Art Security Tokens allow you to invest in fine art along with other art aficionados. Thanks to your investment in Art Security Tokens, the masterpiece becomes accessible to the general public in a prestigious museum.
Investments in Art Security Tokens are associated with several risks. Before investing in Art Security Tokens, you should carefully read the description of the associated risks. The repayment of your investment and the payment of a possible return on the Art Security Tokens’ maturity date are entirely dependent on the piece's value at that time. If the value of the piece falls, investors run the risk of losing all or part of their Art Security Tokens deposit.
Rubey Art Security Tokens are meant for people who want to invest in art but don't have the budget to buy a masterpiece and for people looking for an investment with a positive social impact.
Social investment
Investing in Rubey Art Security Tokens promotes culture. It will help to keep important pieces of art accessible to the public. The purchased piece of art remains on loan to prestigious museums.
Diversify your investment portfolio
In addition, the Art Security Tokens offer you the opportunity to diversify your investments. The entry price for investing in art tends to be high. However, thanks to Rubey, anyone can get started with as little as 150 euros. Spreading your wealth across different types of assets, including Art Security Tokens, is a good way to diversify your investments. This generally also reduces the overall investment risk.
Rubey makes investing in important pieces of art accessible to everyone with Art Security Tokens.
A painting or piece of art is purchased by a target company. The target company needs the necessary financial resources to finance the purchase and cover the costs of the purchase. The target company uses the painting or piece of art as collateral to attract such financial resources. The piece of art is divided into many equal parts, as it were. The payment rights for the piece (which is used as collateral) are also divided into virtually equal parts, which are referred to as Art Security Tokens. The target company issues these Art Security Tokens and from an economic point of view, the investors subscribing to the Art Security Tokens become indirect "owners" of a piece of art.
Assume a particular painting with an initial value of 1.2 million euros is divided into 1 million Art Security Tokens to raise a sum of 1.41 million euros. 1 Art Security Token that is subscribed to for 1.41 euros then represents a value of 1.20 euros at the Art Security Token Offering. The difference of 0.21 euros is the cost per token that covers the administrative and operational support of the Art Security Token Offering for the entire term of the token’s issuance.
On the Art Security Tokens’ maturity date, the target company will use the painting's entire net realisable value (after deduction of realisation costs and taxes) to repay the investor's deposit and pay out the agreed return. This directly exposes the Art Security Tokens’ investors to the evolution of the painting’s value (a price increase or decrease).
Each investor decides how many Art Security Tokens he or she wants to buy. Art Security Tokens are always linked to one specific work of art and are securely registered on the Ethereum/Polygon blockchain.
Together we can achieve more.
On the Rubey platform, you can become the ‘owner’ of a brush stroke, a daub of paint, a splash or a line of a masterpiece. And you make sure that others get to admire the masterpiece at a major museum.
A security is a tradable financial asset. A security token is therefore the electronic form of such a security or tradable financial asset:
1. Legal framework:
The issue of Art Security Tokens is therefore bound by the financial legislation and the monitoring of this by the supervisory authorities. This distinguishes Art Security Tokens from unregulated tokens such as Bitcoin and NFTs, which generally do not have a clear legal framework yet.
2. The piece of art exists in the real world
Art Security Tokens represent a value of an art collectible that exists in the real world. These physical pieces of art are unique, museum-quality and non-copyable. Unlike Non-Fungible Tokens or NFTs, for instance, which always represent digital pieces of art that are easy to copy.
Investments via Rubey also include the establishment of a pledge on the physical piece of art. This assures investors that Rubey has to use the value of the piece to meet its obligations to the investors.
Rubey Art Security Tokens are registered on the Ethereum/Polygon blockchain.
A blockchain is a digital ledger that records who owns how many Art Security Tokens in a completely reliable way. It also tracks whenever an Art Security Token changes ownership. Such transactions and registrations can take place 24/7.
The rules and conditions that determine when an exchange of Art Security Tokens can go ahead are laid down in a smart contract. This is a computer algorithm that automatically makes sure all participants stick to the arrangements.
