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THE SALE OF TRIBAL ART RUINED BY SUSPICION OF FAKES
The Tajan tribal art auction should be a defining moment of re-opening in this particular sector for the Parisian auction house. Things however went a little differently. The auction was held in Paris last year on 19th February but the outcome was anything but positive. Suspicions heavily influenced sales of work, which were quickly possessed by interested collectors and participants at auction.
The sale presented a catalogue of 326 pieces accumulated after consulting the expert Hervé Naudy and the help of the department director Indiana Raffaelli. The catalogue presented the greatest collection of work by Kachina, indian figurines representing spirits, on sale for a long time. Also presented were masks from the Congo, and Alaska, Aztec clay models as well as other objects of antique culture. The auction announced that it was a huge success but it quickly transformed into a sort of nightmare for Tajan.
Everything was unleashed after the exhibition was completed before the auction following a letter sent to the Syndacat National des Antiquaires (SNA) by Bernard Dulon, Philippe Ratton, Christine Valluet and Jacques Blazy. In line with reports from the experts, numerous collectors aimed to ask for verification of the authenticity of the presented works. The same experts were perturbed at the moment of verification.
Of the 326 pieces presented at auction, about 80 were examined; draft reports suggest that the bought pieces under examination were described as: “false”, “reconstructed”, “latest copy”, “rough copy”, “tourist object”, “contemporary invention”, “dull style”. And if this wasn’t enough, these frequently mentioned phrases were accompanied by comments like “exaggerated appraisal” or “bizarre estimate”. Yet still according to the expert’s report, once action was taken, there was nothing left to do but bring to light the gravity of the event underlining not only problems regarding the authenticity of the lots, but especially the estimated values offered with the least acknowledgement of artistic value.
The deceptive conduct was evident from an object’s estimate that didn’t correspond to its value, accompanied by false comments flattering its significance and the history of the lot. The potential buyers could naturally be previcated. The event reopens a past topic of debate regarding the role of the experts. In fact, in this field a sort of legislative vote exists while it is crucial to better regulate the evaluation system.
The merchants and the experts implicated asked their representitive body the SNA to take their reflections to the Conseil des ventes volontaires (CVV), which was done on the same day. In the end, sales were annulled but an inquest opened to which the government commissioner, Michel Seurin was appointed. Informed by the letters sent to the SNA, the Tajan auction house decided to remove seven of the incriminated lots as a cautionary measure without having first consulted the experts. Through communication distributed during sales, the origin of many lots were furthermore rectified paying particular attention to important pieces like the Yupi’k iniut mask of Alaska, shown on the catalogue cover and presented at auction for an estimate of 180,000 – 200,000 euros.
The results of the sales were catastrophic. It seems that the sold lots were less than 20%. This result is an approximation and is based exclusively on the evaluations of the present works in the hall. Until today in fact (29th February), the auction house refuses to publish the official results of sales. At the moment it is not possible to give an evaluation based on the critics’ grounds revealed at the auction house by the experts. In case the allegations are unwarranted, Tajan could take legal action for disloyal competitors by the persons that signed the letter sent to the SNA accusing them of vilification or of fraud. Meanwhile however, we are waiting to hear about the outcome of the inquest brought forward by the CCV and the government commissioner.
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