The couple had sold a traditional Fang mask from Gabon, discovered while clearing their property, to the dealer for a mere €150 (around £130) in September 2021. They later discovered that the mask fetched a staggering €4.2 million (around £3.64m) at an auction in Montpellier, Le Monde reports.

The item was auctioned with a guide price of between €300,000 and €400,000 (around £260,000 to £346,000), only to sell for over three times its high estimate in March 2022. Following the revelation, the dealer offered the couple €300,000 (£260,000) in compensation. This offer, according to documents reviewed by Artnet News, was declined following opposition from the couple’s offspring.

Legal manoeuvres have seen the auction proceeds seized, released, and then frozen again. With the case continuing, the court in Nimes is now deliberating on what compensation, if any, is owed to the unsuspecting couple.