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<\/p>\nAN ANTIQUES dealer who was taken to court over misleading an elderly couple over a mask has won the battle – and \u00a33.6million.<\/p>\n
The dealer had been brought in to clear the attic of an elderly French couple when he found an African mask that is "rarer than a Leonardo da Vinci painting".<\/p>\n
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He bought it from them for just \u00a3130 in 2021, and then sold it to an unknown buyer at auction for \u00a33.6 million.<\/p>\n
The couple took the antiques dealer to court, claiming that he had misled them over the real worth of the mask and demanded that they get part of the proceeds.<\/p>\n
The dealer alleged that he was unaware of the mask's worth when he purchased it, stating that he wasn't an expert on African artefacts.<\/p>\n
He did, however, offer the couple \u00a3300,000 when it was first valued by an auction house in March 2022.<\/p>\n
This offer was ignored by the couple, whose children persuaded them to sue and go after the full amount.<\/p>\n However, during the case the dealer's lawyer expertly argued that the couple had failed to research the mask's worth before they sold it.<\/p>\n The lawyer, Patricia Pijot, told French media that the couple should have been more curious before they just gave it away.<\/p>\n The judge concurred, stating that the couple failed to assess the historical and artistic value of the artefact.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n The lawyer for the couple, Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Mansat Jaffr\u00e9, said: "The judge has created a precedent.<\/p>\n "You or I will now need to ask a professional before then going to see another professional."<\/p>\n The rare mask, made by a Fang master from the ancient community in Gabon, is thought to be one of only 10 to 12 remaining in the world.<\/p>\n A similar mask featured on an episode of Bargain Hunt back in 2021.<\/p>\n Expert Sam Hanbury-Maiden revealed that, in terms of ancient African artefacts: \u201cThe big money-makers are things like the fang masks from Gabon.<\/p>\n \u201cAgain highly copied today, but a fang mask with a good providence today, dating from the 19th century could be a couple of million pounds.\u201d<\/p>\n The contested mask featuring in the case today is presumed to have been acquired "in unknown circumstances" by the plaintiff's grandfather – a French colonial governor.<\/p>\n The mask had been in the couple's family up until it was sold to the dealer, and then to the unknown buyer – for a whopping \u00a33.6 million.<\/p>\n Officials from Gabon attended the auction, stating stating that the mask should be returned to its rightful owner – their nation.<\/p>\n Some of them also attended the court case.<\/p>\n Solange Bizeau, from the Collectif Gabon Occitanie, said: "That mask was stolen at the time of colonisation.<\/p>\n "All these works of art – and so many that we see in museums – were taken.<\/p>\n "Today this court case is about the grandchildren of the governor versus a secondhand dealer.<\/p>\n "Neither of them is legitimate in terms of this mask. What we want is the restitution of this mask to Gabon. <\/p>\n "This mask has a soul, it was used to establish justice in our villages."<\/p>\n The judge also rejected these claims.<\/p>\n It has been estimated that there are at least 900,000 African artefacts in France.<\/p>\n French President, Emannuel Macron, called for these pieces of art – most of which were taken during the colonial era – to be returned in 2017.<\/p>\n He said: "I cannot accept that a large part of the cultural heritage of several African countries is in France."<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/comp-ap-6469-mirror.jpg\")
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