ABSTRACT
Small, high-value objects are greatly esteemed by dealers and collectors. The more costly (and bizarre) a thing is, the better it will sell. What else would account for the plethora of turquoise, green stone, shell mosaic, and mixed-media whatnots that are cluttering galleries, collectors’ premises, and museums alike? We call them “pocket candy” because, indeed, this is how altogether too many of them are smuggled into the United States or European countries, in someone's—dealer's or mule's—pocket. Dealer after dealer and smuggler after smuggler has told us, “Sure, I put the jade carving, the little gold statuette, or the shell mosaic figurine in my pocket; did not declare it, and no one was the wiser.” One's pockets seldom get searched when entering a First World country. If they are—well, probably that exquisite little green stone carving in your pocket is the least of your worries, because the search is reserved for those on a “list,” which generally means everything you have with you is going to be dismantled, including your sense of intimate personal privacy.
