Appraisals
Gems of Africa Gallery does NOT offer appraisal services
Please see the list of appraisers below
- ATADA - Antique Tribal Art Dealers Assoc.
- International Society of Appraisers
- Charles Jones
- John Buxton
Collecting African Art by Douglas Yaney:
African art was originally collected by Western explorers and slave traders because nothing quite like it had been seen before. The objects were usually regarded as curiosities with no particular artistic value.
In time, many pieces made their way into various European museums as trophies of conquest through war and religious conversion. Eventually African art was discovered by artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Giacometti and Braque who started incorporating the unusual geometric lines and shapes into their own work, resulting in what was becoming known as “cubism”.
Along with the success of these and other European artists came the validation of the African art itself. As original African objects found their way out of collections and into the influential auction houses, the prices and status of these extraordinary antique African works started rising dramatically. Of course the original creators were simply making functional, yet powerful masks, statues and other items to be used in their daily life in the village. It is doubtful these men had any sense of how they were affecting European art.
Authentic antique African art has increasingly become an excellent investment to the collector because unlike other investments, the value is rarely diminished.
Today, investment in good quality African art is even more important. Unlike other investments that we have all seen vanish into thin air recently, African art is something we can actually hold in our hands. We can feel the smooth patina of wood that has been handled by many hands in the past. We can admire and enjoy its beauty for as long as we have it in our care. My advice is to always buy what you like....that piece or style that catches your eye for one reason or another. This way you can never go wrong.
Quality Rating Scale by Dr. Seiber:
1. Authentic tribal pieces usually used in tribal ceremonies. The highest rating for authenticity and quality – usually with some age but even newer pieces if authentic and embodying a spiritual dimension.
2. “B Grade Authentic” - Same as 1 except diminished some by condition, newness, or style and quality of the artist’s effort.
3. Decorative newer pieces – still good quality, but sometimes copies. Most often a continuum of an established and traditional tribal piece but with an incorrect patina. Decorative value.
4. African arts made to be sold to foreigners – Europeans, Americans, and others. Not necessarily tribal, could be folk or contemporary.
5. “Airport” or tourist art (souvenirs). Lowest grade and made in great quantities.
Enjoy African art for its historical significance. Enjoy the power of the forms and designs as they move you. One can gain such personal satisfaction and accomplishment with the formation of a collection. Because tribal art is very geometric and exists strongly in a three dimensional space, it is very much up front : its presence can be awe inspiring. Early collectors thought the art was crude and primitive, yet today we understand that the forms and styles in African art are exactly the way the artists chose to represent them. Strong, focused, and contemplative, tribal art nurtures our souls.
African art was originally collected by Western explorers and slave traders because nothing quite like it had been seen before. The objects were usually regarded as curiosities with no particular artistic value.
In time, many pieces made their way into various European museums as trophies of conquest through war and religious conversion. Eventually African art was discovered by artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Giacometti and Braque who started incorporating the unusual geometric lines and shapes into their own work, resulting in what was becoming known as “cubism”.
Along with the success of these and other European artists came the validation of the African art itself. As original African objects found their way out of collections and into the influential auction houses, the prices and status of these extraordinary antique African works started rising dramatically. Of course the original creators were simply making functional, yet powerful masks, statues and other items to be used in their daily life in the village. It is doubtful these men had any sense of how they were affecting European art.
Authentic antique African art has increasingly become an excellent investment to the collector because unlike other investments, the value is rarely diminished.
Today, investment in good quality African art is even more important. Unlike other investments that we have all seen vanish into thin air recently, African art is something we can actually hold in our hands. We can feel the smooth patina of wood that has been handled by many hands in the past. We can admire and enjoy its beauty for as long as we have it in our care. My advice is to always buy what you like....that piece or style that catches your eye for one reason or another. This way you can never go wrong.
Quality Rating Scale by Dr. Seiber:
1. Authentic tribal pieces usually used in tribal ceremonies. The highest rating for authenticity and quality – usually with some age but even newer pieces if authentic and embodying a spiritual dimension.
2. “B Grade Authentic” - Same as 1 except diminished some by condition, newness, or style and quality of the artist’s effort.
3. Decorative newer pieces – still good quality, but sometimes copies. Most often a continuum of an established and traditional tribal piece but with an incorrect patina. Decorative value.
4. African arts made to be sold to foreigners – Europeans, Americans, and others. Not necessarily tribal, could be folk or contemporary.
5. “Airport” or tourist art (souvenirs). Lowest grade and made in great quantities.
Enjoy African art for its historical significance. Enjoy the power of the forms and designs as they move you. One can gain such personal satisfaction and accomplishment with the formation of a collection. Because tribal art is very geometric and exists strongly in a three dimensional space, it is very much up front : its presence can be awe inspiring. Early collectors thought the art was crude and primitive, yet today we understand that the forms and styles in African art are exactly the way the artists chose to represent them. Strong, focused, and contemplative, tribal art nurtures our souls.
What is an Appraisal?
