Why is my Certificate of Authenticity important?
A certificate of authenticity is important on a sculpture because it is almost like a certificate of ownership on a car. It establishes you as the original owner in case you wish to sell your sculpture, loan it for an exhibition, donate it to a museum, etc. The certificate of authenticity should always be kept with the sculpture.
What information is on a Certificate of Authenticity?
Our Certificates of Authenticity state the name of the original owner, the name of the sculpture, the edition size of the sculpture, the specific number in the edition that this certificate is authenticating, purchase date and Jeff’s signature.
How is an artwork authenticated if there is no Certificate of Authenticity?
An artwork can be authenticated by the artist, if the artist is still living, or by a recognized authority on that particular artist if the artist is deceased. Art authorities are found at auction houses, museums and universities.
I purchased my Tritel Sculpture on the secondary market and I have no Certificate of Authenticity. How do I have it authenticated?
Jeff is happy to authenticate his sculpture. The sculpture should be shipped to us in Grass Valley for Jeff to make a positive identification. He will then issue a Letter of Authentication stating that the sculpture is indeed an original Jeff Tritel.
I am selling my Tritel Sculpture. What kind of document will transfer ownership most effectively?
A document should be created stating that the original owner is transferring ownership to the new owner. And the original Certificate of Authenticity should accompany this transfer document. These documents become part of the provenance of the artwork which is the history, origin, location etc.
When is a sculpture not an original?
As the value of an artwork increases, there are art pirates who will duplicate an artwork and try to pass it off as an original. Molds are made from the original and castings made from those molds. Often there is very little quality control and almost no thought given to the intent of the artist.
