Antique African & Oceanic art appraisal, online
That carved mask or ancestor figure passed down through your family, the one you have always wondered about, may carry real value or a quieter story. Our team researches African and Oceanic pieces and returns a plainly written value report within three days.
Structured research, reviewed for clarity
We begin by attributing the piece to a people and region, then weigh it against comparable pieces that have actually sold, not asking prices. We read the carving, patina, and signs of ceremonial use, and consider what collection history you can share, since provenance shapes value in this field more than almost any other. You receive a plain-English report with an estimated range and the reasoning behind it, reviewed by our team before it reaches you.
What affects the value of African & Oceanic art
Value here rarely rests on a single detail. Our team weighs several factors together, because a mask that looks similar to another can be worth ten times more, or a fraction as much, depending on where it came from and how it was used.
Origin, people & region
Attribution is everything in this field. A figure carved by the Baule of Côte d'Ivoire, a Fang reliquary head from Gabon, or a Sepik River ancestor figure from Papua New Guinea each sits in its own market with its own collectors. We work to place a piece with a specific people and region rather than a vague continent, because that distinction often decides the range.
Authenticity & ceremonial use
Pieces made and used within a community carry ritual wear, sacrificial patina, repairs, and handling marks that later decorative carvings lack. A great deal of what circulates was made for the tourist and export market, and while attractive, it sits in a very different value bracket. We look closely at these signals of genuine use and age.
Comparable sales
We ground every estimate in pieces that have genuinely changed hands, not in optimistic listings. Recent auction and dealer results for comparable attributions, materials, and condition tell us far more than a single headline sale.
Why provenance carries so much weight
In few areas of the antique world does collection history matter as much as in African and Oceanic art. A documented chain of ownership, an old exhibition label, a mid-century collector's inventory number, or a publication reference can move a piece from modest to significant, both because it supports authenticity and because it addresses questions of how the object left its community. If your piece came with any old paperwork, letters, or family notes about where it was acquired, that context is valuable, and we ask about it as part of the research rather than expecting you to interpret it yourself.
Inherited a collection of tribal art?
Estates from travelers, missionaries, and mid-century collectors often hold a mix of genuinely important pieces and later decorative carvings, side by side and hard to tell apart. Rather than guessing, you can submit the pieces you are most curious about and let our team research each one and report back on what is worth closer attention. Start with a photograph or two and whatever history you know, and we will take it from there.
A few reports we've delivered
Illustrative: mid-20th-century West African dance mask, carved hardwood with ritual patina
$500 – $2,500
Illustrative: early-20th-century Sepik River ancestor figure, Papua New Guinea
$1,500 – $7,000
Illustrative: Yoruba beaded ceremonial staff, Nigeria, early to mid 20th century
$600 – $3,000
Illustrative: later carved figure made for the export and tourist market
$60 – $300Estimated ranges shown to guide research — not official appraisals for insurance, tax, or legal use. Illustrative examples.
Questions, answered honestly
How old does something have to be to be an antique?
As a rule of thumb, an antique is generally at least 100 years old. Items roughly 20–99 years old are usually called “vintage,” and the line shifts by category — but age alone never sets value. A 60-year-old designer piece can be worth far more than a century-old everyday object.
What affects the value of my item?
Value comes from a combination of factors: who made it, its age and rarity, condition, originality, provenance (its documented history), and — most of all — what comparable pieces have actually sold for recently. Our research weighs each of these to produce an estimated range.
I’ve inherited a collection — what do I do?
Start with the pieces you’re most curious about, or the ones you suspect are most valuable. Submit them individually, or for more than ten items use our white-glove service and we’ll research the whole batch together at a tailored rate.
Is this an official appraisal?
No. Every report is a thorough, researched estimate to guide your research — not an official appraisal for insurance, tax, or legal purposes. For those uses you’ll want a certified appraiser, and our report is a great, fast first step before that.
How accurate is a researched value report?
Our research is based on real comparable sales and a structured assessment of condition, era, and maker. It’s designed to give you a credible, well-researched estimate quickly. Like any estimate it isn’t a guarantee of sale price, which is why we always give a range rather than a single number.
“I had a vase from my grandmother and no idea where to start. The report was detailed, fast, and honest about the range.”
“Three days, a fair price, and a genuinely useful breakdown of comparable sales. Far better than waiting weeks.”
“Loved that it was upfront about being an estimate. It gave me exactly what I needed before talking to an auction house.”
Illustrative examples shown during launch — verified customer reviews will replace these as reports are delivered.
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