Dear Abel,

it is indeed delicate because your director is pushing you to give
advice. I really doubt that "all curators do it"! "All" allover the
world???!!
Lots of them probabably are against such advice because you should not
base costly but given for free advice just on a HOPE. Just imagine the
case the the patron sells these purchased items to art market again or
another museum, maybe even mentionning or showing your (written?) advice
just to get a higher return of money.

So, if you turn the HOPE into CERTAINTY (which may last decades being
realized) by signing a contract with the patrons that each object they
want to purchase at an auction with your museums help may NOT BE
TRANSFERRED TO OTHER PARTIES AND HAS DEFINITELY to be given at least at
the the time of the death of the patron to the museum, it would be
fine.

By the way: All our public museums in Germany are not allowed to give
advice on the value of items. They may only judge what it is, who made
it, its age, rareness and originality.

Best regards


Dr. Christian Müller-Straten
Editor MUSEUM AKTUELL

Verlag Dr. Christian Müller-Straten / MUSEUMS AGENTUR
Kunzweg 23, 81243 München, T. 089-839 690 43, Fax -44
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