New York City Lawsuit Seeks Damages for Broken Statue

An art collector has filed a lawsuit claiming a photographer broke an ancient terra-cotta sculpture in her Manhattan apartment during a photo shoot.

Corice Arman is asking Louise Blouin Media Inc., the parent company of Art+Auction, to pay for the damages caused by its photographer, Eric Guillemain.

She says the 2,630-year-old Nigerian figurine was worth about $300,000. She planned to give it to the Museum for African Art in Manhattan.

The statue was accidentally toppled last May 12 while the photographer was moving it to take advantage of the light.

Ben Harley, president of Louise Blouin, told the New York Post that he had not seen the lawsuit. He added “we have the position that we have no liability in this incident.”