The Misleading Stamp: Provenance and Authenticity in T'ang Haywen's Works

Following the death of T'ang Haywen on September 9, 1991, his inheritance was declared vacant — no heirs were found, and he had left no will. As a result, the French State, specifically the Administration of the Domains (D.N.I.D), ordered the auction of his belongings, including the paintings discovered in his apartment.

Four auctions were organized by the auctioneer Mr. Yves-Marie Leroux in 1992 and 1993.

In 1994, Philippe Koutouzis was able to locate T'ang's family in China, and in 1995, concluded an agreement with them. This allowed the family to receive the full proceeds from the auctions after the payment of inheritance taxes.

In 1996, Philippe Koutouzis obtained certified copies of the minutes from the four auctions. These records revealed that the sales were conducted without a catalog, inventory, images, or any documentation of the works. Witnesses later described the chaotic and disorganized conditions under which the auctions took place.

To establish provenance for the works they acquired, three Parisian dealers —Jacques Barrère, Jean-Michel Beurdeley, and Jean-Claude Riedel — created a stamp to mark the backs of the paintings they had purchased. A fourth dealer, who was not officially registered but operated as a full-time dealer under French law, declined to participate. This individual is currently targeted in several investigations and trial in France and Belgium concerning the auctioning of questionable paintings and the issuance of dubious certificates.

While stamps are sometimes used to establish provenance for studio sales following an artist's death, they are typically approved by the state or the artist's family and documented in official records. In T'ang's case, the three dealers unilaterally created the stamp without the knowledge, suggestion, or approval of the state or the auctioneer. As a result, the stamp holds no legal value and cannot be considered a "studio stamp."

At first glance, the stamp might appear to provide provenance, but it is misleading. The stamping process was not conducted within a legal framework, and there is no record of a notary or bailiff overseeing the procedure, documenting the works, or destroying the stamp afterward. This makes it impossible to verify the authenticity or provenance of the stamped works.

The three dealers participated in the auctions but had little knowledge of T'ang Haywen's life, artistic choices, or the foundations of his work. They viewed the purchase of his works at low prices as a sound investment, which, in itself, is not problematic. However, the chaotic handling of T'ang's belongings, the disorganized sales, and the auctioning of works in indiscriminate lots of 10, 20, or 50 pieces created significant confusion. Some of T'ang's friends were outraged by the process, describing it as a "public execution" and even interrupting one of the sales.

Despite efforts by Jean-Paul Desroches to reassemble some diptychs, many works were sold incomplete, missing parts of their compositions. The dealers, including those who created the stamp, acquired numerous incomplete works, some of which are now reappearing on the market. While some complete works bearing authentic signatures were also stamped, the stamp itself does not confer any value or reliability as proof of provenance.

Additionally, the stamp uses the name "T'ang Haiwen," which reflects the dealers' lack of understanding of T'ang's identity. "T'ang" corresponds to the Vietnamese transcription of the Chinese character Zeng (曾), while "Haiwen" is the pinyin transcription of 海文. Combining these two different modes of transcription is unusual for anyone familiar with Chinese culture. Notably, T'ang himself always wrote his name as "T'ang Haywen" after settling in France.

In conclusion, the stamp cannot be considered a reliable means of verifying the authenticity or provenance of T'ang Haywen's works.