For instance, Art Security Tokens can’t be exchanged with someone who has not yet registered as a verified user on the Rubey platform. This is a condition in the smart contract. This makes Art Security Tokens theft or fraud impossible.
You can participate in Rubey Art Security Tokens from 150 euros. This is unique. People seeking to invest in top-quality art usually have to dig far deeper into their pockets. Thanks to Art Security Tokens, the opportunity of a quality art investment finally goes hand in hand with a low entry price. The Rubey platform offers investments from 150 to 10,000 euros.
If you wish to invest a higher amount or if your company is interested in investing in Art Security Tokens, please contact us.
Note the quotation marks around ‘Co-owner’. This is because any investor who purchases Rubey Art Security Tokens effectively becomes the legal owner of these Art Security Tokens, even though they do not directly own the piece of art itself. The official ownership of the piece resides with a specific target company of Rubey. Each Rubey target company owns one piece of art and transfers the financial rights related to the piece to the token holders.
As an investor, you are entitled to claim a repayment on your investment from the target company at the end of the 10-year term (which may be extendable).
Please note that the amounts to be distributed by the target company are limited to the piece’s net realisable value, which is the value of the piece upon realisation after deducting the costs of the sale. As an investor, your right of recourse against the target company is therefore limited to the piece’s net realisable value.
Scenario 1: the piece’s net realisable value is sufficiently high
In this scenario, the target company will initially pay you your deposit for each Art Security Token plus a 0.5% annual interest rate. This 0.5% annual interest rate is based on the entire term the Art Security Tokens have been outstanding. It is not paid out during the term and is not added to the outstanding amount of your investment deposit each year.
Scenario 2: the net realisable value of the piece is higher than in scenario 1
If the net realisable value of the piece exceeds the amount of the investors’ deposit plus the 0.5% annual interest rate, the investors are also entitled to claim their share of this capital gain. It means that as an investor, you are entitled to share fully in any increase in the piece’s value.
Scenario 3: the piece’s net realisable value is insufficiently high
In this scenario, the repayment of the deposit and interest will be limited to the available amount of net realisable value. This means that you risk losing some or all of your deposit.
Finding an optimal time to sell
Of course, Rubey aims to realise the highest possible value for the token holders. To maximise the chance of this happening and to limit the risk that the piece has to be realised in unfavourable market conditions, Rubey can extend the Art Security Tokens’ term by 1 year up to three times. The term is therefore sometimes presented as 10+1+1+1 years. In the period of 36 months preceding the end of the initial 10-year term, Rubey can accept a good offer for the artwork. In this case, the token holder will be paid before the end of the initial term. This allows Rubey to decide on the best time to sell based on the advice from art experts and the current market conditions.
The Art Security Tokens will be paid out as soon as possible after the end of the term, and in any case within three (3) calendar months following the piece's sale. This allows all costs and taxes related to the sale to be calculated.
The masterpieces are selected and acquired in consultation with curators and museum experts after a period of thorough research.
Tokenised Rubey artwork is not stored away in a warehouse or private collection. It is placed on loan to prestigious museums, so it makes masterpieces accessible to all art lovers again. This also gives Art Security Tokens a strong social impact.
The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp is the first museum to embrace Art Security Tokens to enhance its excellent collection with Carnival de Binche by James Ensor.
Go to Carnival de Binche by James Ensor >
More tokenised pieces of art will follow in collaboration with other museums.
Rubey offers Art Security Token investors a dual opportunity: you get to invest in something that has a social impact and you get the chance to acquire financial rights based on the value of a piece of art.
With Rubey Art Security Tokens, you can help keep cultural heritage accessible and expand the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA).
Carnival de Binche by James Ensor has always been held in private collections until now. Thanks to Rubey and your investment, this piece of art is now on loan to the KMSKA for the full term of the tokenisation. So for the first time ever, the general public has the opportunity to admire this masterpiece.
Entry from 150 euros
You can participate in Rubey Art Security Tokens from 150 euros. This is unique. People seeking to invest in top-quality art usually have to dig far deeper into their pockets. Thanks to Art Security Tokens, the opportunity of a quality art investment finally goes hand in hand with a low entry price. The Rubey platform offers investments from 150 to 10,000 euros.
