Mask Sold for 2.1 Million Won, Actually Worth 6 Billion Won... "Give It Back" Lawsuit

19th Century Central African Gabon Fang Tribe Artifact
Auction Official: "Rarer Than a Da Vinci Painting"

An African wooden mask inherited from ancestors was sold for just 210,000 won, but it was later revealed that its value reached tens of billions of won.

A mask made by the Pang people of Gabon, a Central African country, which was later taken to France and put up for auction.
[Photo by France24]

On the 1st (local time), according to foreign media such as the British Guardian and Independent, an elderly couple in their 80s living in Gard, southern France, decided to sell their villa in September 2021. While organizing the villa, the two discovered an old wooden mask covered in dust in the attic.

The mask had belonged to the husband's grandfather, who was a governor during the colonial era in Africa in the early 20th century. The elderly couple sold several antiques and this mask to a secondhand dealer for 150 euros (about 210,000 won).

The problem began six months later, in March 2022, when the couple saw news that the mask had been auctioned off to an anonymous bidder for 4.2 million euros (about 5.98 billion won).

While reading the newspaper, they realized that the mask they had sold cheaply was a very rare and valuable artifact.

The elderly couple recalled the moment as "a shock so great that we almost fell off our chairs."

It turned out that the mask was made by the Fang people of Gabon, a Central African country, in the 19th century, and only 12 such masks exist worldwide, making it extremely rare.

Measuring 55 cm in total length, the mask features an elongated face carved from tropical Pima wood, with a beard made of plant fibers called raffia, harvested from palm leaves.

Its unique form is known to have inspired master painters such as Pablo Picasso and Amedeo Modigliani.

An auction official described the mask as "rarer than a painting by Leonardo da Vinci."

According to the auction catalog, the governor acquired the mask in 1917 through an "unknown route." Gabon was under French colonial rule from 1839 until its independence in 1960.

The couple filed a civil lawsuit to invalidate the sale against the secondhand dealer. They claimed that the dealer knew the mask's value but purchased it at an "unfair price," so the profits from reselling it should be returned.

The couple's lawyer emphasized, "People must be sincere and honest," adding, "If they had known the mask was such a rare item, they would never have sold it at that price." On the other hand, the secondhand dealer argued that he did not know the mask's value until it was put up for auction.

Whether the secondhand dealer must return the profits to the couple is expected to be decided in December.

Representatives from Gabon also attended the trial. Gabon claims that neither the couple, the secondhand dealer, nor the anonymous bidder are the rightful owners of the mask.

In court, Gabon stated, "We have had countless artworks taken from us, and these artifacts have enriched many in Europe," emphasizing, "This lawsuit is between the governor's grandchildren and the secondhand dealer, but neither has rights to the mask."

They continued, "What we want is the return of the mask to Gabon," and questioned, "While morality is being discussed in court, is there any morality in the act of plundering our cultural heritage and dignity?"

In 2017, French President Emmanuel Macron, after his election, stated, "It is unacceptable that a significant portion of the cultural heritage of several African countries is in France," urging the return of French museum collections.

However, foreign media reported, "Pressure is increasing on France and other European countries to return cultural artifacts looted from Africa during the colonial era, but most returned artifacts are public collections," adding, "If artifacts are privately owned, forced return cannot be imposed unless illegal acquisition is proven."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.