From $158 to $4.4M: The Astonishing Journey of an African Mask
An elderly couple sold an African mask to a local antique dealer for $158, unaware of its true value. The mask, a rare 19th-century Ngil mask used in rituals by the Fang people in Gabon, was later sold at auction for $4.4 million. The couple is now suing the dealer for allegedly cheating them by withholding the mask's value. The dealer sought appraisals and radiocarbon dating before putting it up for auction, but initially estimated its worth to be under €600. The couple alleges that the dealer also involved their gardener in assessing the mask's authenticity. The case remains open as the couple appeals the initial court ruling, and the appeals court has seized the money from the sale.