Valuation is the monetary worth of the sculpture.
Numerous factors can affect valuation. Included among these are the reputation of the artist, the scarcity of the object, the reputation of the seller, the reputation of the foundry, the veracity of the sculpture’s provenance, and the opinion of a certified appraiser.
Works that fetch the highest prices are usually those from antiquity, or those sculpted by respected “name” artists whose techniques in sculpting are readily recognizable. The later usually keep the value high by keeping the availability low – they cast their works in small editions, from a half dozen to a dozen copies are all that are cast.
The seller’s reputation is also of great importance. Reputable art galleries are very familiar with the works of the artists they represent, and are careful to know the provenance of the works they sell. Online sales by a seller the buyer does not know can be more problematic. The buyer does not want to purchase a “bronze” sculpture that has been cast in a base metal that is mostly lead, and has been painted to look like a bronze. Nor does the buyer want to be sold a sculpture that is purported to be say number 5 in an edition of 12, when in actuality there are hundreds of copies of the same thing. Caveat emptor.
The reputation of the foundry that casts a sculpture is also important. Just as in any other endeavor, there are foundries that engage in irreputable, sometimes illegal practices. Artists’ copyrights are ignored, unauthorized pieces in an edition are cast, unauthorized copies of works are made, artists’ signatures are forged, and deceptive advertising is used. Reputable art foundries produce their works by a code of ethics that disallows such practices.
Many disreputable practices can be overcome with a strong record of provenance of a bronze sculpture. Records are kept from the production of the sculpture at the foundry through all of the previous owners to the current owner.
Securing the opinion of a certified appraiser is probably the safest way to obtain a valuation of an expensive bronze sculpture. The appraiser will take into consideration all of the things listed above, and others as well.
But the unvarnished bottom line concerning valuation is this: A sculpture’s monetary value is precisely the amount of money a buyer is willing to pay for it. Period. All stop. Mic drop.
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