150 euros for a mask worth millions: an elderly couple failed to appreciate the true value of a work of art
Kyiv • UNN
A French court has upheld the sale of a rare African mask for 4.2 million euros, which an elderly couple sold for 150 euros, citing that the couple did not exercise due diligence in evaluating the artifact.
The court of the French city of Ales has recognized the validity of an auction for the sale of a rare African sculptural mask for 4.2 million euros, which was originally bought for 150 euros by a second-hand from an elderly couple. This was reported by UNN with reference to BFMTV and BBC.
Details
A trial over a valuable wooden mask from Gabon has ended in France: the was allowed to keep the proceeds from the sale of the artifact. The court found that the original owners of the mask, an 88-year-old retired civil servant and his 81-year-old and his 81-year-old wife - had approached the second-hand dealer to get rid of old of old things accumulated in their second home in the Gard department, "showed no diligence in assessing the fair diligence in assessing the fair historical and artistic value of the of the property".
They sold it to a to a dealer for 150 euros, who sold the rare mask for 4.2 million euros.
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This is a Ngil mask made by the Fang people of Gabon, worn by members of the Ngil secret society, who are believed to have travelled through villages in search of troublemakers, including alleged sorcerers. This is an extremely rare 19th-century wood carving - there are only about ten such masks left in the world.
Under unknown circumstances, this work was acquired by René-Victor Edward Maurice Fournier, a former French colonial governor in Africa and the grandfather of the previous owner.
In the end, the Ngil mask ended up among the seemingly worthless items and was sold for €150 in September 2021, along with spears, a paring knife, furs, and musical instruments.
During the sale of African art, the second-hand dealer contacted an auction house in Montpellier, which, after conducting a detailed analysis of the 19th-century Fang mask, estimated its value at between €300,000 and €400,000. The first estimates requested by the second-hand dealer ranged from 100 to 600 euros.
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The pensioners filed a a complaint against the dealer, claiming that they were misled about the value of the item. Interestingly, the dealer himself denied knowing the value of the mask - he said he had demonstrated good faith by offering the couple the original value of the mask, around 300,000 euros. The merchant's lawyer argued that the couple had not actually investigated the true value of the item before the sale.
When you have such a thing at home, you should be more inquisitive before giving it away
In the end, the Ales court ruled in favor of the dealer. The judge stated that the couple had not exercised due care in assessing the "historical and artistic" value of the mask.
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