Material Culture

About Material Culture

Material Culture is a Philadelphia-based auction house that has spent over four decades building an international reputation for the sale of antique carpets and textiles, tribal and ethnographic art, folk and outsider art, and decorative objects drawn from cultures around the world. In a market often dominated by Western fine art and European decorative arts, Material Culture occupies a niche that reflects growing collector interest in global material culture and the artistic heritage of non-Western civilizations.

History

Established in Philadelphia more than forty years ago, Material Culture has grown from a specialized dealer operation into a full-service auction house conducting numerous themed sales, general estate auctions, and single-owner collection events throughout the year. Its offerings are intentionally eclectic: a single sale might include an antique Persian carpet alongside West African masks, American folk art carvings, ancient Near Eastern antiquities, and Indian textiles, all presented with the same scholarly attention and professional cataloguing.

Specialist departments

The firm's specialties are organized around three pillars:

• Antique Carpets and Textiles — Oriental rugs, kilims, tribal weavings, Central Asian textiles, Indian and Southeast Asian textiles, European tapestries, and ethnographic cloth from Africa and the Americas; Material Culture is regarded as one of the most important United States venues for antique and semi-antique rugs
• Ethnographic, Tribal, Ancient, and Asian Arts — African sculpture and masks, Oceanic art, Pre-Columbian objects, ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian antiquities, Indian and Southeast Asian sculpture and bronzes, Chinese and Japanese art, and decorative objects from the Islamic world
• Fine, Folk, and Outsider Art — American folk art, self-taught and outsider art, and fine art spanning European, American, and Asian traditions

The firm's handling of the Sarajo Collection by Yosi Barzilai — a world-class selection of ethnographic art, tribal textiles, and global antiquities comprising 550 lots, of which 515 sold — demonstrated its ability to market major single-owner collections to an international audience.

Selling with Material Culture

Material Culture actively seeks quality consignments in all of its specialist areas, providing complimentary auction estimates and working with individual collectors, estate attorneys, institutions, and dealers. Prospective sellers can contact the firm through its website or by phone to arrange an evaluation, and the firm handles everything from single important objects to entire collections and estates. Seller commissions are discussed on a confidential, competitive basis.

Buying and bidding

Buyers pay a buyer's premium typically around 25 percent for standard bidding channels, with online bidders on third-party platforms paying slightly higher. Online bidding is available through Material Culture's own platform and through Bidsquare, LiveAuctioneers, and Invaluable. The firm conducts both live and timed online-only auctions on a roughly monthly schedule, with absentee and telephone bidding accepted for all catalogued sales.

What makes Material Culture unique

What makes Material Culture truly unique in the American auction landscape is its commitment to presenting art and objects from every corner of the globe with equal seriousness and scholarly care. While many auction houses treat ethnographic and tribal art as a secondary category, at Material Culture it is the core of the business. Collectors who are passionate about antique rugs, tribal textiles, African art, Asian antiquities, or global folk traditions will find no better auction venue in the United States.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Material Culture specialize in?

Antique rugs and textiles, tribal and ethnographic art, folk and outsider art, Asian and ancient art, and fine art.

How do fees work at Material Culture?

Buyers pay a buyer's premium of approximately 25 percent; seller commissions are negotiated confidentially.

Can I bid online at Material Culture?

Yes, on every sale, through the firm's own platform as well as Bidsquare, LiveAuctioneers, and Invaluable.