If you wish to invest a higher amount or if your company is interested in investing in Art Security Tokens, please contact us.
Note the quotation marks around ‘Co-owner’. This is because any investor who purchases Rubey Art Security Tokens effectively becomes the legal owner of these Art Security Tokens, even though they do not directly own the piece of art itself. The official ownership of the piece resides with a specific target company of Rubey. Each Rubey target company owns one piece of art and transfers the financial rights related to the piece to the token holders.
1 Art Security Token for Carnival de Binche by James Ensor = 1.41 euros
Carnival de Binche by James Ensor was divided into 1 million Art Security Tokens. The Art Security Tokens are subscribed to for a total price of 1.41 million euros. The issue price of 1 Art Security Token is therefore 1.41 euros.
The target company Rubey Paintco1 Sarl (the Issuer) uses the total amount of EUR 1.41 million raised with the Art Security Tokens to finance:
(i) the purchase of Carnival in Binche by James Ensor for EUR 1.2 million (excluding acquisition costs and taxes),
(ii) the costs and charges associated with the purchase, and
(iii) the costs of setting up the infrastructure for the issuance of the Art Security Tokens.
As an investor, you are entitled to claim a repayment on your investment from the Issuer at the end of the 10-year term (which may be extendable).
Please note: the amounts to be distributed by the Issuer are in all circumstances limited to the piece’s net realisable value, which is the value of the piece upon realisation after deduction of the costs of selling the piece. As an investor, your right of recourse against the Issuer is therefore limited to the piece’s net realisable value.
Scenario 1: the piece’s net realisable value is sufficiently high
If the piece’s net realisable value is sufficiently high, the Issuer will initially have to pay you your deposit of 1.41 euros for each Art Security Token plus a 0.5% annual interest rate. This 0.5% annual interest rate is based on the term the Art Security Tokens have been outstanding. The specific formula for calculating the interest is as follows:
The amount deposited for the initial purchase at issuance (1.41 euros per Art Security Token) is multiplied by:
The formula for the interest calculation is:
The amount deposited for the initial purchase at issuance is multiplied by:
(i) 0.5% annual interest
multiplied by:
(ii) The number of business days since the Art Security Tokens’ initial issuance
divided by:
(iii) 360 days
The interest is not paid out during the term and is not added to the outstanding amount of your investment deposit each year.
If the piece's net realisable value is insufficiently high, the repayment of the deposit (1.41 euros per Art Security Token) and interest will be limited to the available amount of net realisable value.
Scenario 2: the net realisable value of the piece is higher than in scenario 1
If the net realisable value of the piece exceeds the amount of the investors’ deposit plus the 0.5% annual interest rate, the investors are also entitled to claim their share of this capital gain. It means that as an investor, you are entitled to share fully in any increase in the piece’s value.
Scenario 3: the piece’s net realisable value is insufficiently high
In this scenario, the repayment of the deposit and interest will be limited to the available amount of net realisable value. This means that you risk losing some or all of your deposit
Finding an optimal time to sell
Of course, the Issuer aims to realise the highest possible value for the token holders. To maximise the chance of this happening and to limit the risk that the piece has to be realised in unfavourable market conditions, the Issuer can extend the Art Security Tokens’ term by 1 year up to three times. The term is therefore sometimes presented as 10+1+1+1 years. In the period of 36 months preceding the end of the initial 10-year term, the Issuer can accept a good offer for the artwork. In this case, the token holder will be paid before the end of the initial term. This allows the Issuer to decide on the best time to sell based on the advice from art experts and the current market conditions.
The payment on the Art Security Tokens will be made as soon as possible after the expiry of the term, and in any case within three (3) calendar months following the sale of the artwork. This way, all costs and taxes related to the sale can be calculated.
What is the potential return on your investment?
Scenario 1: the net realisation value of the painting is sufficiently high
Scenario 2: the net realisation value of the painting is higher than in scenario 1
Scenario 3: the net realisation value of the structure is insufficiently high
From 2023, the Issuer will give all investors the opportunity to offer the Art Security Tokens for sale on the 'bulletin board' the Issuer intends to provide on the Rubey platform.
