Understanding that the art world is under pressure from cultural, economic, and political forces, we have devoted a portion of this issue to giving you reference material to help you undertsand the impact on you or your institution. As always we strongly recommedn your subscription to culturalpropertynews.org as an important resource.

We completed ArtTrak Auction's first auction and it was a great success with both dealers and collectors participating in the bidding. In the future we will have more invitation only ArtTrak ayctions as well as timed auctions on Liveauctioneers. We continue to get calls every week from "downsizers" looking for solutions for disposition of their collections. It never is one solution and always presents as problems requiring measured and specific solutions. With what is going on in the world today this has never been more true. For that reason we will also continue working with auctions based both in the U.S. and in Europe. It is an exciting time.

It has been a quiet Spring semester for our two interns Camila Martinez and Mary Chandler who have primarily worked virtually. This will change for the summer as we gear up for our auctions and an increased workoad on appraisals. We are interviewing now for these positions.

Because of commitments in Dallas this has been my third season away from Antiques Roadshow. Thank you for all the inquiries. I hope to be back very soon and look forward to re-joining the team and all my friends.

Finally, 2024 is the 20th anniversary of the Arttrak blog. It seems fitting, considering this and the results of the Barbier sale, to assess where the tribal art market is and where it might be going. You may enjoy the comments as well as the message from my mentor, Roy Sieber.

The Barbier-Mueller collection has a rich history spanning over a century. The collection was started by Josef Mueller, the son of a bourgeois family in Switzerland, who began collecting African and Oceanic art in the early 20th century. Josef Mueller's daughter Monique later married Jean-Paul Barbier-Mueller, and the collection continued to grow under their stewardship.

In 1977, Jean-Paul and Monique Barbier-Mueller opened the Barbier-Mueller Museum in Geneva, Switzerland to house and display their growing collection. Over the years, the collection expanded to over 7,000 pieces, including works from tribal and classical antiquity, as well as sculptures, fabrics, and ornaments from "primitive" civilizations around the world. The museum gained international acclaim through traveling exhibitions, loans to other museums, and the publication of numerous catalogs and art books. After the deaths of Jean-Paul in 2016 and Monique in 2019, their heirs decided recently to sell approximately 100 African works from the Barbier-Mueller collection. This sale followed the Pre-Columbian sale in 2013 at Sotheby’s Paris and several other auction sales in 1978 and 1979 after the death of Joseph Mueller.

On March 6, 2024, 100 African art objects from the Barbier Mueller collection (one of the most famous collections of African and Oceanic art in the world) were auctioned at Christies Paris. The Fang reliquary head which was once owned by the French artist Maurice de Vlaminck had not been exhibited since November 1930. The Fang head was placed on top of bark containers or baskets that held the preserved skull and bones of these revered ancestors. The head served to protect and guard the irreplaceable relics that linked the living to the dead. The auction broke records, with the Fang reliquary head selling for €14.8 million, which was a new record for a work in this category. A number of other extremely well-known objects also sold for record prices.

In the context of current events, both within the non-profit and for-profit segments of the ethnographic art market, this sale could be interpreted as both good news or bad news for sides either opposed or supporting collecting objects that are located outside the indigenous countries. Like any major sale, rumors abound as to the identities of the buyers, which if known would certainly answer many questions as to the future of the market. Were these buyers from the contemporary/modern collectors? Or were the buyers one-time players filling a need for an area in a museum? Some reports suggested there are around twenty buyers in the world that could and would want to step up for a purchase like this. I call that a WAG (wild-ass guess) at best; however, considering the data suggests there is more political concern in the marketplace, it is reasonable to assume the buyer came from a segment where this was not a primary issue.

I will leave the political and moral debates to others. As an appraiser, I am far more concerned about the market and being able to provide thoughtful advice to those that are concerned with the future of their objects that were collected legally with clear title in simpler times. The top end of the market is never an accurate predicter of the rest of the market. In general, great objects hold their value; however, it is important that one considers the possibility that, given time and cultural changes, the lower end of the market could be a predicter of the high-end market. We can all think of objects within our areas that suffered a downturn. My colleagues on the Antiques Roadshow that specialize in fine furniture could tell us many sad stories about how that market seemingly evaporated overnight. Trends and buying habits are clearly impactful.

In the 1980’s and 1990’s, I sold some great Navajo Germantown blankets that were, in many cases, beautifully woven with colorful dramatic patterns that, considering their size, were perceived as a bargain as a work of two-dimensional art to be displayed on a wall. Sellers, buyers, appraisers, curators... everyone thought the market for these textiles, considering their finite number and quality, would go up. The market dropped as a result of a major change none of us anticipated. The next generation of buyers did not care... they had other interests. This market reversal is quite similar to what happened in furniture.

Museums are an important part of a stable art market, in that they mirror the concerns and aspirations of their supporters. US museums are facing a funding crisis, with ambitious expansions leaving them with larger footprints but declining government funding. Attendance has not returned to pre-COVID levels, while operating costs have increased significantly. Traditional philanthropic models are no longer reliable, as younger generations have different priorities and relationships with the arts compared to previous generations. Younger and new donors, including tech-industry donors, are less interested in supporting legacy institutions and are more focused on tackling global issues like climate change and racial justice. Many donors want a more active role in pushing institutions to change, rather than just securing board seats or having their names on galleries. Museums are shifting from a "deficit-based" approach of trying to solve community problems, to an "asset-based" approach that identifies and catalyzes community strengths and resources. There is a push for museums to genuinely empower communities through bidirectional partnerships and shared power, rather than just tokenistic engagement. Museums are using augmented reality (AR), interactive digital exhibits, and online access to collections to make the museum experience more immersive, collaborative, and accessible. The availability of high-quality digital art content is changing how people can engage with and access art, potentially reducing the importance of physical possession of artworks by museums. In summary, US museums are facing significant funding challenges and are having to adapt their models to engage younger and more socially conscious donors, as well as to meaningfully partner with and empower local communities. They are also leveraging technology to transform the museum experience and increase accessibility.

Market forces are complicated by adding cultural considerations. In this scenario, not only do buyers care less, but these buyers become subjected to criticism for appropriating culture and “stealing” property that rightfully belongs to an indigenous group. Buyers are judged in the present for acquiring art legally in the past with clear title. A few years ago, I was cataloging 25 objects of Native American for an auction house. Unless we agreed to pull all the Indian objects, an activist group threatened to boycott the auction on social media and protest at the auction location. When I explained that some of the objects were soapstone and were sold as contemporary art to benefit Native American families, the activists insisted they were “ceremonial” and would not be excluded from the group. Recently, we have heard rumors of similar claims being made against contemporary Hopi kachinas carved for the benefit of Native Americans. In the future, it is plausible that restrictions may be placed on non-indigenous people as to what they might be permitted to even see, much less own.

The point is that in an economic-stressed climate where critical areas that impact the country, such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, and law enforcement, are underfunded, who is going to fund important programs for indigenous peoples? It would seem prudent to educate our voting population about these important cultures so that we may better understand their needs. Our nonprofit and for-profit sectors have a role to play in understanding and appreciating cultural differences.

This argument is not political; but it is an essential part in seeking balance and understanding in both the non-profit and for-profit communities. If we relegate our museums to educating us to what is the trend of the moment, it seems very plausible that our population will have little interest in supporting anything having to do with the ethnographic art of indigenous peoples. If this happens, like furniture or Navajo Germantown blankets, nobody will care.

As a society, we appear to be becoming more and more interested in things that are ultimately not very important. I lecture my interns to be alert for the ‘aha’ moment when you discover what profession, or lifestyle, or person will make you happy and fulfilled for the rest of your life. It seems to me that waiting for likes, being glued to your cell phone, and finding yourself through social media are not ultimately the best way to find real happiness.

So, we return to the Fang head. Will this great collection smoke out other great collections into the marketplace. My bet is yes; however, I am not certain what this means long term for ethnographic art. Certainly, prices have fallen, a reality for many of us that started in the 1970’s had a very difficult time accepting. When selling, there has always been this nagging feeling that we are giving away art for a percentage of the real value. Get real; ultimately, the market dictates value, which is where we are now. So, granted lower-priced objects are still selling, creating in the short term at these price points new interest from buyers that are in a discovery mode. These buyers are not primarily interested in protecting an investment. Serious buyers with major investments in art should be and are concerned with capital gains not capital losses. Long-term, I am worried about the future of ethnographic art. Short-term, I have no idea where the market will go.

Having a great experience in the present can occasionally blind the collector to the ultimate reality that, as an appraiser, I confront every week with clients. Eventually, life, as you know it, ends. Now what do you do? The options are clear when considering the disposition of material possessions. You can sell at auction or through private dealers. You can keep it in the family, or you can donate it to a 501C3. All these options have nuance that become important when confronting the issues I have outlined above. In an ideal world where money is at least a secondary problem, I envision a collaboration among collectors of like-mind to protect their art and make it available to future generations through foundations, trusts, or private museums. Ultimately, decreasing control greatly increases vulnerability. Without private sector support, museums will make collection problems just disappear by storage, selling, repatriating, and rejecting donations. This is already happening, which is setting in motion heightened interest in provenance and all levels of virtue signaling.

Bleak is a matter of perspective. And it really isn’t over until it’s over. Trust me, you will know when this happens. I can only hope that future generations of collectors, curators, appraisers, and dealers will have as much fun as I have had. I end with a great debate that I had with Roy Sieber which started as a satirical exercise of determining the “top ten” greatest African art objects in preparation for my lecture at the Kimbell Museum. I also include one of my favorite pictures of my mentor and friend.

