The more sought-after a signature, the more it is imitated. On the Moroccan market this is anything but theoretical: acquiring a work by Gharbaoui, Chaïbia or Saladi means knowing what you are buying, and from whom. Here are the checks a discerning collector always makes before committing.
An old problem, now taken seriously
The Moroccan press has long documented the circulation of forgeries. Canvases attributed to Jilali Gharbaoui or Abbès Saladi have been sold under the counter to buyers with no means of telling them from originals; one witness interviewed by La Vie éco said that of all the works by Chaïbia shown to him over three years, only one had seemed beyond doubt.
In February 2024, the public prosecutor’s office, the Ministry of Culture and the National Museums Foundation met on the counterfeiting of artworks. Among the measures discussed were a system for certifying authenticity and stronger expertise; the Foundation’s president, Mehdi Qotbi, announced at the time a platform of technicians to authenticate signatures and supports.
Until such systems become widespread, caution remains the buyer’s business.
Five checks before buying
1. Trace the provenance
Where does the work come from, and whose hands has it passed through? Solid provenance can be read in documents: a gallery invoice, an auction catalogue, an exhibition catalogue, a publication, correspondence. A broken chain of ownership does not prove a forgery, but it is a question that calls for an answer.
2. Read the certificate critically
A certificate is only as good as its author. Who issued it: the artist, the heirs, a recognised expert, a dealer? Does it describe this particular work precisely, with its medium, dimensions and a photograph? Is it dated? A vague document that could apply to any canvas by the same artist proves nothing.
3. See the work, and look closely
No reproduction replaces a physical examination. The support, the reverse, the stretcher, gallery or exhibition labels, the condition of the paint layer and how consistent the signature is with the work’s period often reveal what a photograph conceals.
4. Beware of a price that is too good
An important work offered well below what comparable works command, with a vague history and a hurried sale, carries every sign of a deal to avoid.
5. Buy from a professional who takes responsibility
Ask for an invoice naming the work and its attribution, and for the file that goes with it. A serious seller does not dodge these questions: they anticipate them.
Already own a work?
Gather everything that documents it, invoices, certificates, old photographs, catalogues, and have it examined before considering insurance, passing it on or reselling. The gallery can see it: request a valuation or consign it for sale.
Our practice
At ARTWORKS, no work is offered without a physical examination. For a living artist, authenticity is confirmed directly with the artist; for a deceased artist, a certificate of authenticity and provenance documents are required. Without these, the work is not offered for sale. Read our authenticity protocol.
To discover the artists mentioned here, read also the great masters of Moroccan painting.
Works by the major signatures are gathered in collector’s pieces, all checked under this protocol. To understand how such works are valued, read what sets the price of a Moroccan painting.
Ask the gallery a question · Collecting with Moroccan Paintings