Questions to an expert

[Artem]

The work of the restorer is similar to the magic 01.08.2011
questions to the expert

As if by sticks, unprepossessing at first sight an object gradually turns into a masterpiece of extraordinary beauty. Pursuing this profession, a specialist is not only an experienced master, and expert, collector, dealer. What is it - the restorer of the XXI century? The question we asked Nicholas Bashmakov, president of the company BNNS in New York.

- Nicholas, you and restorer and collector, or simply a connoisseur of art. How did it happen?

- In fact, everything is simple, and easy. More than 20 years ago, I and my business partner Simon Nihaminym created jewelry workshop, which quickly transformed into a restoration. Professionals working in it, engaged in the restoration of decorative and applied arts. In general, the works are products made from silver, bronze, a very large part of the restoration is to enamel products, we have to do as the restoration of the jewelry of all kinds of antiques. Large proportion of the total volume occupied by the restoration of the product not only of Faberge and other famous Russian artists, but also such well-known companies such as Rene Lalique, Van Cleef Arpels End, Tiffany and others. A lot of work, it is all very complicated and requires a high degree of skill and responsibility.

Speaking of collecting, then I am personally interested in the Russian bronze, good icons, decorative objects have a certain historical value. Some of them we are leaving our company, some from the study and restoration, we can put up for sale at auction or offer to private customers.

Читать дальше... 

I often have to act as an expert. Clients trust us because they know about our great experience of the restoration work, although the expertise to do was not our aim in itself. Life forced to do due to the fact that the antiques market is filled with fakes different time, quality and manufacturing sites. Frankly, it's not very nice to see the disappointed customers who once bought the product as genuine, and today these items experts define as a fake.

- Let's dwell on the examination. As far as your assessment is objective? And who do you think, now be trusted collector?

- Trust - something very individual. For example, we have several customers who bring items to the examination only to us, and thus implicitly believe the verdict, although we always ask them to get second and even third opinion. People trust the experience and reputation, which is very difficult and long to get and very easy to lose. Do not hesitate to say that some of our masters are sometimes better versed in the Faberge than even some members of the profession, and not just because they have any special technological knowledge, simply through their hands for 20 years, daily pass similar items art, often masterpieces and they have the opportunity to thoroughly study them.

If we talk about a formal and independent review, the question for Russia painful, and while I personally do not see a way out. Museum experts can make mistakes too, and private specialists are not recognized by many as the auction houses and private clients. How to find a middle ground?

I like the attitude of the West. For example, there is some laboratory GIA, which issues certificates to the stones - diamonds. Their paper - a guarantee of quality, and very often no one even tries to challenge the results of opinion. We also, unfortunately, there are times when good things come to an incorrect assessment, and vice versa. And we are talking not only about the price and money. Amazing stories are lost objects, or who simply could not or would not find himself an expert.

- You often at auction, you know the market, whether it is possible to predict in advance how much "help out" this or that object?

- Of course it is possible and necessary, but often this is obtained only approximately. The main factor of high prices - demand. If there is even only two buyers who are eager to buy the subject, its value may increase by several times. It is very important for provenance for this item. Historical provenance can increase the price significantly. A good restoration can also sell a piece of art is much more expensive initial cost. Although, I dare say that a lot of old customers, especially from Russia, like when things did not touch the hand of the restorer and, sometimes, these things look just plain and zymyzgannymi. But times have changed and the world view of people is also changing and, increasingly, Russian buyers have recourse to the restorers. For example, we have made a major renovation of one of the flowers of G. Vigstrema, the master of Faberge, the auction estimate the object was 50-75 thousand dollars. At auction it was sold for 662,000 dollars. I can confidently say that our high-quality restoration work on this product works great impact on the results of Faberge this sale. Want to buy this lot was quite a lot, and if for all claims is only one buyer, a large increase in the price, of course, not a speech. There are times when auctions do not provide sufficient information about what they sell and then you can become the owner of a unique object. To a large and well-known auction houses is practically not affected.

- The project is planned to unite the interests of AuctionLot all members of the art market, from auction houses to experts, collectors, etc. In your opinion, it finds favor? -

Of course, a good portal should be. My opinion. What if it will not AuctionLot, others will be engaged in this necessary. Market develops and ignore it for now just can not. Today, the Internet age, and must be very attentive, fast and organized, you can simply not enough. I, for example, the computer is always with me and turned on in the morning. I try to keep track of everything that happens in the world of art, how the situation on the antiques market, and where you can put up and sold. If this information is in one place, and I will not have to waste time looking for, it would be great. Me as a customer, it would be convenient.

Another, no doubt, a useful moment - the creation of world-wide unified database. This vast information base would be happy to enjoy the museums, and dealers, and collectors. They need to receive monthly information available and to update it. We frequently monitor the sale of art objects over the Internet, as a single system will do it without waste of time, which unfortunately runs very quickly. We live today in the information age and we must not forget.

But this is a very, to say the least, sensitive moments. The idea to unite in itself correct, but we must not forget that the art world - a world of big money, and hence more competition. All the auction houses - competition among themselves, insurance companies - competitors, judges - even competitors and customers - are also competitors, and so on. So you need to consider and to create a system in which all market participants would feel comfortable and have equal opportunity to develop their potential.

- Thanks for the interesting conversation!

Interview conducted by Alex Lytochkin Especially for AuctionLot auctionlot.info> ru/view_40_news.html