Our art world is changing rapidly impacting on the art markets. I have provided information below for both the private and public sector. Hope it is helpful

The United States has a comprehensive framework of laws and policies to protect cultural property, reflecting a commitment to safeguarding heritage. These regulations cover a wide range of areas, including the protection of archaeological sites, historic landmarks, and international agreements to prevent illicit trafficking of cultural objects. The National Stolen Property Act, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and various other legislative measures play crucial roles in preserving cultural heritage. Additionally, the U.S. engages in international collaborations, import restrictions, capacity-building programs, and exchanges to promote legal access and protect cultural property from trafficking

The Roundtable on the Reform of US Cultural Property Policy, Law, and the Public Interest held in 2014 discussed these important issues surrounding cultural property policy and law in the United States. This event likely delved into the challenges, advancements, and future directions related to cultural property protection within the country

References

1. Bureau of Cultural Affairs - https://eca.state.gov/cultural-heritage-center/cultural-property

2. Cultural Property Law - https://www.justice.gov/usao/file/834826/dl

3. USA - National Cultural Heritage Laws - https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/us/Laws

4. ROUNDTABLE ON THE REFORM OF US CULTURAL PROPERTY POLICY, LAW AND THE PUBLIC INTEREST - http://culturalpropertyobserver.blogspot.com/2014/02/roundtable-on-reform-of-us-cultural.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcnwUCRrznc&t=46s

5. The Public Interest in Cultural Property - John Henry Merryman - https://lawcat.berkeley.edu

Based on the search results, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) can impact private collectors and institutions in the following ways:

NAGPRA applies to any museum or institution that receives federal funding. This includes private universities, local government agencies, and even private collectors if they are part of a larger entity that receives federal funds.

NAGPRA requires these federally-funded entities to inventory and repatriate Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony to lineal descendants, tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations. This applies even if the items were legally acquired before NAGPRA was enacted.

The proposed changes to the NAGPRA regulations in 2023 aim to further expand the definition of what qualifies as a "sacred object" or "object of cultural patrimony", which could impact more private collections and institutions that were previously not considered subject to NAGPRA.

NAGPRA violations can result in civil and criminal penalties, providing a strong incentive for private collectors and institutions to comply with the law. The law has been used to recover culturally significant items from private collections.

However, NAGPRA does not apply to institutions outside the United States, so foreign private collectors may not be subject to the law's requirements.

In summary, NAGPRA has a significant impact on private collectors and institutions in the United States that receive any form of federal funding, requiring them to inventory, consult with tribes, and potentially repatriate Native American cultural items. The proposed regulatory changes aim to further expand NAGPRA's reach.

References:

1. https://culturalpropertynews.org/nagpra-major-changes-proposed-for-2023-to-native-american-repatriation-law/

2. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2010/03/15/2010-5283/native-american-graves-protection-and-repatriation-act-regulations-disposition-of-culturally

3. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/archeology/napgra.htm

4. https://nagpra.ucdavis.edu/resources

5. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/10/18/2022-22376/native-american-graves-protection-and-repatriation-act-systematic-process-for-disposition-and

The Museum of West African Art Reveals Vision for a Vibrant Creative Hub in Benin City, Developed with Adjaye Associates

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Save this picture!The Museum of West African Art Reveals Vision for a Vibrant Creative Hub in Benin City, Developed with Adjaye Associates - Image 1 of 11Courtesy of Adjaye Associates

Written by Nour Fakharany

Published on June 28, 2023

The Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) has just unveiled a 20-acre project for a Creative District in the historic center of Benin City in Edo State, Nigeria. MOWAA, in collaboration with Adjaye Associates, is planning to establish a comprehensive environment dedicated to the artistic and cultural realms of the past, present, and future. The space provides support and collaboration opportunities for young professionals in the creative and cultural fields while also fostering partnerships with institutions throughout West Africa. At the heart of the project is the Creative District’s role in contributing to economic growth and development.

The Museum of West African Art Reveals Vision for a Vibrant Creative Hub in Benin City, Developed with Adjaye Associates - Image 10 of 11The Museum of West African Art Reveals Vision for a Vibrant Creative Hub in Benin City, Developed with Adjaye Associates - Image 9 of 11The Museum of West African Art Reveals Vision for a Vibrant Creative Hub in Benin City, Developed with Adjaye Associates - Image 6 of 11The Museum of West African Art Reveals Vision for a Vibrant Creative Hub in Benin City, Developed with Adjaye Associates - Image 4 of 11The Museum of West African Art Reveals Vision for a Vibrant Creative Hub in Benin City, Developed with Adjaye Associates - More Images+ 6

Save this picture!The Museum of West African Art Reveals Vision for a Vibrant Creative Hub in Benin City, Developed with Adjaye Associates - Image 9 of 11Courtesy of Adjaye Associates

The realization of the Creative District is based on the carefully planned design by David Adjaye of Adjaye Associates. The architectural designs of the district's buildings are being created by Adjaye Associates, as well as other prominent firms based in West Africa, such as MOE+ Art Architecture and Studio Contra from Lagos and Worofila from Dakar. This collaborative effort ensures that the Creative District's structures are thoughtfully planned and diversified. This initiative will also provide essential infrastructure, training, and opportunities for local artists, creatives, and scholars, addressing their needs and empowering them to succeed.

Save this picture!The Museum of West African Art Reveals Vision for a Vibrant Creative Hub in Benin City, Developed with Adjaye Associates - Image 5 of 11Courtesy of Adjaye Associates

The Creative District will host several key components that aim to enrich the artistic and cultural landscape of the region at large. One of the highlights is the Rainforest Gallery, a sustainable exhibition space where modern, contemporary, and historical artworks will be showcased. Additionally, the Artisans Hall will serve as a versatile venue, repurposing a 16th-century structure from the Benin Kingdom. This space will function as an event hall, a showroom, and a retail gallery, featuring the exceptional craftsmanship of contemporary West African artisans. The Creative District will also house the Art Guesthouse, an intimate boutique hotel, and workspace facility, accommodating visiting academics, cultural professionals, and tourists in its 60 rooms. Furthermore, public cafés, restaurants, artist studios, residences, workspaces, performance spaces, and public gardens will foster creativity and interaction. Finally, MOWAA's Research and Collections Center, “The Pavilion,” spanning 4,300 sqm is currently being constructed and will serve as a hub for research and the preservation of art collections.

Related Article

Adjaye Associates Reveals Preliminary Design for Edo Museum of West African Art in Nigeria

Age-old artisanal traditions are still alive in Edo State and should become more integral to our economy, as should the most vibrant trends in contemporary art and cutting-edge scholarship. The development of the Creative District is key to Edo State’s vision of re-establishing Benin City as the arts and culture capital of West Africa, diversifying the economy and providing job opportunities for young people.

--His Excellency Godwin Obaseki, Governor of Edo State, Nigeria

Save this picture!The Museum of West African Art Reveals Vision for a Vibrant Creative Hub in Benin City, Developed with Adjaye Associates - Image 2 of 11Courtesy of Adjaye Associates

Recently, Adjaye Associates officially inaugurated the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The landmark hosts three separate houses of worship: a mosque, a church, and a synagogue. In 2022, David Adjaye, in partnership with Bedrock and the city of Cleaveland, unveiled the masterplan for the Cuyahoga Riverfront, designed to transform 35 acres of the riverfront to improve the downtown area. Finally, the studio has been commissioned to design an exhibition with rare and previously unreleased work of Jean-Michel Basquiat at the Starrett-Lehigh Building in West Chelsea, New York.

https://www.archdaily.com/1003081/the-museum-of-west-african-art-reveals-vision-for-a-vibrant-creative-hub-in-benin-city-developed-with-adjaye-associates

Has the restitution debate undermined the market for African art?

Ownership concerns are bound to have an impact, but a more holistic narrative of the continent’s art history is in sight

Samuel Reilly MARCH 2 2023

“A tidal wave of change is coming” to the market for African art, according to Adenike Cosgrove. She is the founder of Imo Dara, an independent website established to connect collectors of African art with reputable scholars and dealers, an initiative that responds to the ways in which the urgent worldwide concerns over the past looting and theft of classical African art now impact on the market in similar historical works.

The “imminent shift in taste” she identifies on the horizon is one spurred just as much by the recent boom in the market for Modern and contemporary African work as it is by the knock-on effects of debates over the return of colonial-era plunder. These are developments that are almost always considered in isolation, but Cosgrove is part of a growing school of thought that recognises both as tributaries to a broader whole.

Last year, Imo Dara’s State of the African Art Market report included analysis of both camps — classical African art and Modern and contemporary. Debates over restitution have had a clear effect on the former market; Cosgrove identifies that, of 355 collectors surveyed, 29 per cent believed they would shift away from collecting classical African art, while 37 per cent believed that it would become more difficult to sell such works in years to come. Meanwhile, there has been a wave of new collectors from Africa entering the market for Modern and contemporary work.

Lusingiti ancestor figure from the Niembo de la Luika workshops in the DRC at Galerie Serge Schoffel

That is not to say that the market for classical African art is on its way out. Cosgrove stresses that, while high-profile cases of looting dominate press headlines (chiefly the Benin Bronzes), the vast majority of works on the market today would have been given as gifts or freely sold. “It is important not to deny the agency of the African in these transactions,” she says, adding that is also important for the small coterie of respected and established dealers and collectors in this field, well represented at Tefaf, to define clearly what is loot and what is not.

