French couple sue art dealer who bought African face mask from them for £129 and sold it for £3.6m

The case of the French couple suing an art dealer who bought an African face mask from them for £129 and later sold it for £3.6 million has garnered attention.

The elderly couple, aged 81 and 88, from Nimes, France, decided to sell the ‘Ngil’ mask while clearing out their home in 2021. They sold it to a dealer known as Mr. Z. Later, the dealer sold it at an auction in Montpellier for an impressive £3.6 million.

The artwork is a traditional Fang mask from Gabon, used in rituals such as weddings and funerals. It was brought to France by the husband’s grandfather, who was a colonial governor in Africa.

The couple learned about the astronomical value of the item after reading about the sale in a newspaper. Subsequently, they initiated legal action against the dealer, alleging that he cheated them.

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The court of appeals in Nimes ruled that the couple’s case ‘appears to be well-founded in principle’ and ordered the proceeds of the sale to be frozen until the end of the case.

The couple’s argument is that the dealer withheld his suspicions over the value of the artifact. Instead of displaying the mask in his shop, he sought estimates of its worth from three auction houses in France. The last estimate was considerably lower than the actual sale price.

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The dealer offered the couple £259,416 when faced with legal action, but the offer was rejected. The case brings to light the value and significance of Fang masks, carved from wood by the Fang people of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon.

The mask in question features decorative elements on the lower half that resemble a long beard. Tests dated the mask to the 19th century and revealed its use by the Ngil, a secret male society within the Fang people. The uniqueness and rarity of the mask have been highlighted in court documents.

The lawsuit is ongoing, and the dispute continues between the French couple and the art dealer.