You can therefore always (partially) leave the scheme during the term by offering the Art Security Tokens for sale on this 'bulletin board'. You will be able to put in a bid or offer for the purchase or sale of Art Security Tokens on this 'bulletin board’ as a buyer or seller. Other investors on the platform who are interested in the presented bid or offer can indicate this and request your contact information. This allows parties to get in touch with each other outside the platform.
It is important to remember that if the Art Security Tokens are sold before the end of the term, you must agree on a price for the Art Security Tokens yourself with an interested counterparty. There is no guarantee that anyone will be interested in buying or selling on the terms you prefer.
Since the 'bulletin board' will not be available on the Rubey platform until 2023 at the earliest, there will be no possibility to offer the Art Security Tokens for sale on the platform before 2023.
The term Art Security Token contains the word 'security' for a reason. The Issuer considers the Art Security Tokens to be securities (financial instruments) and therefore wishes to comply fully with the applicable regulations.
The Issuer also enters into a number of additional commitments to the Art Security Tokens investors in order to protect their claims to the painting. This will make sure the token holders of Carnaval in Binche get the security they deserve.
Check out the additional commitments:
On 25 January 2022, the Issuer signed an agreement with the Antwerp Royal Museum of Fine Arts (KMSKA), which will be managing Carnaval in Binche to an excellent standard.
The piece also has the same level of insurance cover as all the other masterpieces at the KMSKA.
When the piece moves to another museum or exhibition, extra cover will be provided both for the transport and the other location.
Pursuant to a pledge agreement entered into on 28 January 2022, the token holders also have a security entitlement with regard to the Issuer based on a pledge on the piece of art. This gives the token holders a priority right with regard to the Carnaval de Binche painting’s realisable value over any other creditors.
As a ‘co-owner’, you wish to remain up-to-date on what is happening with your painting, of course. That speaks for itself. We will email you:
The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) is the only museum in Flanders with a scientific status. This gives token holders the assurance that the piece is in good hands.
Rubey Art Security Tokens are not subject to any ongoing management fees.
What are the costs you do need to consider?
The Issuer does not charge any further management fees.
The Art Security Tokens’ issue price already includes the administrative and operational costs. This means that each token holder helps to maintain the tokenisation's administrative and operational structure throughout its life cycle.
The total value of the issue price of the Art Security Tokens for Carnaval de Binche by James Ensor is 1.41 million euros. The Issuer uses this amount to finance the purchase price of 1.2 million euros (excluding acquisition costs and taxes) and the estimated administrative and operational costs during the term of tokenisation, which total 210,000 euros. This amount covers all costs associated with this tokenisation project, including the costs of setting up the technical infrastructure, the legal fees and the valuation of the piece.
The Art Security Tokens are kept in a digital wallet of your choice. If you have a wallet, the Art Security Tokens will be placed in this wallet free of charge.
If you don't have a wallet yet, you can easily create one on the Rubey platform. This costs 15 euros/year.
Like some other investments, Art Security Tokens may be subject to taxes and levies.
Rubey does not provide tax advice in this regard. Depending on your country's regulatory framework, you may have to pay tax on capital gains from asset trading or on the value of your asset portfolio.
Rubey therefore strongly recommends you contact your personal tax advisor for more information about your personal tax circumstances.
Art Security Tokens are not just available to buy. You can also offer them for sale again yourself. First, the Issuer raises money in an Art Security Tokens Offering to finance the purchase price of the piece of art. Then, from 2023 at the earliest, Art Security Token investors can offer their tokens for sale themselves on the Rubey platform bulletin board. However, there is no guarantee that anyone will be interested in buying or selling according to your preferred terms. The liquidity of the Art Security Tokens may therefore be limited.
The initial Art Security Token Offering consists of two phases.
Phase 1: private sales
At the end of 2021, funds were raised within a limited group of private investors for a total amount of 1.41 million euros to be able to guarantee and close the purchase of the painting Carnaval de Binche.