An appraisal is an unbiased independent objective opinion of value (worth) of an object by a qualified professional appraiser and is a key element in protecting your interests. Appraisals may be used for the following purposes:
Properly prepared appraisals are written reports and are not simply lists of objects with numbers attached. The specific content and format of each appraisal report varies according to the individual function and purpose of the appraisal. In order for an appraisal to be valid, it must be done by a certified appraiser who will evaluates the work by using comparables--other items that have similar characteristics. The appraisal should contain contact information for the appraiser, a conflict of interest disclaimer, and also a statement of how the appraised value was determined.
You want a FAIR MARKET VALUE (FMV) appraisal; a dollar amount that a willing buyer pays a willing seller under normal circumstances, or would reasonably be expected to pay under normal circumstances (both with reasonable knowledge of the art and neither being unduly influenced or required to act in any way), NOT in the rarified controlled environment of a gallery, NOT in the amount of a potential insurance claim. The price that similar works of art sell for at auction is genreally accepted to be a erasonable estimate of FAIR MARKET VALUE .
Choose a qualified appraiser who has been professionally trained and tested by a recognized appraisal association, has experience and education in the field of the object to be appraised and knowledgeable in the legal, financial, and technical requirements of the appraisal. Anyone may call them self an appraiser, even if they have no qualifications, therefore it is crucial to enlist the services of a qualified appraiser who are members of one of the non-profit appraisal organizations that test, accredit/certify members and who require adherence to strict ethical standards.
Tips
An appraisal is an unbiased independent objective opinion of value (worth) of an object by a qualified professional appraiser and is a key element in protecting your interests. Appraisals may be used for the following purposes:
- Insurance: To determine the appropriate replacement value, most commonly at retail, of an object in order to correctly provide for insurance coverage.
- Loss and/or Damage Claims: To determine the value of an object lost or damaged and/or the amount, if any, of any loss in value as a result of the damage. Utilized to aid or facilitate claims settlements.
- Property Division: To determine the Fair Market Value of an object in order to assist in the equitable distribution of property that is jointly owned by individuals, business associates, or corporations that may be changing ownership.
- Charitable Donations: To determine the Fair Market Value of an object given to an accepting organization or institution in order to aid in establishing the donor's income tax deduction.
- Informational and/or Market Related: To determine the Value of an object in anticipation of potential sale, or to determine the Value of an object under consideration for purchase, or to determine the Value of an object simply to know what it is worth within a specified market, or to determine specific information about an object such as maker, artist, age, country of origin, condition, or previous repair.
- Estates: To determine the Fair Market Value of an object in connection with the preparation of estate tax returns, or to assist in estate planning, and/or to aid in the distribution of assets.
- Financial: To determine the Fair Market Value of an object for asset management, loan collateral and related financial and legal matters.
Properly prepared appraisals are written reports and are not simply lists of objects with numbers attached. The specific content and format of each appraisal report varies according to the individual function and purpose of the appraisal. In order for an appraisal to be valid, it must be done by a certified appraiser who will evaluates the work by using comparables--other items that have similar characteristics. The appraisal should contain contact information for the appraiser, a conflict of interest disclaimer, and also a statement of how the appraised value was determined.
You want a FAIR MARKET VALUE (FMV) appraisal; a dollar amount that a willing buyer pays a willing seller under normal circumstances, or would reasonably be expected to pay under normal circumstances (both with reasonable knowledge of the art and neither being unduly influenced or required to act in any way), NOT in the rarified controlled environment of a gallery, NOT in the amount of a potential insurance claim. The price that similar works of art sell for at auction is genreally accepted to be a erasonable estimate of FAIR MARKET VALUE .
Choose a qualified appraiser who has been professionally trained and tested by a recognized appraisal association, has experience and education in the field of the object to be appraised and knowledgeable in the legal, financial, and technical requirements of the appraisal. Anyone may call them self an appraiser, even if they have no qualifications, therefore it is crucial to enlist the services of a qualified appraiser who are members of one of the non-profit appraisal organizations that test, accredit/certify members and who require adherence to strict ethical standards.
Tips
- Whenever a seller tells you his art's been appraised, the first thing you want do is see the appraisal. Sometimes the seller tells you that he doesn't have an actual appraisal, but rather that an appraiser looked at the art and gave a dollar value. THIS IS NOT AN APPRAISAL. S ometimes a seller tells you that he hasn't had the art formally appraised, but that his asking price is what the art sells for at galleries. THIS IS NOT AN APPRAISAL EITHER. If they do NOT have an appraisal document, that means that the seller DOES NOT have an appraisal.
- The amount of money that a seller originally paid for art has no bearing on that art's fair market value. Sellers overpay for art all the time and you, as a buyer, are not required to compensate them for their mistakes.
- A work of art that's appraised at $10,000, for example, but that's priced for sale at $5000, is not necessarily a bargain. As stated above, a retail or insurance appraisal can be many times the fair market value of a work of art. Always determine fair market value first, no matter how big a bargain the seller makes you think you're getting.
- Make sure any appraisal you are given is current and has been done within the past three years or so. Art prices fluctuate over time. Appraisals dating from the art booms of pre-2008 or even from the late 1980's, for instance, can easily state a dollar amount well beyond what the art currently sells for.
- The same item may have many different appraised values depending on how you intend to use the appraisal? For instance, the value of an item for insurance coverage may be very different than its value for resale, or charitable contribution. Qualified appraisers understand the many different types of values, assigned uses, and market levels.
Learn about Collecting African Art
