The auctioneers described it as an “extremely rare 19th century mask”, “the property of a secret society of the Fang people in Gabon.”
A court has authorized the sale of an extremely rare African mask sold by a couple from France for 150 euros. However, it eventually turned out that it was actually worth millions. The Guardian reported this.
It was noted that the couple sold the African artifact to an antiquities dealer in September 2021.
The wooden mask that the couple keeps in their home belonged to their ancestor, who was a colonial governor in Africa. People thought this artifact was worthless.
In March 2022, an African mask was sold to an anonymous buyer at an auction in Montpellier for 4.2 million euros. The auctioneers described it as an “extremely rare 19th century mask”, “the property of a secret society of the Fang people in Gabon.” There are less than 10 such artifacts in the world.
The seller then offered to pay the couple the initial auction bid of 300 thousand euros, but they refused. They immediately filed to cancel the initial sales, saying there was a “validation error.”
Now a court has thrown out the lawsuit, saying the couple didn’t even try to check the mask before selling it, calling it “negligent and frivolous.” He also ruled that the antiquities dealer, who was not himself an expert on African art, was not cheating them.
We remind you that early archaeologists discovered a necropolis near Naples.
Source: korrespondent
I am Ben Stock, a passionate and experienced digital journalist working in the news industry. At the Buna Times, I write articles covering technology developments and related topics. I strive to provide reliable information that my readers can trust. My research skills are top-notch, as well as my ability to craft engaging stories on timely topics with clarity and accuracy.