Retrieval

Artifact Retrieval & Collection Services

You know what you're looking for. The problem is finding it. Rare pieces don't advertise themselves—they're in private estates, forgotten storage units, overseas dealers who don't do websites. I know where to look and who to ask.

Services Offered

• Sourcing & Identification: Finding specific pieces or categories through private networks, auctions, and estate sales
• Due Diligence: Full vetting of authenticity, origins, and legal status before purchase
• Negotiation: Representing your interests in private sales and competitive bidding environments
• Collection Strategy: Advising on building cohesive, meaningful collections with long-term value
• Ethical Compliance: Ensuring all retrievals meet international standards and cultural heritage laws

How I Find Things

Fifteen years of this work builds a network. I know people:

• Estate liquidators who call me before the public sale
• Dealers in three countries who send photos of new inventory
• Collectors who'll part with duplicates—for the right offer
• Museum back rooms where deaccessioned pieces gather dust
• Heritage organizations that know when something's about to hit the market

What I Won't Do

Some lines don't get crossed:

• Looted material. If it was dug up illegally, I'm not touching it.
• Stolen goods. Sketchy origins mean sketchy ownership down the line.
• Cultural patrimony violations. Some things belong to their source communities. Period.
• Lying about gaps. If the history's incomplete, you'll know about it upfront.
• Cutting corners. Every retrieval gets documented properly or it doesn't happen.

Who I Work With

• Private collectors building specialized collections
• Museums seeking specific retrievals
• Academic institutions for teaching collections
• Families managing inherited collections
• Investors interested in tangible cultural assets