Suggestions by a Christie's official that antiquities looted in Libya during the Arab Spring had been offered to the auction house prompted the company to carry out a full appraisal of the offices handling such items yesterday.
But the checks produced no evidence that any stolen Libyan artefacts had been submitted for sale.
A Christie's spokesman said the remarks, made by the official during a visit to Dubai this week, were the result of a "misunderstanding".
