Breakdown by segment

A segment groups works of comparable nature and market. The Observatory's nomenclature uses five, based on the customs classification and that of auction houses. Painting includes oils, watercolours, gouaches and pastels. Sculpture covers three-dimensional works, including edition bronzes.

The "furniture and other" segment brings together antique furniture, glass, ceramics, silverware and objets d'art. Tribal art groups the productions of Africa, Oceania and the Americas. Contemporary art is defined by the artist's date of birth, after 1945.

The same work can belong to only one segment. When classification is ambiguous, the Observatory adopts the dominant criterion, documented in the nomenclature.

The breakdown by segment first serves to place a market. A gallery owner working in contemporary art can compare their turnover with the growth of their segment. An administration can measure the tax weight of each category of works. An insurer can adjust premiums according to the volatility observed.

It also serves to spot underlying shifts. When a segment gains two points of share in three years, it is often a sign of a change in taste or a lasting change in demand, and not a mere effect of the economic cycle.