Legal Battle Ends: French Couple Lose Court Case Over Rare African Mask Worth Millions

A French couple in their 80s who sold an African mask for €150, only to later discover it was worth millions, have had their request to cancel the sale rejected by a court. The couple sold the mask, along with other antiquities, to a secondhand goods dealer, believing them to be of little value. However, the mask was subsequently sold at auction for €4.2m. The court ruled that the couple's negligence in not getting the mask valued before selling it meant they were not owed any money. The court also rejected a separate motion by the government of Gabon to have the sale cancelled and the mask returned.