“We have to listen to the descendants of the creators of these great objects,” says Bernard de Grunne, who runs a long-established dealership in the Sablon district of Brussels. He suggests that “some museums are nervous” about restitution, but emphasises that for his collector base, assurances as to provenance and authenticity of the works he deals in are cast-iron. “The established corpus of masterpieces has been known for at least 40 years and I do not believe there will be new major discoveries coming out of Africa,” he says. That means collectors and dealers have less cause to confront fears of more recently looted objects that are currently plaguing the antiquities market. De Grunne brings to Tefaf a collection of Mumuye sculptures from Nigeria, remarkable for their use of negative space.

Serge Schoffel, also based in Brussels, is more nervous about the impact of restitution, speaking of a new “hesitancy” on the part of collectors to enter the market. But he says that it has historically been the job of dealers to “raise African art to the same level as western art” and that in this regard nothing has changed. Alongside works from Papua New Guinea and New Island, he brings to Tefaf sculptures from Sierra Leone, Gabon and Nigeria.

Lucas Ratton in Paris, who comes from a long line of African art dealers, including his famous great-uncle Charles Ratton, speaks of the “positive effect” of greater attention to provenance research. “The market has become much more focused in the last 10 years,” he says. “I would feel very safe in the market as a buyer today.” Ratton is one of a younger generation of dealers who are diversifying their offering, presenting African artworks alongside international Modern and contemporary art and design. A highlight of his display at Tefaf is a magnificent fetish figure made by the Songye of Gabon, which he bought at the high-profile Périnet sale at Christie’s last year.

For Parisian dealer Bernard Dulon, “the future of the market will be very good” — not least because “the most important developments of the next century will obviously be in Africa”. Collectors from Africa, he says, are “just at the beginning” of entering the market for classical works. For Dulon, restitution is less “a legal issue than a moral one — because many countries in Africa have no access to their past. But soon they will be rich — and they’ll be buying it back.”

At Tefaf this year, there will be a booth dedicated to more recent works of African art. Ayo Adeyinka of Tafeta gallery deals in Modern and contemporary works, predominantly by Nigerian artists. Most of his collector base, he says, resides in Africa, and “African collectors have always collected classical African art alongside [African] Modern and contemporary,” he says. For now, the dealers in older material at Tefaf are more likely to point to the entry into the market of collectors who want, in Dulon’s words, a “fantastic sculpture to go with their Rothko”.

Royal mask from the Kingdom of Bekom, now Cameroon, at Galerie Bernard Dulon

Statue from the Mumuye people of Nigeria © Photo: Frederic Dehaen

But Adeyinke highlights younger dealers of traditional works who have begun to sell contemporary African work alongside their usual fare as evidence that the “longevity” of the African art market lies in its ability to diversify — a trend which Cosgrove also highlights. As institutions in Europe and the US are looking to plug gaps in their collections of Modern and contemporary African art, and new museums springing up on the African continent are seeking to bridge traditional and modern art forms, both Adeyinke and Cosgrove predict that private collectors and dealers will shift their habits to present a more holistic narrative of African art history.

Tafeta’s stall includes a sculpture by Bruce Onobrakpeya, now in his nineties and receiving his first US museum retrospective at the High Museum in Atlanta later this year, as well as a drawing by Uche Okeke (1933-2016), whose work has recently been acquired by MoMA. Both of these artists were profoundly influenced by the aesthetics of the precolonial past. Tefaf visitors this year have a rare opportunity (in the west) to see modern African works in proximity with the traditions to which they responded. There are welcome signs that, before long, such opportunities will become rather more common. https://www.ft.com/content/6e8bf294-9da7-4ffc-9501-63c8975118aa

A new record for African or Oceanic tribal art was set at Christie’s in Paris as part of the sale of the remarkable Barbier-Mueller collection.

Roland Arkell

14 Mar 2024

Fang reliquary head

A new record for African and Oceanic tribal art was set by Christie’s in Paris when this Fang reliquary head sold for €12.6m (£10.8m) at Christie’s in Paris.

Last sold before the Second World War, a widely published and exhibited Fang reliquary head considered one of the most refined known examples, sold for €12.6m (£10.8m) or €14.77m (£12.6m) including buyer’s premium.

For perhaps the first time in the market, the very best ethnographic art is now priced in a similar sphere to the modern Western art it inspired. With 13 of the 100 Barbier-Mueller lots going for hammer prices of €1m-plus, the sale on March 6 recorded several new benchmarks for the collecting field including a record for any tribal art collection at €73m (£62m).

The core of the collection was assembled in the middle of the 20th century by the Swiss-born connoisseur Josef Müller (1887-1977) and later augmented by his daughter Monique (1929-2019) and son-in-law Jean Paul Barbier-Mueller (1930-2016). The Barbier-Mueller Museum, a collection of over 7000 pieces in Geneva, was founded in 1977. The decision to deaccession a portion of the collection followed the recent death of one of the Barbier-Mueller heirs.

Purchases from leading dealers

Living in Paris for much of his life, Josef Müller had bought his first Picasso there at the age of 19 and his first Cézanne from Ambroise Vollard shortly afterwards. However, from the mid-1930s, African art works began to appear regularly in the notebooks in which Müller meticulously recorded his acquisitions.

He acquired the 14in (36cm) ebony ‘Tête de reliquaire Fang’ in 1939 from Antony Innocent Moris (1866-1951), the owner of a boutique in the rue Victor-Masset who was among the most important ethnographic dealers of his time. It was one of 14 lots in the sale to carry an ‘estimate on request’.

The previous high for Gabonese sculpture was a Fang head once owned by the Fauve artist Maurice de Vlaminck that sold for €6.5m (£5.91m) as part of the Michel Périnet collection at Christie’s Paris in June 2021. The 61-lot Périnet sale had also held the previous record for a tribal art collection, realising a premium-inclusive €66m (£57m). Its masterworks included a white painted tapuanu mask from the Mortlock Islands in Micronesia sold at €7.8m (£7.1m), the record for Oceanic art.

Vitu Islands mask

One of five lots bought by the Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac at Christie’s Paris sale of the Barbier-Mueller collection, this mask from the Vitu Islands took €300,000 (£256.000).

French institutions were among the successful bidders in the Barbier-Mueller sale. The Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac in Paris acquired five lots including, at a hammer price of €300,000 (£256.000), a helmet mask from the Vitu Islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea.

Decorated in blue-green, iron red and white paint, it had been acquired by Monique and Jean Paul Barbier-Mueller in 1978. https://www.antiquestradegazette.com/news/2024/new-benchmark-for-tribal-art-as-fang-head-makes-126m-at-christie-s/

Highlights of the Sale: https://www.christies.com/results/printauctionresults.aspx?saleid=30403&lid=1

NEW YORK, NY.- The most prized pigment of antiquity was processed not from a tangle of root or the frothy extract of a weed, but by drawing out a slimy secretion from the mucus glands behind the anus of murex sea snails — “the bottom of the bottom-feeders,” historian Kelly Grovier has written. The common name of the dyestuff, Tyrian purple, derives from the habitat of the mollusks, which the Phoenicians purportedly began harvesting in the 16th century B.C. in the city-state of Tyre in present-day Lebanon.

Because each snail yielded little more than a drop of the discharge, some 250,000 were required for an ounce of dye, by some accounts. Purple was labor-intensive, but so widely produced that piles of shells discarded millenniums ago are now geographical features in the region. The dye was also so pricey — worth more than three times its weight in gold, according to a Roman edict issued in 301 A.D. — that its use was reserved for priests, nobility and royalty. “Though purple may have symbolized a higher order, it reeked of a lower ordure,” Grovier writes in his book, “The Art of Colour.”

Where all this purple came from has long been a mystery. Just a few locations along the Levant’s southern coast and in Cyprus show evidence of dye-making at the start of the period, and all were on a modest scale. But a new study by researchers at the University of Haifa in Israel suggests that through most of the Iron Age biblical era, from roughly 1150 B.C. to 600 B.C., a small promontory called Tel Shiqmona on Israel’s Carmel coast was not a residential settlement, as previously supposed, but a major purple-dying factory.

“Tel Shiqmona fills in this gap with continuous production, most of the time in massive quantities,” said Golan Shalvi, a postdoctoral student in archaeology at the University of Chicago and the lead author of the paper. “For the majority of the Iron Age, it is the only site where manufacturing can be demonstrated with certainty.”

Aaron Schmitt, an expert on Phoenician culture who teaches archaeology at the Heidelberg University in Germany and who was not involved with the project, hailed the study for shedding new light on the neglected ruins. “To find a site that really specialized in this economic branch is highly significant and special,” he said.

The research, published in The Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv, proposes that during the first half of the ninth century B.C., the Israelites took over Tel Shiqmona and set about cornering the lucrative purple-dye market by converting the small dye installation into a fortified manufacturing plant surrounded by a casemate wall. (This was at about the same time that Ahab ruled the Kingdom of Israel.)

The new operation was more or less a joint venture, run by the Israelites and staffed by skilled Phoenician workers who held the secrets to making the dye, Shalvi said. Whether the locals had continued the operation by coercion or cooperation is unclear.

In theory, the goods assembled at Tel Shiqmona, mainly purple-dyed wool or textiles, were distributed to the elite and temples across the area, including Israel, Phoenicia, Philistia, Aram, Judea and Cyprus. Shalvi said the dye probably created both the argaman (purple) and techelet (azure) mentioned dozens of times in the Hebrew Bible. Techelet was used for dyeing tzitzit (tassels) on tallits (prayer shawls) used in Jewish religious rituals and inspired the blue of the Israeli flag.