The piece was then broken down into 1 million tokens. At that stage, the private investors own 100% of the Art Security Tokens. The issue price of 1 Art Security Token is 1.41 euros.
Phase 2: public sales
It is Rubey's mission to make art investments accessible to the general public. That is why the issuer buys back 25% of the Art Security Tokens to be sold publicly again at the exact same issue price of 1.41 euros. Anyone can enter from 150 euros until 25% of the Art Security Tokens have been sold. This public sales phase continues until the end of 2022.
From 2023, the Issuer will offer all investors – both initial private investors and investors in public sales – the chance to sell Art Security Tokens on the Rubey platform bulletin board.
Investing in Art Security Tokens is associated with several risks. Before you invest in Art Security Tokens, you should carefully read the following description of the associated risks.
The risk of the total or partial loss of your deposit and predefined interest rate.
The repayment of your investment and the payment of a possible return on the Art Security Tokens’ maturity date are entirely dependent on the evolution of Carnaval de Binche's value on the expiration date. If the value of the piece falls, investors run the risk of losing all or part of their Art Security Tokens deposit and of not receiving any interest or capital gain.
The risks are fully and extensively described in the terms & conditions and the information note when you register as an investor. Here we list some of them.
The repayment of your investment and the payment of a possible return on the Art Security Tokens’ maturity date are entirely dependent on the evolution of Carnaval de Binche's value on the expiration date. If the value of the piece falls, investors run the risk of losing all or part of their Art Security Tokens deposit and of not receiving any interest or capital gain.
There is a risk that the Art Security Tokens Issuer is not able to develop the Rubey platform as intended. The Issuer may not receive the regulatory approvals required to run the Rubey platform optimally.
Blockchain technology is a new, emerging technology. There is a risk that in the end the Issuer is not able to implement all the functions of the Art Security Tokens and/or the Rubey platform bulletin board as intended.
The Issuer offers no guarantees that a further public offering of Art Security Tokens can be made, the Rubey platform bulletin board can be successfully implemented and/or a liquid market for the Art Security Tokens will emerge.
Investors in Art Security Tokens must be prepared to hold on to their investment until the end of the term.
The legal framework of regulations that apply to blockchain technologies, cryptocurrencies, Security Tokens and Security Token Offerings (STOs), including the position of the various regulators, is evolving fast. It is therefore uncertain what the effects of additional regulations will be on the Art Security Tokens and/or Rubey platform.
There is currently no trading market for Art Security Tokens, and therefore no benchmark for the price of Art Security Tokens. If a trading market were to develop, the price of Art Security Tokens may be volatile.
Because an exact valuation of Art Security Tokens is difficult, the offer price may be determined arbitrarily based on the market conditions.
Investors should therefore not use the offer price as an indicator of the Art Security Tokens’ actual market value.
The Issuer relies on external contractors to design, develop and implement the Rubey platform and maintain the Rubey infrastructure.
If such external parties fail to meet their commitments to Rubey, this could obviously have a negative impact on the functionality of the Art Security Tokens and Rubey platform.
System failures or capacity constraints may also make it more difficult and/or impossible for the Issuer to operate.
The Issuer may not be able to prevent illegal activities on the Rubey platform. In extreme cases, this may result in disciplinary action against the Issuer, such as penalties or closure.
Blockchain assets and blockchain trading platforms remain susceptible to security breaches and cybercrime. The Art Security Tokens, Issuer or Rubey platform may become a target of cybersecurity breaches or theft.
Private keys allow the Issuer to unilaterally transfer or ‘freeze’ the Art Security Tokens in case of a security breach and/or cybercrime. However, even these security measures can be compromised.
The pledge on the piece of art may not be considered effective security if the piece is held in a jurisdiction outside Belgium and if a competing claim is exercised with regard to the piece in such a jurisdiction outside Belgium.
The Art Security Tokens tax situation is new and may change. Investors should therefore seek their own tax advice in connection with their investment in Art Security Tokens.
The tax authorities may disagree with certain tax positions regarding the Issuer, its operations and the Art Security Tokens. You may therefore be asked to revise the current positions in a way that may be disadvantageous to the token holders.
