Balinese Art Mystery

ANTHONY SMITH takes us on a 12-year detective story

- Anthony Smith

THIS month, I’d like to take you halfway around the world, going back in time to a place that was once shrouded in mystery and the exotic: Bali. This is a bit of a detective story, a little bit like BBC’s Fake or Fortune.

The mystery here revolves around provenance, the history of an artwork. It is usually used in determining not only authenticity, but value. In fact, I would suggest that for nonacademic research, almost 100% of searches for provenance are based on possible financial gain. If an artwork can be proved to be by a recognised artist, then the value will reflect that. With this in mind, my story starts.

In the early 1930s Bali was a mystical island, shrouded in the magic of the exotic Far East. It was one of the most beguiling places on the planet and entranced and attracted artists of all persuasions; painters, sculptors, writers.