“The purple manufacture at Tel Shiqmona overlapped with the existence of the First Temple in Jerusalem,” Shalvi said, referring to the house of worship that, according to Jewish tradition, was built by King Solomon on the spot where God created Adam. “For most of that time, it was the only place known to make the dye. Therefore, it is the only candidate to provide the color for the scarlet and sapphire hues of the temple’s robes and tabernacle curtains.”

Tyrian purple was the sole colorfast dye known to the ancients; fabric tinted in the color grew brighter with weathering and sunlight. Shades ranged from bluish-green to a purplish red, depending on how the dye was prepared and fixed in textiles. The most vibrant tone was the deep crimson of “clotted blood” tinged with black, Roman historian Pliny reported.

In imperial Rome, sumptuary laws restricted the buying and wearing of purple-dyed fabrics to the emperor (purple silk was to be used only at his direction under penalty of death) and, to a lesser extent, senators and consuls, who were allowed to wear broad bands of purple at the edges of their togas.

The name and provenance of Tyrian purple were inventions of the Romans. As far back as 1900 B.C., the Minoans of Crete were already preparing a purple dye from marine snails, spawning an industry that then caught on and flourished throughout the eastern Mediterranean. The center of production is thought to have moved to the port of Tyre, although Schmitt said it could not be corroborated by primary sources, either textual or archaeological. At the port, the snails were gathered from shallow waters and left to rot in large vats before being distilled into the purified dye. (Phoinike, the area’s corresponding Greek name, is related to phoinix, meaning “reddish purple,” leading some scholars to speculate that Phoenicia was “the land of purple.”)

Julius Pollux, a Greek scholar and grammarian from the second century A.D., attributed the discovery of the color to Tyrian Hercules, known to the Phoenicians as Melqart, guardian deity of Tyre. In his “Onomasticon,” a 10-volume thesaurus, Pollux relates that a nymph named Tyrus was walking along the beach when her dog bit into a sea snail, staining the dog’s mouth an intense purple. Tyrus was enthralled by the brilliance and told Hercules, her lover, that she wanted a robe of the same color. Hercules complied, and purple became a royal rage.

In the 17th century, artist Peter Paul Rubens recreated the yarn in the oil painting “Hercules’ Dog Discovers Purple Dye.” Alas, he got the shell wrong, depicting a spiral nautilus snail instead of a prickly murex.

Tyre is 30 miles north of Tel Shiqmona, where the purple pigment was created from the dried and boiled guts of three species of predatory sea snails: the spiny dye-murex (Bolinus brandaris), the banded dye-murex (Hexaplex trunculus) and the red-mouthed rock shell (Stramonita haemostoma). Each added a slightly different cast to the mix.

Tel Shiqmona had long confounded archaeologists, who wondered why what looked to be some kind of fort had been erected far from agricultural lands on a rocky stretch of shoreline that didn’t offer safe harbor to ships.

From 1963 to 1977, the 8-acre site was excavated extensively by Yosef Elgavish, an Israeli archaeologist. Working on behalf of the Haifa Museum, he unearthed weaving and spinning equipment, large purple-stained ceramic vats and evidence of human habitation dating to around 1500 B.C. Although some archaeological layers harbored Phoenician pottery, Elgavish also found a four-room house and olive presses, which he identified as typical of the 10th-century B.C. settlements of the Israelites.

“Dr. Elgavish had a hunch that Tel Shiqmona had some role in the production of the purple dye, but he didn’t delve into the amount of production or who ran the dye process,” Shalvi said.

For the next four decades, the site was almost completely ignored for academic research. “The results and finds of the early expeditions were neither researched nor published,” Shalvi said. In 2016, he and Ayelet Gilboa, his doctoral adviser at the University of Haifa, began a project to save what they called the “cultural and intellectual assets” hidden in the forgotten finds.

Shalvi soon realized that defining Tel Shiqmona as exclusively Israelite did not reflect the region’s complexity. He divided the site’s Iron Age chronology into four main episodes: a Phoenician village (1100 B.C. to 900 B.C.); a walled enclosure controlled by the Israelites (900 B.C. to 740 B.C.); an ephemeral resettlement after the destruction of the kingdom and the facility (740 B.C. to 700 B.C.), and an unfortified industrial compound under Assyrian domination that survived until the Babylonian takeover of the territory (700 B.C. to 600 B.C.)

Three years ago, after carefully reviewing the thousands of finds from Elgavish’s excavation, Shalvi had an epiphany. ”I discovered purple traces that no one else had observed,” he said. “As soon as my eyes were opened to the purple staining pattern, I noticed it everywhere.”

That afternoon he called Gilboa and told her about his revelation. “We discussed whether it might be a good idea for me to see a psychiatrist,” Shalvi said with a dry chuckle. “Fortunately, chemical analysis demonstrated that in every case the purple was real.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times. https://artdaily.cc/news/167254/This-ancient-factory-helped-purple-reign

NEW YORK, NY.- In the predawn hours of March 18, 1990, following a festive St. Patrick’s Day in Boston, two men dressed as police officers walked into the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and walked off with an estimated $500 million in art treasures. Despite efforts by local police, federal agents, amateur sleuths and not a few journalists, no one has found any of the 13 works lost in the largest art theft in history, including a rare Johannes Vermeer and three precious Rembrandts.

The legacy of the heist is always apparent to museum visitors who, decades later, still confront vacant frames on the gallery walls where paintings once hung. They are kept there as a reminder of loss, museum officials say, and in the hope that the works may eventually return. Last month, Richard Abath, the night watchman who mistakenly allowed in the thieves, died at 57. He was a vital figure in an investigation that remains active, but where the trails have grown cold.

Here are five oddities that make this one of the most compelling of American crimes.

The thieves took a really strange array of stuff.

Important paintings were taken from their frames during the heist. But other items that were stolen were not nearly of the same caliber: a nondescript Chinese metal vase; a fairly ordinary bronze eagle from atop a flagpole; and five minor sketches by Edgar Degas. The thieves walked past paintings and jade figurines worth millions, including a drawing by Michelangelo, yet they spent some of their 81 minutes inside fussing to free the vase from a tricky locking mechanism.

The handcuffed guard was later scrutinized.

Abath, one of two guards on duty, was handcuffed and gagged with duct tape. He was never named a suspect. But over the years investigators continued to review his behavior because he had, against protocol, opened the museum door to the thieves. (The second guard, who is still living, was never a focus of investigative interest.) The FBI monitored Abath’s assets for decades but never saw any suspicious income. He consistently said he told investigators everything he knew, and an FBI polygraph he voluntarily took was deemed “inconclusive.”

The empty frames have stayed on the walls.

The museum was once Gardner’s home and she wanted to ensure that her expansive art collection was displayed in the same manner she had arranged it. She stipulated in her will that not a thing was to be removed or rearranged, or the collection should be shipped to Paris for auction, with the money going to Harvard University. Although it has long been reported that the empty frames are left hanging to accord with that will, the museum says that is actually a long uncorrected mistake. “We have chosen to display them,” it said in a statement “because 1.) we remain confident that the works will someday return to their rightful place in the galleries; and 2.) they are a poignant reminder of the loss to the public of these unique works.”

The thieves left behind a prized Rembrandt.

A self-portrait of Rembrandt at 23 was taken down by the thieves but left leaning against a cabinet. “I really believe they probably forgot it,” said Anthony Amore, the museum’s current security chief. The work was on an oak panel, making it heavier than the paintings on canvas that they stole. But it was about the same dimensions as Govaert Flinck’s “Landscape With an Obelisk,” which was also on oak, and stolen.

The list of suspects has been a dizzying stew.

Investigators have looked at all manner of burglars and art thieves and dismissed all sorts of theories. Did Whitey Bulger steal the art to help the Irish Republican Army raise money for arms? No. Did the Mafia want a bargaining chip to help free a member from prison? Maybe. In 2015 the FBI named two long-dead, Boston-area criminals, George Reissfelder and Lenny DiMuzio, as the likely bandits. They have never publicly discussed why.

Investigators still hope to recover the art. The museum upped its reward to $10 million in 2017 from $5 million in 1997 and $1 million in 1990. It has devoted several sections of its website to educating the public about the crime. It embraces publicity in the hope that someone, someday, somewhere will recognize one of the artworks and contact it.

“We have followed every lead and continue to check out new leads,” Amore said, adding, “All that matters is finding out where they are today and getting them back.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times. https://artdaily.cc/news/167640/Empty-frames-and-other-oddities-from-the-unsolved-Gardner-Museum-heist

France March 20 2024

Buying and selling

For many the center of the world for art has been Paris. Effective in 2025 this may all change with a new EU tax..

Passing of title

When does ownership of art, antiques and collectibles pass from seller to buyer?

Ownership of art, antiques and collectibles passes from seller to buyer as soon as they have agreed on the artwork to be sold and on its sale price. This is the case even if the art, antique or collectible has not yet been delivered or the price has not yet been paid (article 1583, Civil Code). However, the buyer and the seller can contractually agree to postpone the transfer of ownership, until payment or delivery of the artwork, for example.

Implied warranties

Does the law of your jurisdiction provide that the seller gives the buyer any implied warranty?