An Art Security Token is not an investment in a project that is listed on the stock exchange. This means that during the term, the painting can’t be valued based on the actual market price by a credit rating agency. The piece’s price evolution is therefore more difficult to determine. In year 5 and year 7 after the Art Security Tokens’ initial issuance, Rubey will have the piece valued by an independent expert and send the results to the token holders. The token holders will also receive such a valuation report at the end of the investment period.
As an Art Security Tokens investor, you run the risk of not being able to (fully) recover the amounts you are entitled to and of losing all or part of your invested capital and capital gains if the issuing institution goes bankrupt.
Each acquisition of a masterpiece involves a long and careful analysis of the market, prospected works and interested museums. Curators and art experts assist us in choosing the right piece at the best price. After that, it's up to you. Find out how you can co-invest to make a positive impact here.
Each piece of art is unique, and therefore each piece of art has unique investment conditions. Register to view the properties, rights, benefits, potential returns and risks for the Art Security Tokens. Or find out more info about the possible financial return of the particular piece.
The Rubey platform only offers Art Security Tokens to private individuals.
If your company is interested in investing in Art Security Tokens, please contact us.
You choose. You decide.
Read all about how easy it is to enter and how you can offer Art Security Tokens for sale. Do bear in mind that selling will only become possible from 2023 at the earliest.
Art Security Tokens make you the economic ‘co-owner’ of a masterpiece.
Register to the platform. Choose a piece of art. For now, only Carnaval de Binche by Ensor is available, but a second tokenised piece of art is being considered. Read the investment information and make sure you are aware of the risks. You can invest any amount from 150 to 10,000 euros on the Rubey platform. If you would like to invest more, please contact us.
Rubey Art Security Tokens have a 10-year term that can be extended to up to 13 years so that the piece can be sold in the best possible market conditions. This means that after a maximum of 13 years, the tokenised piece of art will be sold again on the market and all current Art Security Token owners will be entitled to their share of the net realisable value.
The piece's sales process will be started as early as the seventh year after the Art Security Tokens’ initial issuance. This allows enough time to reach a favourable position when the term expires. If a favourable offer is identified within the 36-month period preceding the end of the initial 10-year term, the Art Security Tokens can also be redeemed early.
The net realisable value obtained from the piece's sale will be proportionately distributed among the current token holders to meet their claims against the Issuer.
See the investment information for a particular piece of art for more specific details.
As a token holder, you don't need to wait until the end of the term to cash in your investment. You can sell Art Security Tokens on the Rubey platform bulletin board from 2023 at the earliest. You can decide how many Art Security Tokens you wish to offer and at what price. Potential buyers can then request your contact details to get in touch with you to negotiate a possible sale. The Art Security Tokens’ liquidity may be limited at first.
Everyone who has registered to the Rubey platform and has been verified like you, has gone through a legal Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) process. This allows fast, correct and secure Art Security Token transactions between authenticated users only.
Rubey’s provision of the platform bulletin board depends on third-party technological developments. Rubey cannot be held liable if such developments suffer any setbacks. In a worst case scenario, token holders will therefore have to keep their Art Security Tokens until the end of the term.
Find out how to become a masterpiece ‘co-owner’ in 5 steps.
You have to register without obligation to gain access to the Art Security Tokens.
You will receive a confirmation email upon registration to activate your account. It may take up to 3 minutes for you to receive the email.
Activate your account from the confirmation email.
When you have activated your account, you will have full access to the Rubey platform.
The next step is your activation as an investor. Only natural persons can become investors via the Rubey platform. If your company would like to buy Art Security Tokens, please contact us as this requires a different procedure.
If you are a natural person, you can immediately become an investor on the platform.
Read the general terms and conditions, disclaimers and agreements carefully, accept them and then upload your ID card and proof of address.
As you probably know, all financial transactions currently involve a Know Your Customer (KYC) procedure. This is a legal requirement to verify who the investor is and whether the investor obtained the funds in a legal way. We therefore need to ask you to upload some documents with regard to your identity.
