Mask sells for 4.2 Million

[gp]

Originally Posted by Richard G

The catalogue may give some explanation for its value. It is my observation that with these types of masks, and much ethnographica, provenance is all important. Firstly, because it establishes age and authenticity, but equally, or even more importantly, if it establishes a valued association. If, for example, a mask such as this had been owned by such as Picasso or his circle the value is multiplied extraordinarily.
Best wishes
Richard
PS. Sorry Jim, that's what you've already said.

sorry but there never is a decent explanation for a these kind of values: my late father always told me in a joking yet serious way, "the value is what a fool is willing to pay for it"

Van Gogh died in poverty, Rembrandt went bancrupt....
and their work is now being bought quite a lot of times by people as investments or show off objects to gain status.
It's all in the eyes of the beholder...

Look at cold weapons:

some were sold on catawiki for 20-60 Euro just 4 to 5 years ago...
now do cost you 150 to 200 or more.
Best examples are Congole daggers, Bosnian bichaqs from the Ottoman & Habsburgian era , Indonesian goloks and Tjikeroehs.
And perhaps we'll see a decline in a decade ...

Also location: sometimes I see prices in the good ol' U S of A versus the EU ( not talkking import taxes and such) which do show sometimes a huge difference ...even double or treble .
Be it swords, daggers, guns, revolvers...

But still with patience one might get a nice piece for an excellent and even cheap price...