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An antique African mask recently sold for $4.4 million at auction—and launched a legal dispute in the French court system.
Initially, a couple discovered the mask in the garage of their second home, Artnet reported. Unaware of the mask’s history or value, the couple sold the item for $157 to an antiques dealer at a garage sale in September 2021.
The antiques dealer did not put the mask on display at their shop; instead, the dealer contacted two auction houses to get valuations for the mask. The auction houses said the value of the mask ranged from roughly $100 to $700.
Following the valuations, the antiques dealer ordered an analysis of the mask using carbon-14 dating and mass spectrometry. This step verified that the mask dated back to the 19th century. In addition, an ethnologist’s expert appraisal showed that the mask was once used for purification rites by the Ngil society, a secret society that operated within the Fang ethnic group in Gabon, Africa.
At this point, an auction house gave the mask a valuation of nearly $500,000. The dealer then put the mask up for auction, where it sold for significantly more than what the dealer initially paid for it at the garage sale.
The couple learned about the mask’s value through a newspaper article about the item’s sale at auction. This finding prompted the couple to file a lawsuit against the antiques dealer.
In the lawsuit, the couple claims that the dealer may have known the mask’s value before purchasing it. On June 28, 2023, an appeals court in France indicated that the couple’s case against the dealer “appears to be well-founded in principle.” Since that time, the proceeds of the auction sale have been frozen, and the litigation remains ongoing.
Those who want to view more African masks can see over 28,000 in the WorthPoint database.
Dan Kobialka is a self-employed content writer and editor with about a decade of experience. He produces content across a wide range of industries, including antiques, insurance, and real estate. To learn more about Dan, please visit his website.
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