All provided information is verified by a CSSF-certified external partner. You will receive an email when your information has been approved and you have been verified as an investor.
You can also create a digital wallet during the investor onboarding process. You need such a wallet to keep your Art Security Tokens in your personal account. The wallet will not be visible until you have purchased the Art Security Tokens. You pay 15 euros a year to use the Rubey wallet on the platform. If you choose this option, 15 euros will be added to your investment amount. You will be asked to make an additional payment of 15 euros at the start of every annual period. If you already have your own digital Ethereum wallet, you can link it to the Rubey platform free of charge. Of course, you will pay no service charges for this. You can always switch from a (paid) Rubey wallet to another wallet in your name over time.
Have you completed all the previous steps and have you been verified as an investor? Perfect. Now you can start buying your Art Security Tokens and pay for them electronically. The Rubey platform offers Art Security Tokens for an amount from 150 to 10,000 euros. If you wish to invest a higher amount, please contact us.
Because the bulletin board is not yet active on the Rubey platform, Rubey will process all transactions every two weeks. In practice this means that once your funds have been received in Rubey's account, you need to wait up to two weeks to see your purchased Art Security Tokens appear in your wallet.
Youu will receive an email when your Art Security Tokens are in your wallet.
Congratulations, you are now the proud owner of Art Security Tokens. You can always access your Tokens in your personal dashboard. If you would like to sell your Art Security Tokens, you can do so on the Rubey bulltin board from 2023.
You will receive important email notifications regarding your Art Security Tokens and the painting you have invested in.
James Ensor is without a doubt one of the most famous Belgian artists. Like Rubens, Bruegel, Van Eyck or Delvaux, Ensor is considered among the best painters of that part of the world. More than that, Ensor is in demand. Quite a few prestigious international museums have an Ensor in their permanent collection or would love to have one.
Ensor lived in Ostend and his Ostend home is now a museum dedicated to him, but the largest Ensor collection in the world can be found in Antwerp. The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) has an exceptional and comprehensive collection of Ensor masterpieces.
Ensor's most notable contribution to modern art is his use of masks. Carnival masks started to appear in his drawings and paintings in 1887. “To me, masks offer fresh tones, sumptuous decoration, grand unexpected acts, razor-sharp expressions and delightful turbulence,” Ensor himself said in 1911. There are very few pieces in which all these aspects feature as strongly as in Carnival in Binche.
Rarity is also an important investment criterion. Paintings by Ensor that feature masks have usually already been acquired by museums and are rarely available for sale on the private market. And when they are, they usually fetch high prices at international auctions.
Carnival in Binche has excellent provenance. It has been exceptionally well preserved, and we know the private collections it belonged to in the past. Thanks to the Art Security Tokens, the piece can now finally be shown to the general public.
The Intrigue (1890), another Ensor masterpiece from the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA), shows the same recognisable imagery.
Although the museum currently already owns two pieces of Ensor's mature work, the museum is very pleased with the arrival of Carnival in Binche. It is an exceptionally powerful and intriguing piece that is brimming with colours and character.
The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) has the largest Ensor collection in the world and also runs its own research centre on Ensor's pieces. Its involvement benefits the painting's reputation, which could affect its value.
The painting was held in private collections for many years. Thanks to you and the other token holders, the piece can now finally be shown to the general public. This public exposure will also attract more attention to the painting.
The piece was selected with the utmost care and verified by the experts of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA).
In addition to the thorough analysis by the museum's experts, the Ensor Expert Committee of independent Ensor experts has also issued a certificate of authenticity.
The piece is included in Xavier Tricot’s catalogue of Ensor's work (James Ensor. Catalogue Raisonné des Peintures. Mercatorfonds, Bruxelles, p.360 no. 526 (ill.))
The piece is signed by Ensor in the bottom left corner.
The experts of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) thoroughly checked the painting and the condition of the paint layer, canvas and frame.
The full condition report is available to token holders. The museum will also conduct an annual inspection of the piece. The current token holders will be notified of this.
When purchasing a piece of art, it is important to know its provenance or history of ownership. This prevents fraud and money laundering. The work has always been part of private collections and all the former owners are known.