Under French law, there is no implied warranty of title per se. However, the seller gives the buyer an implied warranty of peaceful possession. In other words, the seller warrants to the buyer that the art, antique or collectible is sold free of any third-party claims. Hence, if the buyer’s title is challenged, the seller may have to refund the sale price independent of damages. The implied warranty of peaceful possession may be excluded or limited by contract. An action based on a breach of warranty of peaceful possession is subject to a five-year statute of limitations, which starts to run as of the date of the breach.

Registration

Can the ownership of art, antiques or collectibles be registered? Can theft or loss of a work be recorded on a public register or database?

There is no title registry of art, antiques or collectibles.

There is also no public database of stolen works. International databases are typically used, such as the Art Loss Register and the Interpol database. The French Central Office for the Fight against Illicit Traffic in Cultural Goods has a specific database called TREIMA, but it is not available to the public.

However, art, antiques and collectibles that either belong to public entities or are classified as historical monuments are respectively registered on the Joconde and the Palissy database. These databases contain lists of stolen artworks owned by public entities or classified as historic monuments.

Good-faith acquisition of stolen art

Does the law of your jurisdiction tend to prefer the victim of theft or the acquirer in good faith of stolen art?

French law tends to prefer the acquirer in good faith of stolen art over the victim of theft for several reasons.

First, each transfer of an artwork creates a new title (independent from the former) that stems from the mere possession of the artwork, according to a core principle under French law that states that possession equals title as far as movable goods are concerned (article 2276, Civil Code). If the possessor of the stolen art, antique or collectible acquired it in good faith, ownership in the art, antique or collectible automatically vests in the acquirer.

Second, the claim of ownership of the victim of theft is subject to a three-year statute of limitations, which is shorter than the ordinary five-year limitation period.

Third, if the good-faith possessor of a stolen artwork, antique or collectible acquired it at an art fair, at auction or from a professional of the art market, the original owner may only obtain its restitution in consideration of the reimbursement of the price the possessor paid for it (article 2277, Civil Code).

Finally, good faith is always presumed (article 2274, Civil Code). A possessor is in good faith if he or she regards himself or herself as entitled to the property, and this belief must be reasonable. The burden of proof of the possessor’s bad faith thus lies with the victim of theft.

As an exception to the above principles, when the victim of theft is a public entity, and the stolen art, antique or collectible belongs to the public domain (in the sense of public property law, not to be confused with the public domain in the sense of intellectual property law), the public victim’s restitution claim is not subject to any statute of limitations, and the good-faith possessor is not entitled to any compensation.

Acquiring title to stolen art through prescription

Must the professional seller of art, antiques or collectibles maintain a register of sales?

To ensure the traceability of objects, all art market professionals (including auctioneers) must maintain a register of sales (article 321-7, Penal Code).

The register must include the seller’s and the professional intermediary’s identity and domicile, a precise description of each object, including its nature and provenance (article R321-3, Penal Code), the purchase price and the method of payment (article R321-5, Penal Code). Those elements must be kept for a decade and can be consulted by the police and tax services, customs, competition, consumer affairs and fraud prevention services (article R321-10, Penal Code).

Breaches of those obligations are punishable by six months’ imprisonment and a fine of €30,000 (article 321-7, Penal Code).

If ownership in stolen art, antiques or collectibles does not vest in the acquirer in good faith, is the new acquirer protected from a claim by the victim of theft after a period of time?

Ownership in stolen art, antiques or collectibles automatically vests in the possessor who acquired them in good faith. The victim of theft may only claim ownership for a period of three years as of the date of the theft.

Risk of loss or damage

When does risk of loss or damage pass from seller to buyer if the contract is silent on the issue?

In the absence of any contrary stipulations of the contract on the issue, and similar to the transfer of ownership, risk of loss or damage automatically passes from seller to buyer as soon as both have agreed on the artwork to be sold and on its sale price, even if the buyer is not in possession of the art, antique or collectible (article 1196, Civil Code).

The parties may contractually agree that the risk will pass at a different time, notably upon delivery of the artwork to the buyer. This clause is commonly negotiated by the buyer to protect himself or herself against the hazards that may notably occur during transportation of the artwork.

Due diligence by buyer

Must the buyer conduct due diligence enquiries? Are there non-compulsory enquiries that the buyer typically carries out?

There is no formal legal obligation for the buyer to conduct due diligence enquiries when buying art, antiques or collectibles. However, in the event the buyer wishes to have the sale voided on the basis of an error committed on the substantial qualities of the artwork bought – such as an error on the correct attribution of the work, on its dating or on its condition – the courts may take into account the due diligence enquiries carried out by the buyer.

In the absence of such enquiries, the courts may find the professional buyer to have been reckless in his or her purchasing of the art, antique or collectible (particularly when the buyer is a professional of the art market). However, a non-professional buyer may reasonably rely on the description of the artwork when buying from a professional seller.

Typically, when conducting due diligence enquiries, the buyer should do the following:

request documents confirming the validity of the seller’s title (free of any third-party claims);

request documents evidencing the provenance of the art, antique or collectible;

search available databases of stolen works – notably the Art Loss Register – if any doubt arises on the provenance of the art, antique or collectible;

confirm the authenticity of the art, antique or collectible and possibly request an expert opinion; and

establish whether the art, antique or collectible was legally imported into the country or, if it is to be exported, whether an export certificate or licence has been obtained or if he or she must obtain it.

Due diligence by seller

Must the seller conduct due diligence enquiries?

There is no formal legal obligation for the seller to conduct due diligence enquiries when selling art, antiques or collectibles. However, similarly to the buyer, in the event the seller purports to have the sale of an artwork, antique or collectible voided based on an error and in the event his/her liability is challenged, the courts will take into account the due diligence enquiries carried out by the seller. In the absence of such enquiries, the courts may find the seller to have been reckless in his or her selling of the art, antique or collectible and either reject the action to void the sale or find him/her liable for having sold an inauthentic piece.

Professionals of the art market are subject to anti-money laundering obligations according to which they must in particular conduct due diligence on the identity and title of the sellers, when the transaction or series or transactions in which they are involved amounts to €10,000 or more. In addition, certain art market professionals have adopted codes of ethics in which they provide for a certain number of due diligence enquiries to be conducted, mainly on the authenticity and the provenance of the art, antique or collectible. Most codes of ethics are soft laws (ie, not binding), but courts usually rely on these sets of non-binding rules to assess the potential liability of art market professionals.

Acquisition in bad faith

Can ownership in art, antiques or collectibles vest in the acquirer in bad faith after a period of time?

Yes, ownership in art, antiques or collectibles may vest in the acquirer in bad faith after a period of adverse possession. Possession is composed of two elements: a physical element (material acts similar to those that a legitimate owner would perform) and a psychological element (the intention to hold for oneself).

To adversely possess, the possession must be continuous and uninterrupted, peaceful, public and unequivocal (article 2261, Civil Code). If one of those requirements is absent, the possession is vitiated, and the possessor is unable to acquire property through the passage of time.

There is controversy surrounding the period of time that is required for the ownership of movable property (as opposed to real property), such as art, antiques or collectibles, to vest in the acquirer in bad faith as there is no specific provision in the law. Depending on the interpretation of the provisions of the Civil Code, the period may be five years or 30 years. Authors generally consider that 30 years of adverse possession is more consistent with the legal framework.

Other implied warranties

Does the law provide that the seller gives the buyer implied warranties other than an implied warranty of title?

There are three general implied warranties that the seller gives to the buyer in a sales contract:

a warranty of peaceful possession;

a warranty of conformity, under which the seller warrants to the buyer that the sold asset conforms to its description (article 1603, Civil Code); and

a warranty against hidden defects, by which the seller warrants the buyer against defects in the asset sold that make it unfit for its intended use (article 1641 et seq, Civil Code).

Warranties of conformity are seldom used in the art market. An action based on a warranty of conformity is subject to the ordinary five-year statute of limitations, which starts to run from the day the buyer discovers the breach of the warranty. It may not be excluded when the buyer is not a professional in the same field.

Warranties against hidden defects are also almost never used in the art market – an artwork normally does not have a ‘use’ in the sense of this warranty. The action of the buyer based on this warranty is subject to a two-year statute of limitations, which starts to run from the discovery of the defect (article 1648, Civil Code). It may not be excluded when the buyer is not a professional in the same field.

There is also a specific warranty that the seller gives the buyer in the art market that relates to the accuracy of the description of the artwork. The wording used to describe the art, antique or collectible put up for sale gives rise to warranties. For instance, according to the Marcus Decree (Decree No. 81-255 of 3 March 1981 on the prevention of fraud in art and collectible sales):

the title or denomination of a work directly followed by a reference to a historical period, century or era warrants to the buyer that the work or item was actually produced during the period of reference;

the use of the term ‘attributed to’ followed by the artist’s name indicates that the work or the object was executed during the period of production of the artist mentioned and that serious assumptions indicate that this artist is the likely author; and

the use of the term ‘school of’ followed by the artist’s name warrants that the author of the work has been the pupil of the master cited or has been known to have been influenced or to have benefited from his or her technique.

Therefore, sellers and intermediaries of the art market must pay particular attention to the terminology they use when describing the art, antique or collectible put up for sale as it may imply certain warranties.

Cancelling the purchase of a forgery

If the buyer discovers that the art, antique or collectible is a forgery, what claims and remedies does the buyer have?

The buyer of an artwork that transpires to be a forgery may bring an action to void the sale on the basis that his or her consent was vitiated by an error on the authenticity of the artwork. If the buyer successfully demonstrates that his or her consent was vitiated, the contract is voided ab initio (ie, the sale is treated as having never been concluded). Hence the parties must be returned to the situation they were in before contracting the sale: the buyer must return the artwork to the seller, and the seller must refund the price to the buyer.

