Thank you again for appraising our Malangatana painting on November 7, 2012. The Cleveland Museum of Art accepted the painting into its permanent collection on September 4, 2012. Eager to have the painting appraised in the 2012 tax year, we had understood that the Museum would arrange a timely appraisal. When this turned out not to be the case, we asked the Museum to recommend an appraiser and they recommended Bonham’s in New York. Bonham’s New York office referred us to you. We contacted you on November 1 and within six days you had examined and photographed the painting at the Museum, done the necessary research, consulted with colleagues, written an appraisal, and completed your part of Internal Revenue’s Form 8283. We are looking for a permanent home for our two other Malangatana paintings and, when we do, we will be contacting you again for your professional help.

It was an honor to not only have been recommended by Bonham’s New York, but to have had the opportunity to appraise this important piece of African contemporary art which was donated to the Cleveland Museum of Art. (Update… L&L was fortunate to have written additional charitable donation appraisals of Malangatana paintings for Oberlin College.)