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<p>[QUOTE="2manybooks, post: 4297817, member: 8267"]Your comment that this mask was "hidden" and then sold raises some questions about the ethics of its sale. Did the seller have authority to possess and sell this mask? Fine Baule carvings are valued by western collectors, and as a result they have become targets for theft. Trafficking in stolen art objects is, of course, simply wrong and potentially illegal.</p><p><br /></p><p>If an object's history is unknown, or cannot be disclosed because of questionable origins, significant value may be lost. While there may be collectors still interested in buying for its esthetic appeal, more value is created with a history that is known and that can be verified. Museums, in particular, look for objects with documented provenance.</p><p><br /></p><p>If you are looking to sell this mask, and are certain that it was legitimately obtained and sold to you, you might try contacting some of the major auction companies that handle African art such as Bonhams and Sotheby's.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.bonhams.com/departments/AFR/#/ag1=past&MR1_main_index_key=sale&m1=1" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.bonhams.com/departments/AFR/#/ag1=past&MR1_main_index_key=sale&m1=1" rel="nofollow">https://www.bonhams.com/departments/AFR/#/ag1=past&MR1_main_index_key=sale&m1=1</a></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/departments/african-oceanic-art?locale=en" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/departments/african-oceanic-art?locale=en" rel="nofollow">https://www.sothebys.com/en/departments/african-oceanic-art?locale=en</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="2manybooks, post: 4297817, member: 8267"]Your comment that this mask was "hidden" and then sold raises some questions about the ethics of its sale. Did the seller have authority to possess and sell this mask? Fine Baule carvings are valued by western collectors, and as a result they have become targets for theft. Trafficking in stolen art objects is, of course, simply wrong and potentially illegal. If an object's history is unknown, or cannot be disclosed because of questionable origins, significant value may be lost. While there may be collectors still interested in buying for its esthetic appeal, more value is created with a history that is known and that can be verified. Museums, in particular, look for objects with documented provenance. If you are looking to sell this mask, and are certain that it was legitimately obtained and sold to you, you might try contacting some of the major auction companies that handle African art such as Bonhams and Sotheby's. [URL]https://www.bonhams.com/departments/AFR/#/ag1=past&MR1_main_index_key=sale&m1=1[/URL] [URL]https://www.sothebys.com/en/departments/african-oceanic-art?locale=en[/URL][/QUOTE]
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