The action to void a sales contract is subject to a five-year limitation period, which starts to run from the discovery of the error, it being specified that no action on a contract may be brought once 20 years have elapsed after the date the contract was entered into.

If the seller is in bad faith (ie, he or she sold the artwork, antique or collectible knowing it was a forgery), the buyer may also claim for damages on the basis of a contractual liability action. The act of knowingly selling a forgery as an original is also subject to criminal sanctions.

Cancelling the sale of a sleeper

Can a seller successfully void the sale of an artwork of uncertain attribution subsequently proved to be an autograph work by a famous master by proving mistake or error?

This depends on the seller’s understanding at the time of the sale and on the wording used to describe the artwork. If the artwork is sold as a ‘copy of’, ‘studio of’ or ‘circle of’ and the seller can show that he or she contracted the sale in the erroneous belief that the artwork could not be an autograph work, he or she will have an action to void the sale.

On the other hand, if the artwork is sold as ‘attributed to’, the seller does not have an action to void the sale as he or she accepts the risk that the work might be an autograph piece (as it also might not be).

UGGC Avocats - Jean-François Canat, Laure Assumpçao, Line Alexa Glotin and Philippe Hansen https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=af1317e4-a416-41b1-b0af-54061b9c6108

2. NEW YORK, NY.- In 2002, a crew of paleoanthropologists were working in northwestern Ethiopia when they came across chipped stones and fossilized animal bones — telltale signs of a place where ancient people had once lived.

After years of excavations, the researchers discovered that hunter-gatherers had indeed lived there 74,000 years ago. As described in a study published Wednesday in Nature, these ancient humans were remarkably adaptable. They made arrows to hunt big game. And when their world was turned upside down by a giant volcanic eruption, they adapted and survived.

That flexibility might help explain why humans of the same era successfully expanded out of Africa and settled in Eurasia, even when many earlier forays had failed. “This points to how sophisticated people were in this time period,” said John Kappelman, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Texas who led the new study.

At the site, known as Shinfa-Metema 1, the researchers uncovered thousands of bones, some covered in cut marks, from gazelles, warthogs and even giraffes, suggesting that the humans were hunting these species.

The team also found 215 fragments of ostrich eggshells. It’s possible that the people who occupied the site ate the eggs or used the shells as canteens for storing water. The scientists were able to precisely date the shell fragments, which held trace amounts of decaying uranium, to 74,000 years ago.

Around the same time, a volcano in Indonesia called Toba unleashed vast amounts of ash and toxic gases that spread around the world, blocking the sun for months.

Kappelman inspected Shinfa-Metema 1 for signs of the eruption. By grinding rocks and dissolving them in acid, his team found tiny bits of glass that could only have formed in a volcano. The scientists realized that they had an extraordinary opportunity to study people who had survived this giant environmental shock.

After analyzing 16,000 chipped rocks, the researchers concluded that they were arrowheads, not spear points. If that holds true in future studies, it will push back the record for archery by several thousand years. The invention of archery meant that hunters didn’t have to approach their prey at close range. Even children could hunt with arrows, and Kappelman suspects they used them to kill the frogs whose bones he and his colleagues also found at the site.

When Toba erupted, the conditions at Shinfa-Metema 1 immediately turned harsh. The brief rainy season became far shorter, and the rivers ran low.

Many researchers have assumed that such brutal changes forced people into refuges where the environment was more forgiving and where they could continue to survive using their old practices. But that’s not what happened at Shinfa-Metema 1. There, the fossil record shows, humans adapted by giving up mammal-hunting as their prey died out and instead fishing in the newly shallow waters.

Kappelman and his colleagues gathered clues to how ancient people might have fished by looking at the practices of modern Ethiopians living in the area. During dry seasons, fish can get trapped in isolated water holes, for example. “It literally looks like fish in a barrel,” he said. “We think it would have been very easy to catch these fish.”

At Shinfa-Metema 1, it looks as if Toba’s environmental effects lasted only a few years. Rains returned, as did mammals, and the people at the site started hunting them again. Fish bones became rare.

Kappelman thinks this snapshot of a single site could help address the mystery of how humans expanded out of Africa. Scientists have long wondered how people could have made their way through the Sahara and the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula to reach other continents. They have speculated that it could have happened only during wet periods when these regions were covered with plants. Humans could have then used their old survival tactics while traveling these so-called “green highways” to reach other continents.

But Kappelman and his colleagues proposed that humans survived in arid climates by quickly coming up with new ways to find food, such as fishing.

During dry periods, they might have moved along seasonal rivers as they fished. Instead of traveling along green highways, the researchers argued, they traveled blue ones.

Michael Petraglia, director of the Australian Research Center for Human Evolution, said the study’s combination of archaeological and environmental evidence from the time of the Toba eruption was extraordinary. “It is incredibly rare anywhere in the world,” he said.

While Petraglia found the interpretation of the site convincing, he still favors the green highway hypothesis.

He argued that between 71,000 and 54,000 years ago, hyper-arid deserts stretched across the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula. “Blue-highway corridors were pretty much nonexistent,” Petraglia said.

Kappelman questioned whether the deserts were quite so harsh, observing that the Nile brought some water through the Sahara to the Mediterranean. And while he acknowledged that a single site couldn’t speak for all of humanity 74,000 years ago, it offered a point of comparison for other researchers who might find similar ones.

“It’s a testable hypothesis that we’re putting out there,” he said.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times. https://artdaily.cc/news/167698/Fossil-trove-from-74-000-years-ago-points-to-remarkably-adaptive-humans

AI art that's more than a gimmick? Meet AARON

Note: Harold Cohen was a pioneer in computer art, in algorithmic art, and in generative art; but as he told me one afternoon in 2010, he was first and foremost a painter. He was also an engineer whose work defined the first generation of computer-generated art. His system, AARON, is one of the longest-running, continually maintained AI systems in history. Harold Cohen was an exceptional artist, an impressive engineer, and an important bridge between those two worlds.

NEW YORK, NY.- Yes, it’s yet another show of AI-generated art — but wait! The software known as AARON isn’t like other AIs. Its developer, British painter Harold Cohen — being an artist — understood that artificial intelligence isn’t a shortcut to interesting art. It’s a tool, ultimately only as good as its user.

Selections from the paintings Cohen made with AARON, on view at the Whitney Museum, represent their man-machine team’s increasingly sophisticated style. The early pictures, from the 1970s, were limited to abstract, wavering linework and crosshatched blobs — the available computing power couldn’t manage much more — which AARON drew with a robotic plotter and pen. Cohen added patches of blushy, acid color by hand.

Gradually, painstakingly, Cohen deepened AARON’s range to include human figures, objects like tables and flowerpots, and profusions of leafy plants. The 1995 update of AARON could compose jaunty portraits in recognizable, furnished interiors, and color them, using a robot arm to switch between pots of dye. By the mid-2000s, cascades of jagged leaves filled the pictures — in a projection at the Whitney, a version of the software from 2007 builds crayon-hued jungles in real time.

The late 1980s might have been the sweet spot. On view are two examples from Cohen and AARON’s “Bathers Series,” loosely inspired by Paul Cézanne’s impressionist tableaus on the theme. In “Coming to a Lighter Place,” from 1988, the round warbling lines that are AARON’s constant signature inscribe swooshing figures daubed in shades of mustard and powder blue, a spindly forest jolted with tangerine and fuchsia. The painting creaks with fecund joy, as if it wants to go on flourishing.

Before taking up programming, Cohen was an accomplished painter — his canvases, spread with noodly, tractlike shapes, appeared in major exhibitions including the Venice Biennale and Documenta. In 1968, a teaching job at the University of California, San Diego, took him into the fermenting midst of a nascent Silicon Valley and the mushrooming defense industry. The Apple II personal computer was still a decade away when Cohen began tinkering with robotic drawing. He exhibited early experiments in 1972; but AARON proper was born during a residency at Stanford University’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory from 1973-75. Cohen stayed in California and continued enhancing AARON until his death in 2016.

The current generation of AI image-generating software, from text-to-image programs like Dall-E to splashy animations by Refik Anadol, rely on huge data sets of millions of pictures (many of them copyrighted works by others), which they process and regurgitate. AARON proceeds like a painter: stroke by stroke, following rules for depth and perspective, balanced compositions and color theory, and pulling from a small vocabulary of forms.

AARON has never “seen” a plant, or a human. Instead of imitating a person’s appearance, for example, it constructs figures one line at a time. Its code contains detailed instructions for anatomy, like numbers of limbs, proportions of heads and hands, the locations of joints and plausible postures. At the Whitney, you can see the sketchbooks where Cohen developed this logic, translating movements, like standing up, into code. In one almost mystical schematic, Cohen crisscrossed a drawing of two arms with points and lines like an acupuncturist’s map.

Paintings made with AI-driven robots might sound like a gimmick, especially with the present buzz around chatbots and deepfakes — and the timing of the Whitney show is certainly no accident. But a visit to the galleries dispels that notion, not least because Cohen applied the color in all but one of the paintings; the results are textured and eerily inhuman yet organic — whereas much AI-generated art either lives on a screen or has been flatly printed out. Impressions by Dall-E of work by Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner appeared last fall at Susan Inglett printed on canvas and awkwardly wrapped around stretcher bars, and fooled no one.

