture and another to take such items for profit. If these folks have been selling these pieces (for any amount – the monetary value is irrelevant), they deserve no sympathy.