Kleine Weltin

Kleine Weltin

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Ushabti or Ishabti-or NOBODYshabtis:  BUT IS IT REAL??


Today I received a call from a gentleman wanting to get an appraisal on a Ushabti (ancient Egyptian funerary figure)  He ALREADY bought it for $1,500.00 off of the Internet.  He says he has a "certificate of authenticity".   
Two thoughts:
1.) ANYone can print out a "certificate of authenticity"
2.) Before you spend 1,500 of your hard earned money, get a CLEAR picture of who the Internet seller is, how they conduct business, how do they get their artifacts (are they grave robbers?) and just HOW can they guarantee that the object you think you are buying is really what you are buying.   

I gave this same advise to the woman calling about whether she should buy this Picasso over the web.  At least she called me BEFORE she made the purchase!

Friday, July 19, 2013


As published in ArtNexus; I wondered how much longer they could afford those metal clasps that are so emblematic of that GREAT institution: The MET!

 
Heard on The Street 
The Metropolitan Museum of Art bids goodbye to the iconic clasps used as entry tickets 
15/July/2013


United States, New York
Institution:
Metropolitan Museum of Art



Since Monday, July 1st, the emblematic clasps used by the MET as admission tickets will be replaced by paper stickers, after 42 years in use. The decision was based on the cost to the museum of producing the clasps. These were presented in 16 colors and carried the symbol of a letter M. Paper stickers will also have colors, but their production costs a third of that of the clasps.


This new policy is accompanied by the decision of opening the museum on Mondays, the day of the week when for many years it was closed. Now, the MET will open seven days a week and visitors will be admitted every day. Hours of operation are also changing: up to now, the museum doors opened at 9:30 am. Now, they will open at 10:00 am.