KURT SCHWITTERS  INFORMATION  

THIS HAPPENED MANY YEARS AGO AND THIS IS THE BEST INFORMATION I CAN REMEMBER.

SOME TIME IN SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER OF 1991 I GAVE TWO COLLAGES

BY KURT SCHWITTERS TO CHRISTIES IN NEW YORK.

THEY EXAMINED THE TWO KURT SCHWITTERS COLLAGES AND ASKED IF I COULD LEAVE THEM THERE, SO THEIR EXPERT COULD LOOK AT THEM.

A FEW DAYS LATER, CHRISTIES CALLED AND SAID THEIR EXPERT THOUGT

THE COLLAGES WERE QUITE GOOD AND SAID THEY WOOULD LIKE TO PUT THEM IN THEIR AUCTION. BUT FIRST THEY  WOULD HAVE TO SEND

PHOTOS OF THE TWO WORKS TO THE SCHWITTERS AUTHENTICATORS IN EUROPE.

I AM NOT SURE BUT I BELIEVE THEY MENTIONED MARLBOROUGH GALLERY AND KURT SCHWITTERS SON OR GRANDSON. I AGREED AND SAID I WOULD WAIT FOR CHRISTIES TO GET BACK TO ME.

SOMETIME LATER CHRISTIES CALLED ME AND SAID THAT BOTH SCHWITTERS WERE AUTHENTICATED AND THAT I SHOUD CHOOSE ONE TO PUT INTO THEIR UPCOMING AUCTION.  THEY SAID THEY DID NOT WANT TO PUT BOTH IN THE SAME AUCTION.  BECAUSE THEY DID NOT WANT TOO MANY SIMILAR ITEMS IN THAT  AUCTION.

I CONSIGNED ONE OF THE SCHWITTERS TO CHRISTIES AND TOOK BACK THE OTHER ONE.   ON FEBRUARY 21,1992. I RECEIVED  AN ESTIMATE FOR  30,000.00 TO 40,000.00 AND THE RESERVE WAS 30,000.00

THE AUCTION TOOK PLACE ON MAY 13TH, 1992.  AND IT SOLD FOR 48,000.00.

(18,000.00 ABOVE THE RESERVE PRICE)   ON JUNE 16TH, I WAS PAID IN FULL.

YEARS HAVE PASSED AND I HAVE NOW DECIDED TO SELL THE OTHER SCHWITTER COLLAGE.  I CONTACTED CHRISTIES AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION.  THEY SAID THINGS HAVE CHANGED AND THAT THERE ARE NOW NEW EXPERTS FOR SCHWITTERS.  

I WAS TOLD THT EVEN THOUGH THE COLLAGE  WAS  AUTHENTICATED, THAT AUTHENTICATION COULD NOT BE USED TODAY. BECAUSE  THE NEW EXPERTS  REQUIRE THAT ALL COLLAGES  BE SENT TO THEM IN GERMANY FOR  A NEW AUTHENTICATION.  

I HAVE BEEN WARNED  THAT IF YOU SEND ITEMS TO EUROPE, THERE IS A CHANCE YOU MAY NEVER GET THEM BACK.  BECAUSE OF THIS SITUATION    I HAVE DECIDED  TO SELL THE SCHWITTERS  COLLAGE PRIVATELY AT A HUGE DISCOUNT. I HAVE GIVEN THE SCHWITTERS TO ALL WORLD ART BROKERS FOR THEM TO MARKET IT.

ROBERTA BEHAR