"Paul, more information on provenance
is provided to the winning bidder of any of the antiquities".
is provided to the winning bidder of any of the antiquities".
Lot 1-300. An Attractive Ford Fiesta car.
An Attractive Ford Fiesta car. A blue Mk 3 Ford Fiesta car, manufactured in Europe, c. 1989 AD - AD 1997, the two doors in the front, and a hatchback boot. Below the car are four wheels with tyres. The shape of the bonnet and headlamps at the front give the piece a rather amiable user friendly appearance. H: 54.29” (137.9 cm). Minor restoration to an area on the right side of the body and elements reattached. The surfaces are highly polished with deposits. Previous owners. Ex Usedauto Auctions. Value Range: £1,500-£2,000.
Further details of previous ownership and servicing history, availability of documentation and detailed condition available after purchase. Bid now.
See more at: http://agoraauctions.com/listing/viewdetail/300#sthash.fqhR3PR2.dpuf.
- See more at: http://agoraauctions.com/listing/viewdetail/300#sthash.fqhR3PR2.dpuf
I imagine nobody's going to bid on the Ford Fiesta above on the basis of
that description and the vague promise that the dealer's going to come
up with the documentation and details showing whether it's legitimate or
stolen, whether it has been in an accident or flood, when it was serviced and what was done, only AFTER somebody has bought it. The photo to the right is "Swiss Tony" of Grebkesh and Runn, used car dealer. He has a nice suit and a way with words, but would you trust him enough to buy undocumented goods from him? [By the way, the "provenance" (see above) of the Ford Fiesta Mk III is "manufactured in Europe, c. 1989AD - AD1997", the buyer wants to know whether its a "G-reg" and whether the seller has legitimate title to it, that comes from the registration documents which are an analogue to the "collection history" of an art object or antiquity].
Derek Fincham’s draft paper Fraud on Our Heritage: Towards a Rigorous Standard for the Good Faith Acquisition of Antiquities in which he discusses the theoretical underpinning for "a new and rigorous standard for the acquisition of art and antiquities" was written quite a while ago now, but seems to have gone unnoticed in the antiquities-trading world. His conclusion is:
No presumption as to good faith should be tolerated any longer. Rather increased scrutiny of the antiquities trade is needed in which objective evidence of a purchaser's investigation of the legitimate title of the object in question must be the bare minimum for the acquisition of good faith in a given transfer.With which I wholeheartedly agree. Objective evidence UP FRONT. What is there to hide?
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