ASA as an organization has been a great supporter and vocal proponent of the journal project, with multiple mentions and promotions in both national and regional newsletters and e-zines. Additionally, ASA appraisers have also contributed articles, reviewed contributions and submissions, recommended contributors and in general been advocates for the publication. I am greatly appreciative of their participation and commitment to professionalism and education. The journal would not be a reality with the dedication and support from all authors and contributors.
This weeks excerpt comes from appraiser Victor Wiener and London based attorney Charles Wong. Their article is entitled The Role of Appraisers in the Process of Authentication and in Other Related Valuation Issues, and looks at the recent discovery of Degas casts, and reviews third party authorities in the authentication process with examples. Wiener and Wong discuss authentication through scholars, dealers, auction houses, conservators, museum curators, artists, families, and authentication committees, and mentions some of the pros and cons of using their services.
The article is a must read for the appraiser and when considering authentication into the development of an appraisal report and valuation.
Wiener and Wong write:
The appearance of a number of previously undocumented bronzes, allegedly by the French Impressionist painter and sculptor Edgar Degas (1834-1917), within the world art marketplace has caused some appraisers to examine the issue of what is the responsibility of appraisers in the authentication process. Established and aspiring appraisers are frequently told in university studies and at professional conferences and seminars that they are not authenticators. Yet the real Picasso is clearly worth more than the fake Picasso, or the Picasso whose attribution to the master has been questioned.
If one is to put an accurate value on a work of art, the distinction between the real and the questionable is of vital importance. In addition, the Internal Revenue Service expects the appraiser to make this distinction for works of art donated to charitable institutions and for which taxpayers wish to claim a tax deduction on their tax returns. IRS Pamphlet 561, which covers charitable donations, states, without any qualifications: “The authenticity of the donated art must be determined by the appraiser.” In order to address these concerns, appraisers frequently rely upon the opinions and services of third party sources for authentication. However, reliance upon these sources may not be as straightforward as one might assume. The circumstances concerning the new found Degas plasters and bronzes provide an important illustration of many of these points, along with other issues as will be examined and discussed within this article.
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