How to buy

If you are interested in an object and want to inquire more information about it, please use the contact form at the bottom of this page or use the navigation on the top of this page. All payments must be made in euro's and only by wire transfer into the bank account of Thebes Ancient Art. You will receive an invoice with the necessary information on it. If you want higher quality (or specific) pictures, just let me know. 

Authenticity and provenance

Authenticity is the most important part of buying ancient art. I guarantee that every object is authentic as described on this website. There are several ways to asses authenticity of an object. One is of course experience, literature and knowledge of the style, inscriptions, materials and characteristics of an object. Another is, and arguably most important: provenance. Provenance is the documented history of an artwork, detailing past ownership, sales, publications, exhibitions and/or other relevant documentation. It's crucial for establishing authenticity, value and ethics of an object. Most of our objects have strong provenance and objects are frequently bought from well known auction houses, private galleries or art dealers around the world: Bonhams, Christie's, Sworders, Gorny & Mosch, Ifergan Gallery and more. In addition to experience and provenance, we occasionally hire an independent lab to conduct Thermoluminescence (TL) tests on objects that were heated in the past (for example terracotta). In short, a TL test is a scientific dating method used primarily to determine the last time a material was heated and therefore proving authenticity of the sample. 

In the unique event that you have purchased an object that turns out not to be authentic, you can return it in within 12 months in accordance with our terms and conditions of sale. You will then receive a full refund. 

All documents (either original or copy) contributing to the provenance of an object will be sent to the buyer. These documents will be anonymized if there is any sensitive personal data from previous private owners on them. In addition you will receive a statement of provenance, which describes the object, its past ownership and other documents related to the object.  

Shipping 

Objects will be packed with great care, if necessary double boxed. We use insured commercial postal services with tracking and collecting requires a signature. The price of shipping is included in the invoice. Please note that objects can be delayed by customs or export controls, see below. 

Ex- and imports

When selling an object we are bound to European Union (EU) regulations and export controls. When you are buying inside an EU country then no export license has to be requested. However, if you are a buying outside the EU a Dutch export license is mandatory. In this case, all our art is  subject to export controls. The Inspectie Overheidsinformatie en Erfgoed (Information and Heritage Inspectorate) in cooperation with the Belastingdienst (Tax and Customs Administration) / Douane (Customs) issues licenses for the export of cultural goods outside the EU. This can take up to eight weeks, however most of the time it is faster. We will arrange the appropriate export documents. We do not ship to certain countries outside the EU where export is forbidden, uncertain or extremely difficult. 

Import regulations and import duties may be required. Such duties are not included in the object price or the shipping costs. These are the responsibility and obligation of the buyer.