Joshua Dimondstein - Appraiser’s Qualifications
Appraiser’s Statement
I have been a dealer, collector, consultant, and appraiser of tribal art since 1996. Throughout the last 28 years, I’ve sold tribal art domestically and internationally; consulted for institutions; stayed abreast of relevant publications; attended auctions and analyzed their results; and stayed current on the regulatory environment affecting both tribal art dealers and appraisers. This total emersion keeps me up-to-date on the tribal art market and its current trends.
My experience as both a tribal art collector and dealer has given me the connoisseurship required to appraise the art. Understanding the subtle distinctions that delineate the varying elements of quality and characteristics of value resulted from years of working with tribal art. The combination of my ASA training, my understanding of the art market, and my level of connoisseurship qualifies me to appraise tribal art.
Professional Qualifications
Robinson Associates, Shreveport, LA 1990-1996 – Developed and wrote the code (script) for a software program used to conclude the value to the US government of new-line pharmaceuticals after their FDA approval.
Owner, Dimondstein Tribal Arts, Los Angeles, CA 1996 to the present – Performed all aspects of an art business including: buying; selling; and appraising; advising collectors on purchasing art; building an international network of tribal art dealers and collectors; and working with museums and other professionals in the areas of object authentication and research.
Consultant for Fred Backlar, Head of Bonhams African and Oceanic Tribal Art Department, 2012 to 2025 – Advise about the quality, age, and authenticity of tribal art being offered at Bonhams tribal art auctions.
Owner, Dimondstein Appraisal Services, Los Angeles, 2020 to the present
Organizations/Memberships
American Society of Appraisers, Candidate Member (2021-present)
Member of the Antique Tribal Art Dealers Association (ATADA) (2017-present)
Founding Member of SFTribal, a dealer’s association in the San Francisco Bay Area, 2007-present
Founding Member of LATribal, a dealer’s association in the greater Los Angeles area, 2005-present
Relevant Experience
Exhibitor at the world’s premier tribal arts shows (Parcours, Paris; BRUNEAF, Brussels) 1999 to present.
Contributing writer to the magazine “Tribal”: Issue 50, Autumn-Winter 2008, “An Interview with Marc Franklin: A Tribal Art Collector”; Issue 56, Summer 2010 “Other Worlds – The Photography of Mike Glad”; Issue 85, Autumn 2017, and “Clamra Célestin: Devoted Collector, Ancestral Guardian”.
Expert witness in legal arbitration addressing tribal art values and authenticity.
Presenter of “An Introduction to African Tribal Art for the Appraiser” at the 2018 Joint American Society of Appraisers (ASA) Advanced Business Valuation and International Appraisers Conference.
Live Webinar “The African Tribal Art Market & Its Challenges for the Appraiser“, ASA Norcal, October 25, 2023
Relevant Education
2020 -2023 USPAP courses and ASA courses PP201, PP202, PP203, PP204, PP400, and PP445
1992 MBA in Operations Management, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, California
1990 BS in Management, Cum Laude, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, California
1976 AA in Bookkeeping and Accounting, College of Marin, Kentfield, California