Fine Art Insurance
Our experience and unrivalled contacts within the market mean that we can advise on and provide introductions to specialists in conservation, restoration, valuations, title disputes, shipping, collections management, security and the acquisition and sale of items.
Our expert advice is backed up with efficient and highly personal service, helping to save you time and hassle when you need to make a claim.
Our policies are placed with the leading specialist insurers and underwritten in-house on binding authorities, giving us enhanced efficiency and flexibility.
Who needs Fine Art Insurance?
Business dealing in art and antiques require particularly specialised insurance reflective of the unique nature of the works that they sell and the market in which they operate. We will work with you to design an insurance programme that will add value, to protect both property and your professional liabilities.
Key Areas:
- Stock covered on ‘All Risks’ basis, meaning that all risks of loss are covered unless specifically excluded
- Our basis of settlement is tailored for each client following review of your business practices and requirements.
Our experience and interest in art and the art market means that our advice extends beyond the insurance we arrange for our clients. We offer advice on best practice, risk management, anti-money laundering, title issues and indemnity requirements in the modern art and heritage market.
Antiquarian bookselling business require a particularly specialised insurance policy and provider due to the unique nature of their stock and trade. We offer our own carefully crafted policy wording supported by leading insurers.
Key areas:
- Unique nature of stock
- We apply a settlement basis appropriate to the diversity of any inventory.
- A unique stock definition created in collaboration with the ABA providing extraordinarily broad cover.
- Defective Title
- Transit cover
- Trade-Fair cover
- Professional Indemnity
We are the recommended broker for the Antiquarian Booksellers Association (ABA) and arrange insurance for the majority of ABA booksellers in the United Kingdom and for many other leading booksellers Worldwide.
We have developed a policy specifically for consultants with experience and knowledge in their areas of expertise.
Acquiring works of art on behalf of clients, negotiating sales, researching provenance, providing valuations, commenting on authenticity, managing and curating collections, advising on tax issues, framing, hanging, storage etc all expose art consultants to professional risks.
Key Areas:
- Protect independent art experts.
- Legal liability cover in respect of the items that they are handling
- Professional Indemnity for negligent acts, errors or omissions that may arise during the conduct of an Art Consultant’s business.
Auction houses are exposed to unique risks for which we offer bespoke solutions across the following key areas;
- Professional indemnity and legal insurances written specifically for auctioneers.
- Consignments fully insured in line with auctioneers terms and conditions.
- Protection for auction valuation teams.
- Advice on security for auction houses dealing in high value items and jewellery.
Our experience allows us to advise on all aspects of risks faced by auctioneers. Auction houses are under ever increasing pressure to value and list items quickly and efficiently. In an increasingly litigious environment, our insurance is provided to allow our clients to trade in confidence and without fear of reproach.
We understand the specific requirements and risks associated with all types of museums. We are highly sensitive to the budget requirements that museums work with and we help our clients to decide which activities and property they need to insure and the levels of insurance required.
Key Areas:
- We offer advice on all insurances, statutory and optional.
- Our museum insurance supports the curation and exhibition program for all museums.
- We provide cover required under the Government Indemnity Scheme (GIS)
- We advise on security, condition reporting, storage, transportation and exhibition set-up and dismantling.
- We work with museums to assess the levels of risk posed to people or property.
- Encouraging continual communications in addition to annual renewal meetings our specialist insurance experts assist all types of museum and heritage clients. We advise on which insurances are prudent to have and which are compulsory. We pride ourselves in combining expert knowledge with the highest levels of customer service.
Why do you need specialist fine art insurance?
When dealers, museums or collectors opt for generic policies it can leave them exposed during the claim process. Art insurance is a highly specialised area and requires brokers who understand and can add value to the process.
With a detailed technical knowledge of the market, we work with some of the world’s leading art insurers, who understand the unique nature of art and cultural property, market dynamics and sensitivities and the importance of conservation and preservation or works for future generations.
Avoiding the risk of underinsurance
Did you know 19% of businesses haven’t reviewed their indemnity period in the last two years? Despite this, 91% of SMEs believe they have the right level of cover in place*.
What is underinsurance?
If your business is underinsured, your company’s assets are being insured at less than their true worth, leaving you inadequately protected. Therefore, in the event of a disaster, you would be compensated for less than the true value of your loss.
That’s not what you want to hear when you are making a claim. Click here to read more about underinsurance.