“One of the bargains I made with myself from the very earliest days was that I would never accept the position of having to apologize because this was done by a computer,” Cohen said in a published 1995 conversation with his wife, Becky. “I have always insisted that the work the program did would have to stand on equal terms with art made by hand.”

Today, savvy artists like Seth Price and David Salle are exploring ways to incorporate AI into their practices — to use the software, rather than react to it.

Compared to the visual horrors emerging from the psychedelic meatgrinder of text-to-image AIs like Dall-E, AARON’s docile pictures of people feel friendly and controlled. The Whitney show speaks to a hopeful period of tech development, when the internet’s pioneers envisioned an anarchic realm of the mind, not the boundless attention-gathering machine it became. Cohen developed AARON with intention. The machine and the painter grew together — inefficiently, by tech’s standards, but fruitfully, by art’s. Not to pine for saccharine expressionism or argue for an overly trusting approach to our corporate overlords. But AARON’s purpose-built style of freedom and curiosity seems worth salvaging.

https://artdaily.cc/news/166813/AI-art-that-s-more-than-a-gimmick--Meet-AARON

Design of the virtual museum of Stolen Cultural Artifacts by architect Francis Kéré. The groundbreaking project is a collaboration between UNESCO and Interpol.

The world’s first virtual museum dedicated to combating the illicit trade of cultural artifacts will be designed by architect Francis Kéré, the first African architect to receive the prestigious Pritzker Prize.

In a groundbreaking collaboration, UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural body, and INTERPOL are set to launch the world’s first virtual museum dedicated to combating the illicit trade of cultural artifacts. Scheduled for release in 2025, this visionary project has received substantial support from Saudi Arabia, with an initial funding commitment of $2.5 million. The primary objective is to raise awareness about the grave issue of stolen cultural property and facilitate the recovery of these invaluable objects.

UNESCO’s Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, eloquently emphasizes the profound significance of this initiative. She states, “Behind every stolen work or fragment lies a piece of history, identity, and humanity that has been wrenched from its custodians, rendered inaccessible to research, and now risks falling into oblivion.” This collaborative effort with INTERPOL aims to showcase the gravity of cultural theft and actively contribute to recovering stolen artifacts.

https://artcentron.com/2023/10/25/unesco-interpol-build-virtual-museum-stolen-cultural-objects/?utm_medium=email&utm_content=Lc1RGQY2IiOkBzT2K78sQQC8v_-oqH7OYnweBciYCMvXmXqTErLWuyaLrqB8DFK7

LONDON.- An exceptionally rare Chinese cloisonné ‘pomegranate’ box and cover from the Ming period has been discovered in a dust-filled cabinet in the attic of a family home, where it had been stored and left untouched since the owner’s death in 1967. This important box bearing the incised six-character marks of Xuande, the fifth Emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1426-1435), was nestled in a dusty cabinet amongst other cloisonné pieces and it was only on close inspection many years later that it was found.

The box comes from the collection of the late Major Edward Copleston Radcliffe (1898-1967), having been acquired at Sotheby’s in London in 1946 and then exhibited in the National Gallery of South Africa’s Chinese Exhibition in Cape Town in 1953. It is one of only four other known examples, including one in the Palace Museum, Beijing. Three are in museum or institutional collections and only this box and one other remain in private hands. Dr Yingwen Tao, specialist in Chinese and Asian Art at Dreweatts tells us; “There is every indication that all five were made in the same Imperial workshop, for the Emperor, as crucially all are doubly marked with an incised Xuande six-character reign mark on the underside of the box and the interior of the cover. They also all have similar designs and are uniform in size (12cm in diameter).”

Speaking about the discovery, Mark Newstead, Director of Asian Ceramics and Works of Art at Dreweatts, said: The valuation came through a referral from a friend. When I first inspected the piece it looked too good to be true as 99.9% of Xuande marked pieces are later copies (it one of the most copied marks of all time used every decade since the Xuande reign) and is found on pieces from the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. I assumed it was made in the 16th or early 17th century and it was only when my colleague Dr Yingwen Tao was able to compare it with the example at Fenton House that we started to believe it could be a ‘lost’ example of this rare group.”

Cloisonné enamel pieces from the early Ming period are exceptionally rare as production was strictly regulated by the Palace eunuchs, who operated under the auspices of the Yuyongjian, a sub-division of the Neifu, 'The Inner Treasury', responsible for supplies to the Imperial Household.

The decorative box is circular in shape and features two ripe pomegranates with gnarled gold branches, blossoms, smaller fruit and lotus scrolls. Pomegranates were an emblem of fertility and prosperity in the 15th century. As mentioned above, it bears the incised six-character marks of Xuande, the fifth Emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1426-1435) on its base and interior. It is estimated to fetch £6,000-£10,000. Mark Newstead states: “The initial estimate, which was based on it being from the 17th century is now looking extremely modest and it is now thought it could achieve much more, even in its slightly damaged condition.”

It will be offered for sale for the first time in 77 years, among other works collected by Major Edward Radcliffe between 1930-1965 in Dreweatts Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art & Japanese, Indian & Islamic Ceramics & Works of Art sale on 17th & 18th May, 2023.

https://artdaily.cc/news/156414/Discovery-of-important-Chinese-Ming-Cloisonne-box-in-family-attic

PARIS.- Osenat auction house and its Collector Cars department will take over the Retromobile show from January 31 to February 4, 2024, to exhibit on their booth nine jewels of pre-war and immediate post-war French motoring that have been carefully assembled over decades by an enthusiast with exacting standards and passion. The cars will be auctioned on Saturday February 3 in Paris at Osenat, avenue de Breteuil. Insiders aside, few people today remember that France was one of the pioneering nations of the automobile in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In fact, before the Second World War, the automotive industry was France's leading engineering industry. Delage, Delahaye, Talbot … Three names that have made the French automobile famous, and that still resonate today in the minds of enthusiasts and collectors alike.

The collection that will be presented for sale is the work and passion of a man who wished to pass on his l ... More

https://artdaily.cc/news/164885/A-breathtaking-private-French-collection-of-nine-Pre-and-Post-WW2-French-classics-to-be-offered-at-Osenat

RICHMOND, VA.- The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts announced that the museum has deaccessioned and returned 44 works of ancient art following an investigation by the Antiquities Trafficking Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security into the global trafficking of looted or stolen antiquities.

On May 1, 2023, VMFA received a summons from the Department of Homeland Security and the Antiquities Trafficking Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office pertaining to a group of 28 ancient art objects in the collection that had been identified as possibly looted or stolen. The museum was asked to supply all documents and photographs related to sales receipts, invoices and bills of sale; shipping and storage records; import and export documents; consignment agreements; appraisal documentation; provenance and provenance research; catalogues, brochures and marketing materials; and any correspondence related to these 28 objects. VMFA fully complied with this request and, based on the evidence the museum supplied, another 29 works were added to the summons on June 6, 2023. VMFA then submitted information on another 4 works, added at the museum’s request, bringing the total number of works under investigation to 61.

On October 17, 2023, VMFA met with Col. Matthew Bogdanos, the head of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, and Robert Mancene, the special agent handling the investigation from Homeland Security Investigations. Col. Bogdanos and special agent Mancene presented the museum with irrefutable evidence that 44 of the 61 works under investigation were stolen or looted and thus warranted repatriation to their countries of origin: Italy, Egypt or Türkiye. These works include a bronze Etruscan warrior that was stolen from Room VIII of the Museo Civico Archeologico (Archaeological Museum) in Bologna, Italy, in 1963. The other 43 works were looted from sites in Italy, Egypt and Türkiye as part of an international criminal conspiracy involving antiquities traffickers, smugglers and art dealers that is being actively investigated by the Antiquities Trafficking Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security.

“The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts returns any works in its collection that are discovered to be unlawfully held. The museum takes seriously, and responds to, all restitution claims for works in our collection,” said VMFA’s Director and CEO Alex Nyerges. “This is not just our policy. It is the right thing to do. We fully support the decision to repatriate these 44 works of ancient art.”

“The clear and compelling evidence presented to VMFA left no doubt that the museum does not hold clear title for these 44 works of ancient art,” said VMFA’s Chief Curator and Deputy Director for Art and Education Michael R. Taylor. “Stolen or looted art has no place in our galleries or collection, so we are delighted to return these works to their countries of origin. The museum has safely delivered the 44 objects to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which will facilitate the return of these objects to Italy, Egypt and Türkiye.”

From the outset, VMFA worked in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and the Antiquities Trafficking Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. The museum was praised by Col. Bogdanos and special agent Mancene for having been “admirably cooperative with the investigation” and no evidence was uncovered that linked current employees with any criminal activity related VMFA’s acquisition of these antiquities, which occurred for the most part in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. The museum was also informed that the other 17 works of ancient art are no longer under investigation and can remain in the museum’s permanent collection. More

https://artdaily.cc/news/164843/The-Virginia-Museum-of-Fine-Arts-announces-repatriation-of-ancient-works-of-art-to-their-countries-of-origin

BALTIMORE, MD.- Today the Walters Art Museum debuts Ethiopia at the Crossroads, an extraordinary display of Ethiopian art exploring over1,750 years of Ethiopian culture and history through over 220 objects. Co-organized by the Walters Art Museum, the Peabody Essex Museum, and the Toledo Museum of Art, Ethiopia at the Crossroads is the first major art exhibition in America to examine an array of Ethiopian cultural and artistic traditions from their origins to the present day and to chart the ways in which engaging with surrounding cultures manifested in Ethiopian artistic practices. A selection of works by contemporary Ethiopian artists are being displayed in conversation with the larger group of historic works that form the core of the exhibition. Tsedaye Makonnen, guest curator of contemporary art for the exhibition and an Ethiopian American multidisciplinary artist in her own right, shares in-gallery insights about these juxtapositions.

