Qatari sheikh wins £4.2m lawsuit against prominent London dealer John Eskenazi

via The Art Newspaper, 01 December 2022: This case between a Qatari sheikh and a London art dealer is interesting because one of the pieces in question – a Harihara sculpture supposedly from Zhenla – was determined to be fake.

A British high court judge has ruled in favour of the Qatari sheikh Hamad Bin Abdullah Al Thani, who brought a legal case against the London-based John Eskenazi, alleging that seven artefacts he bought from the dealer were fakes.

The objects were purchased for a total of £4.2m during 2014 and 2015. Eskenazi, who specialises in Indian, Gandharan, Himalayan and South-East Asian works of art, was asked by Al Thani to take the items back and refund the purchase price, following his doubts over their authenticity.

The sheikh and his company, Qatar investment & Projects Development Holding (QIPCO), filed the lawsuit in July. The case hinged on whether the works were, in fact, fake. An additional fraud claim for one object—a Hari Hara sandstone statue purchased for $2.2m; described in the sale invoice as dating to 7th century and originating from present day Vietnam—was also made, alleging that Eskenazi knew the work was fake at the point of sale.

Source: Qatari sheikh wins £4.2m lawsuit against prominent London dealer John Eskenazi

See also:

• Qatari sheikh sues London art dealer for fake ‘ancient statues’ | Doha News, 21 July 2022
• Qatari sheikh wins $4.9m fake antiquities case against British artefact dealer | National News, 1 Dec 2022
• Qatari Sheikh Hamad Al Thani Wins £4.2 Million Breach Of Contract And Negligence Case Against Art Dealer John Eskenazi | Forbes, 5 Dec 2022
• One of Britain’s most respected art dealers, who has supplied the British Museum, must repay £4 million after selling fake ‘ancient’ sculptures to sheik friend of the Royals | Daily Mail, 11 Dec 2022
• London art dealer is ordered to pay £4 million after selling fake pieces to a Qatari sheikh | Tatler, 12 Dec 2022