France: Elderly Couple Sues Art Dealer Over Mask With Hidden Value

Ever felt like you sold something to an auctioneer, or an art dealer for much less than what is was actually worth? Well, an elderly French couple in Nimes, France, found out that an artefact, a mask, that they had sold to an art dealer was worth much more than the amount they had sold it for, having sold it for INR 13,000 and the art dealer, in turn, selling it for nearly 36 crores rupees. 

The elderly couple, who are unidentified in news articles to (presumably) preserve their identity, had no clue of the mask's real worth until they came across a newspaper article in which the art dealer they sold it to revealed the price he himself had sold it for- a whopping 3.6 million pounds. 

The Mask

The mask is a piece of material culture belonging to the Fang people of Gabon, and "is used during weddings and funerals," according to Metro News. Outside Gabon, finding such a mask is extremely rare, with only a few museums in the world possessing them. The mask the couple owned, in particular, has been dated back to the 19th century, with court documents describing the artefact as being 'exceptional in terms of its rarity,' according to NDTV. 

So, how did an elderly French couple from Nimes, France, get a crucial cultural artefact from Gabon? Well, the couple got the mask through their inheritance- the "husband's father was a colonial governor in Africa," according to NDTV. 

The Controversial Sale

Whilst cleaning out their home 2 years ago, the elderly couple from France, in their eighties, found the 'Ngil' mask and decided to sell it. According to NDTV, "They sold it to an art dealer, known as Mr Z, for 129 pounds (Rs 13208), but he went on to sell the mask just a few months later for 3.6 million pounds (Rs 36,86,17320) at an auction in Montpellier."

The elderly couple had no idea of the massive profits made by the art dealer until they read it in the newspapers, because of which they've decided to sue Mr Z, claiming that the art dealer deceived them of their heirloom's real value and cheated them of the profits, according to NDTV. 

While the lawsuit is ongoing, a "court of appeals in Nimes ruled the couple's case 'appears to be well-founded in principle,'" according to NDTV.

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