Antiquities Market

 The Wall Street Journal has a good article on the Antiquities market, covering the strength of the market over the past decade, and also some of the pitfalls such as illegally excavated artifacts.  The article does state that the antiquities market is very strong at the upper end, where there are sensational sales and publicity, but beyond those sales, while the market is a bit at lower levels softer because the collecting universe is much smaller than many other sectors, leaving some items to be undervalued, and as an opportunity for savvy collectors and investors. The article states the supply of good and collectible antiquities is small and getting smaller, with many good quality items becoming harder and harder to find.

The article is good to read for appraisers to understand as baseline information for the antiquities market.  Antqiuties is one of the sectors covered in the Appraiser Workshops Fine and Decoarative Arts Market Confidence Survey.  It would be a good idea to keep this article and its content in mind when the next survey questionaire comes out in two to three weeks.

The Wall Street Journal reports

Individuals with wallets of any size can enjoy collecting, although most of the stock is beyond the grasp of many. Every November, Mayfair-based antique dealership Charles Ede Antiquities publishes a Christmas "stocking-filler" catalogue. Prices ranged from £90 to £6,000 last year, with a c. 1400 BC pale green Egyptian amulet priced at just £90.

However a diminishing supply is pushing up prices as more antiquities end up in museums and out of private hands. John Ambrose, director of U.S.-based antique dealer Fragments of Time, says: "We see more than 10,000 ancient objects each year but it is becoming increasingly difficult to find good quality objects. This is not just in the traditionally difficult areas of Attic pottery, Egyptian objects and glass, but in every area including Roman pottery. The lack of supply is pushing up demand."

Experts say another reason for the current vogue in antiquities is the resurgence in contemporary art. Perhaps counter-intuitively, contemporary and ancient art make the best bedfellows, says Isabella Poerio, a retired architect and passionate art collector. "If your art is all of the same era and style, your house feels like a gallery," she says.

To read the complete WSJ article, click HERE.