Material Culture

With over three decades of experience in the fields of art, decorative arts and antiques from around the world, Material Culture applies its expertise to the appraising, consigning and selling of all kinds of artifacts from local, national and international consignors, including estates, private individuals, trusts, businesses, educational and cultural institutions. Located in Philadelphia, Material Culture prides itself on being a full-service auction house, with the ability to take on single items, collections, or entire estates, through the wide variety of auctions it offers. Material Culture's experience in the global market contributes to the strong showing of buyers overseas as well as domestically, with educated bidders from 30+ countries regularly participating in their high-energy sales.
Material Culture is dedicated to providing individualized attention to consignors, buyers and the artifacts up for sale throughout the entire auction process. The expert staff works to stay up-to-date on the developments of the global market, and applies experience, attention and care from appraisal to promotion. Consignors take note: Material Culture offers a no-surprises, competitive flat fee that takes into account all of the expenses associated with finding the best market for an item; there are no special charges for photography, internet listings, insurance, etc. Material Culture aims to exceed expectations and make the auction experience the best it can be for both consignors and buyers.
Material Culture�s exhibition galleries, nearly 20,000 square feet of naturally-lit space, are housed under the same roof as Material Culture�s 40,000+ square foot retail space and cafe, at 4700 Wissahickon Avenue, located off the Roosevelt Expressway, only 10 minutes from Philadelphia�s city center. This location is an easy, quick distance for either visitors or residents of the area, an advantage over auction houses far from a large metropolitan center. At the same time, this location provides spacious, hassle-free parking facilities, avoiding a problem that can plague auction houses in dense urban areas. Both exhibitions and auctions take place in Material Culture�s dedicated spaces, and participate in Philadelphia�s status as a city of the arts. Material Culture has always believed that art is for everyone, and aims to make participation in the auction business easier and more accessible to a spectrum of art lovers, for the convenience of the local community, and to the benefit of collectors and enthusiasts worldwide.
Upcoming Auctions from Material Culture
INTERNATIONAL TEXTILE ARTS | 25
INTERNATIONAL TEXTILE ARTS | 25. Live Showroom Auction: Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 10AM. Public Exhibition: February 22-23, 11AM-4PM. Also accepting phone and absentee bids. This is a NO RESERVE AUCTION: there are no hidden or confidential reserves, all acceptable bidding commences at the online START PRICE. Have questions? Contact frontdesk@materialculture.comBidder Reviews for Material Culture (815)
4.6 out of 5.0 Stars
8 Latest Top ReviewsSee All
MargaretDecatur, GA
Jan 31, 2026
Amazing experience
I bought two pieces in this sale-both were packaged incredibly well. The items were as described and in great condition!

PierreParis, FR
Jan 15, 2026
Material Culture is a serious gallery, with wonderfull artefacts
Material Culture is a serious gallery, with wonderfull artefacts

PierreParis, FR
Jan 15, 2026
Material Culture is a serious gallery, with wonderfull artefacts
Material Culture is a serious gallery, with wonderfull artefacts

HarlanWeston, MA
Dec 15, 2025
Friendly, efficient.
Material Culture has wonderful offerings year in and year out. Questions are answered quickly, and they have great expertise in the areas that they handle. Working with the Philapelphia Mailroom on shipping makes for a smooth and affordable process (on my last auction item of seven fragile figures, the shipping and handling was less than 1/3 of that quoted by the Liveauctioneers shipping service).

RobertSan Antonio, TX
Nov 12, 2025
Handy Live Auctioneers shipping option!
Great auctions, especially Haitian art. I really liked (and used) the Live Auctioneers shipping option and ability to get shipping quotes before auction.

RobertChicago, IL
Oct 27, 2025
Items represented well. Objects meet or exceed expectations.
Material Culture has some quality objects. The Lega mask I got is really beautiful and the material/rich patina compares well to other masks I've seen many times in museums, catalogues and galleries. Just stunning. It came on a high quality stand. The packing was efficient, layers of wadded paper to fill cavities, which was a little surprising, but it supported the stand and the object well and did not damage the friable kaolin. It let the object stay secure and motionless inside more layers of cushion. Nice job. When there was a slight delay in shipping they were responsive and corrected the issue.

Past Auctions from Material Culture
Record Auction Results for Material Culture
TOP




























































































