She thinks it goes beyond duty. It's a step we can take to build new equitable relationships with Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia, she said at the museum's repatriation ceremony on Monday. And it's a really joyful thing to do, as you'll see from the community here and the reception that I'm sure these will get when they reach Thailand.
These firearms are typically valued not only for their mechanical performance, but for their specific history, including who owned them, the battles they were used in, or their connection to iconic gunsmiths. Antique rifles from the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly those with elaborate engravings, custom stocks, and hand-forged barrels, are among the most highly valued. These guns bring in hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars at auction.
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
The J. Paul Getty Museum has acquired a masterpiece of Hellenistic jewelry: an elaborate gold ring with a miniature gold and enamel garden scene in a box-shaped bezel under a domed rock crystal cover. Created around 150 B.C., the ring is in impeccable condition, and one of the finest surviving examples of late Hellenistic box bezel rings. The bezel is oval and outlined around the crystal cabochon with beads of gold granulation.
In an age when artificial intelligence (AI) has become the secular religion of virtually every industry discussion, the stark contrast in reactions to its rise is striking. Entrepreneurs around me, from finance to retail, rush eagerly toward AI, chasing better client experiences and smoother operations. Yet the art world continues to treat AI with suspicion, viewing it more as an existential threat than as a potent economic ally, a troubling stance for a market that, over the past two years, has faced multiple macroeconomic shocks.