“Ethiopia at the Crossroads moves beyond the traditional Western perceptions of Ethiopian culture and re-centers both our understanding of the country’s significant artistic traditions and its connections to the wider world. This exhibition demonstrates Ethiopia’s foundational role in world culture, religion, and the humanities, while illuminating the specific ways in which Ethiopian artists and communities encountered and exchanged ideas with other cultures near and far,” said Julia Marciari-Alexander, Andrea B. and John H. Laporte Director. “Over the last three decades the Walters has built the most important collection of Ethiopian art outside of that nation, devoted curatorial resources to explore this collection area, and invested in conservation research and treatment for these objects. This new exhibition is the culmination of this long-term investment, an outstanding opportunity to share these works with our community, including the significant Ethiopian diaspora community in the Baltimore/Washington, DC area.”

The development of Ethiopia at the Crossroads was supported by a group of academic and community advisors, the majority of whom are of Ethiopian descent, whose lived experience provided essential input which informed the museum’s thinking around Ethiopian art and offered crucial guidance on the artworks included, the design of the exhibition, and community outreach. These advisors—a group of curators, professors, artists, clergy, business owners, and more—have forged invaluable connections between the museum and the local Ethiopian diaspora community.

Institutions in Ethiopia also offered essential partnership to the Walters throughout the realization of the exhibition: The Institute of Ethiopian Studies, Addis Abäba University, and Addis Fine Art generously lent objects, while the National Archives and Library of Ethiopia and the National Museum of Ethiopia provided the Walters with a better understanding of how best to present the Ethiopian culture on view.

Ethiopia’s Remarkable History

Ethiopia at the Crossroads delves into Ethiopian art as reflective of the nation’s notable history, including its status as an early adopter of Christianity and the only African nation that was never colonized, and demonstrates its enormous cultural significance through the themes of cross-cultural exchange. In particular, the exhibition traces the creation and movement of art objects, styles, and materials into and out of Ethiopia, whether across the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Indian Ocean, or within the African continent, especially up the Nile River.

The exhibition features objects drawn from the Walters collection of Ethiopian art augmented with loans from other American, Ethiopian, and European lenders. Visitors will see painted Christian icons, church wall paintings, illuminated manuscripts, healing scrolls, metalwork crosses, coins, colorful basketry, ancient stone and 20th-century wood sculpture, contemporary artworks, and more.

Home to over 80 different ethnicities and religious groups, a large portion of the historic artistic production in Ethiopia supported one of the three Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), all of which have early roots in Ethiopia. As one of the oldest Christian kingdoms, Ethiopian artists produced icons, wall paintings, crosses of various scales, and illuminated manuscripts to support this religious tradition and its liturgy. Visitors will learn the great religious significance of prayers to and images of the Virgin Mary, which were developed during this period under the patronage of Zar’a Ya’qob (1434-68). Bronze processional crosses and some of the earliest surviving illuminated manuscripts from Ethiopia are also on view. Ethiopia at the Crossroads offers insight into secular objects produced and utilized by Ethiopians, too, including coins minted by generations of Aksumite rulers and textiles used for manuscript bindings and garments.

Past Meets Present

Works by living artists are integrated throughout the space and juxtaposed with the

historic works to help visitors comprehend and connect with the multiplicity of cultures and histories presented. In Tsedaye Makonnen’s role as a guest curator, the Ethiopian American multidisciplinary artist, curator, researcher, and cultural producer designed programs related to the exhibition and penned wall labels for works by living artists. Makonnen’s insights into the objects featured in Ethiopia at the Crossroads consider the tangible effect the historic artworks have on these artists, who frequently incorporate their themes, motifs, and stylistic features in varying degrees.

Wax and Gold X (2014) by Wosene Worke Kosrof utilizes graphic, abstracted forms of Amharic script, the Semitic language widely spoken in Ethiopia and descended from Gəʿəz, an ancient written system indigenous to Africa. Ethiopia at the Crossroads features dozens of Ethiopian manuscripts, including Gospel books and healing scrolls. Meanwhile, Aïda Muluneh’s All in One (2016) features a woman wearing body paint inspired by traditions of African body art and a composition reminiscent of Ethiopian church paintings of the Virgin Mary.

“Tsedaye’s keen and insightful interpretations of the contemporary works in Ethiopia at the Crossroads shine a spotlight on the profound and enduring connections between Ethiopia's rich history and its vibrant present. Her work as a multidisciplinary artist and lived experience as the daughter of Ethiopian refugees adds a unique and personal depth to the exhibition, allowing visitors to gain not only an appreciation for Ethiopia's immense cultural contributions but also a deep understanding of its people,” said Christine Sciacca, Curator of European Art, 300–1400 CE. “The generosity of Tsedaye’s interpretations in conjunction with the valuable guidance of our advisory group and our esteemed partner institutions in Addis Abäba has proved essential to this exhibition. Ethiopia at the Crossroads would not be possible without this collaboration and has ensured that the exhibition stands as a genuine celebration of this remarkable African nation.”

Walters Art Museum

Ethiopia at the Crossroads

December 3rd, 2023 - March 3rd, 2024

Curated by Christine Sciacca, Curator of European Art

https://artdaily.cc/news/164586/Exhibition-showcasing-1-750-years-of-African-nation-s-artistic--cultural--and-religious-history-debuts

Full disclosure - I sat next to Lark Mason for 25 years on Antiques Roadshow. In addition to the informative history provided below, Lark is truly one of the most decent, kind, honest, and trustworthy individuals I have known in my 79 years on planet earth. It almost seems unfair to his competitors that he is also very intelligent, driven, and prescient in adjusting to the marketplace. In the midst of all the evil we all deal with on a daily basis., he is delight to be around.

NEW YORK, NY.- In the dynamic world of online auctions, Lark Mason stands as a pioneer, a figure whose distinctive bow tie, tweed sports jacket, and horn-rimmed glasses paint the portrait of the quintessential Ivy League professor. Yet, for the diehard followers of the popular PBS-TV Antique Roadshow, he is more than an academic archetype. Since 1996, when the show first aired, viewers have been tuning in eager for the moment when Mason, with his discerning eye and astute knowledge, becomes the bearer of good news for those hopeful individuals lined up to have their Asian art treasures appraised.

At a time when online auctions were considered a novelty, Mason foresaw the future and launched iGavelAuctions in 2003, which coincided with a period of remarkable economic growth in mainland China. Mason’s name recognition attributed in part to his association with Wang Shixiang, the eminent Chinese furniture scholar, with whom he collaborated with on translating the book "Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture," further underscored iGavel's credibility. The platform became a focal point for Chinese buyers, acting as a gateway for them to expand beyond Asian sales within China to American and European art auctions. The influx of Chinese Mainland buyers into the Western auction marketplace, facilitated by iGavelAuctions, extended benefits far beyond the confines of its namesake online platform.

Mason’s journey began at the age of 12, when he attended his first auction, followed by working for a local auctioneer in Atlanta, Georgia, and eventually opening his first antique business while in college in Tennessee. Fast forward to today as he marks his 20th anniversary in the digital landscape, Mason stands as an unparalleled authority in the field of Asian art, attracting collectors from every corner of the globe and outranking its online competitors.

The virtual auction floor is always alive with excitement, and notable sales reverberate through the digital space. A Chinese Hand Scroll, Eminent Chinese General and Subordinates who Subdued Taiwan, c. 1900, soared to a record-setting $4,182,000.00, while a Chinese Gilt Bronze Figure of Vajrasattva from the Early Ming Dynasty sold for a staggering $1,530,000.00. The virtual gavel fell again for a Pair of Chinese Porcelain Fahua Style 'Lotus’ Jars and Covers from the Qing Dynasty, realizing an impressive $950,000.00. A Large Chinese Huanghuali Cabinet from the Kangxi Period, which sold for $546,600, found a new home, and a captivating Large Chinese Porcelain Enameled Figure of Amitayus on Lotus Base from the 18th / 19th Century climbed to a remarkable $990,000.00. The virtual auction room echoes with the success of a Pair of Chinese Huanghuali Yoke Back Armchairs from the 17th Century, fetching $540,000.00.

Mason's influence extends beyond the boundaries of Asian art. In another corner of the digital marketplace, his sale for Anthony Bourdain attracted a global audience. Virtual bidders from around the world vied for unique items, setting records for a Custom US Navy Jacket from the USS Nashville, bearing a 'Tony Bourdain' Patch, which sold for $171,250.00. The digital excitement reached its peak as a Custom Bob Kramer Steel and Meteorite Chef’s Knife, complete with a Certificate to Anthony Bourdain, soared to an impressive $231,250.00.

With offices in Manhattan and New Braunfels, Texas, Lark Mason Associates has solidified its place in the competitive field of online auctions. Recognition is not confined to physical spaces but resonates through the digital waves of success. In this dynamic arena, Mason's legacy is one of innovation, expertise, and a global community brought together by the click of a mouse. As the celebration unfolds, the 20th anniversary becomes a testament to Mason's enduring influence in the ever-evolving world of online auctions.

https://artdaily.cc/news/164503/Opening-doors-to-China-s-art-market--Lark-Mason-celebrates-20-years-as-on-online-auction-pioneer

It is always fun to see how we celebrate the holidays around the world