Elderly Couple Sues Art Dealer Over Mask Sold for Rs 13,000, Which Later Fetches Rs 36 Crore in Auction

An elderly couple took legal action against an art dealer after discovering that the mask they had sold to the dealer for Rs 13,000 was significantly more valuable. The art dealer subsequently auctioned the mask for a staggering Rs 36 crore.

According to MailOnline, the unnamed couple in their eighties, from Nimes in France, were clearing out their home in 2021 when they decided to sell the 'Ngil' African mask. They sold it to an art dealer, known as Mr Z, for 129 pounds (Rs 13208), but he went on to sell the mask just a few months later for 3.6 million pounds (Rs 36,86,17320) at an auction in Montpellier.

The elderly couple remained unaware of the substantial sale until they came across it in a newspaper, and as a result, they have initiated a lawsuit against Mr Z. Their claim is based on the belief that he deceived them and intentionally kept silent about the item's true value.

According to The Metro News, the item is sourced from the Fang people of Gabon and is used during weddings and funerals. They're a rare sight outside of the African country, with only a handful found in museums around the world. Testing dated the mask to the 19th century, and court documents describe the item as 'exceptional in terms of its rarity'.

The couple came into possession of the mask because the husband's grandfather was a colonial governor in Africa, according to industry media.

The lawsuit is ongoing, but the court of appeals in Nimes ruled the couple's case 'appears to be well-founded in principle'.