Manfredi Maria Vaccari on the Italian Archaeology Market and Pandolfini's Upcoming Auction
Manfredi Maria Vaccari, head of the Archaeology department at Pandolfini auction house, discusses the Italian archaeology market. He notes cyclical shifts in buyer interest, with marble statuary and Greek/Roman pottery remaining consistently popular. Notified archaeological items, despite their importance, often deter buyers due to strict obligations. Pandolfini caters to both high-level and small/medium collectors, including museum representatives. Vaccari warns against over-bureaucratization, as export restrictions already limit the market nationally. He emphasizes collaboration with Soprintendenze and Carabinieri to recover lost or stolen artifacts. On October 16, 2024, Pandolfini will hold a major archaeology auction in Florence featuring diverse lots from prehistory to the Middle Ages, including ritual terracotta models from the Mergharh culture (3rd millennium BCE), an intact Egyptian wooden boat model, and a top lot: a Roman marble bust of poet Menander. The auction will be preceded by a four-day exhibition at Pandolfini's Florence venue.
Key facts
- Manfredi Maria Vaccari is head of the Archaeology department at Pandolfini auction house.
- Vaccari previously worked in archaeological research, physical anthropology, museum management, and urban planning.
- Pandolfini holds one archaeology auction per year due to strict legal compliance.
- Marble statuary and Roman, Greek, and Magna Graeca figured pottery are consistently popular.
- Notified archaeological items are considered of exceptional interest but suffer lower estimates due to ownership obligations.
- Pandolfini's clientele ranges from small collectors to international high-level collectors and museum representatives.
- Vaccari advises new collectors to research thoroughly and buy only from authorized sellers with proper provenance documentation.
- The October 16, 2024 auction in Florence includes a Roman marble bust of Menander as the top lot.
- The auction features items from prehistory to the Middle Ages, including Mergharh culture terracotta models and an intact Egyptian wooden boat.
- A four-day exhibition of all lots will precede the auction at Pandolfini's Florence location.
Entities
Artists
- Manfredi Maria Vaccari
- Menander
- Gabriele Passeri
Institutions
- Pandolfini
- Soprintendenze
- Nuclei Tutela Patrimonio Culturale dei Carabinieri
- Artribune
- Università IULM di Milano
- Polo Museale di Gualdo
Locations
- Italy
- Florence
- Pakistan
- Mergharh
- Bologna
- Milan