Morphy's Appoints Mark Clark to Head New Prehistoric American Artifacts Division

DENVER, Pa., May 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Dan Morphy, CEO of Morphy Auctions, has appointed antiques collector and dealer John Mark Clark to head the company's newly established Prehistoric American Artifacts division.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130508/PH09209-a )
(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130508/PH09209-b ) 

"North American arrowheads and other prehistoric artifacts have a large and dedicated following of collectors. For some time, now, we've wanted to add a department catering to this specialty, but we needed the right person to run the operation," Morphy said. "When Mark Clark expressed an interest, we moved forward with confidence. He has an impeccable reputation as a dealer and a tremendous knowledge of the subject from many years as a collector."

Clark, who goes by his middle name "Mark," is the son of antique dealers who started taking him to auctions at a young age. "I've been around antiquities my whole life and started collecting when I was only six," Clark said.

"My father was also a land speculator who bought and sold property in the area where we lived," Clark said. "I would go out into the plowed fields with him to search for arrowheads and artifacts left behind from 15,000 years of Middle Tennessee's cultural past."

Later, as Clark's fascination with prehistoric objects deepened, he began to educate himself on the subject and build the base of a world-class collection of rare arrowheads and relics.

In the early 1970s, Clark joined his entrepreneurial family's retail furniture business while also buying antiquities on the side. In the early 1990s, he began a full-time career in the antiques business.

Now an acknowledged expert in prehistoric American artifacts, Clark hopes to bring order and credibility to a collecting niche he says has become compromised by a few dishonest people.

"The market has been flooded with repros and fraudulent material," Clark said. "Only a few auction houses guarantee the authenticity of what they sell. Morphy's is one of them. The prehistoric market has been begging for a reputable auction house to step in and warranty what they're selling. Now that's going to happen."

Under Clark's supervision, Morphy's will conduct two Prehistoric American Artifacts auctions per year, beginning this fall. They will be major events with hardbound full-color catalogs and extensive marketing campaigns. Each sale will include 300-600 lots of arrowheads, Mississippian effigy pottery and other prehistoric art from the Paleo, Archaic, Woodland and Mississippian time periods. Clark said he hopes to include a highly desirable Cumberland (Paleo Era) projectile point and an exceptional cache of Woodland era Copena points in the fall sale.

"Collectors already know they can trust Morphy's from their decade-long association with them in other categories. Finally there will be a place where prehistoric collectors can feel secure about what they purchase, which will be a breath of fresh air for the hobby," Clark said.

To discuss consigning to Morphy's debut Prehistoric American Artifacts auction call Mark Clark: 931-237-3646, Email. Online: Morphy Auctions.

This press release was issued through eReleases® Press Release Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE Morphy Auctions