Question 1

What is the official Dr Esther Mahlangu Certificate of Authenticity?

Accepted Answer

It is the certificate issued by The Melrose Gallery and endorsed by Dr Mahlangu to confirm that a work is authentic. It carries a uniquely numbered hologram, matched to a second hologram on the artwork itself, and is registered against that number in her digital archive.

Question 2

How do I check that an Esther Mahlangu artwork is authentic?

Accepted Answer

Ask for the official certificate and compare its hologram number against the hologram on the back of the work. The two numbers must match. The work should also be registered in Dr Mahlangu's digital archive under that same number.

Question 3

What happens if a work has no certificate?

Accepted Answer

It cannot easily be verified. The absence of a certificate does not by itself prove a work is not authentic, but it makes proving authenticity — for insurance, resale, auction or scholarly inclusion — considerably more difficult.

Question 4

What is a Catalogue Raisonné, and why does it matter here?

Accepted Answer

A Catalogue Raisonné is the definitive scholarly catalogue of an artist's complete works. Dr Mahlangu's digital archive is being built to inform hers. Works registered now are positioned to be included; unregistered works may not be.

Question 5

Can I look up a hologram number myself?

Accepted Answer

No. The archive is a controlled record and is not publicly searchable — an open list of valid numbers would mainly assist forgers. Verification is handled directly by The Melrose Gallery.

Question 6

What about works sold outside The Melrose Gallery?

Accepted Answer

The Melrose Gallery is Dr Mahlangu's official global representative and handles the certification and archiving of her work, but her works do reach the market through other channels. A work appearing elsewhere is not necessarily inauthentic — it simply has not been certified or archived, and proving its authenticity later will be significantly harder.

Question 7

Can a certificate be transferred when the work is sold?

Accepted Answer

Yes — and it should be. The certificate belongs with the artwork and should pass to each new owner as part of the sale.

Abstractions of a Culture: Towards a Retrospective