Elton John has won a court case against a Parisian art dealer who he accused of selling him fake sculptures.
This is a long running dispute, stemming from a purchase the singer made way back in 1996. John bought four statues of Greek gods off art dealer Jean Renoncourt, which were signed by 18th century Italian sculptor Luigi Grossi and which set the singer back over £180,000. But when he got a British expert to value the sculptures for insurance purposes he said that he thought the sculptures were fakes, concluding that they were made of inferior marble and could have been made at sometime during the 20th century.
John promptly sued Renoncourt, who refused to refund him for the sculptures, through the French courts. In the first instance the Paris courts ruled against John, arguing that he had failed to provide the court with any evidence that the sculptures were, in fact, fake. But by the appeal hearing an analysis by French experts had concurred with John's British expert, so the court found in his favour. The singer was awarded the costs of the original sculptures, legal costs and damages of £19,000. Renoncourt will also have to arrange for the sculptures to be returned to France.