How to transport art to and from Dubai

Quietly tucked away on 39 Broadway in Manhattan lies one of the best-kept secrets in the arts and antiquities world, in fact in the luxury and high-value world at large. The aptly named, Masterpiece International, has been quietly moving some of the most precious items around the globe for the past three decades. If you’ve never heard of Masterpiece, it’s by design. Discretion, white glove door-to-door service and making the complex convenient, have been their watchwords to their discerning clientele - making them the most sought after high-value shipping and logistics company you’ve never heard of. They are one of the only logistics companies to have tarmac access at every international airport, meaning no item leaves their sight, and always lands gently and precisely where it needs to - a distinction that should not be taken lightly in a 40,000 strong field of competitors worldwide.

Over the years, the company’s exceptional word of mouth reputation across the Fine Arts world naturally led museums, galleries, art fair participants and private collectors to seek out the coveted shippers, ultimately leading to a steady expansion into other fields requiring equal care and attention. Soon, antique and exotica automobiles were finding their way into Masterpiece shipments, followed by film, television and entertainment freight, trade shows, aerospace & hi-tech, life sciences, pharma, healthcare, consumer & retail, and chemical & energy industry leviathans all came calling - all requiring the same quality, dedication and service for their unique consignments. The need for a super yacht and marine division materialized in Miami along with specialized, project and general cargo demand into the four corners of the world, giving way to complex supply chain management for food and perishable shipments to the U.S. Military in far-flung complex lands; a distant cry from the recherché movement of a Renoir, but no less complex or delicate. Today, the company boasts well over 200 employees and 20 offices globally, with divisions that service nearly every industry requiring customs brokerage, freight forwarding and logistics solutions. While the company may have expanded, its core principles have remained unchanged and unchallenged. Their slogan of, ‘treating every shipment like a masterpiece’ is not just lip service or a clever entendre but an absolute core mandate, as evidenced by over two decades as the global market dominator in the high-value arts and antiquities movement industry. A contention of pride carried over and engrained into every shipment whether it be guavas to the UAE or the Guernica on tour.

When asked what’s next for the quietly large firm, the executives give a wry smile, politely replying, “We can’t say, it’s not in our nature. But if you’re in the right places at the right times, you’ll see us - but we’ll be on to the next before you know it.” Wise words, to keep a watchful eye on this noiseless company creating far-reaching ripples in all the right circles.

Image & content courtesy of Cey Flores and Masterpiece International; 

Dubai Representative: Steven Didier 

T: +971 55 509 4937 | E: [email protected]