White glove service: your artworks handled by specialist art handlers
Some pieces cannot simply be boxed up on a kitchen table. A large canvas, a heavy bronze, a fragile or high-value work calls for professional handling, both at departure and on arrival. And sometimes you simply have neither the time nor the inclination to deal with it yourself.
The Moviiu white glove service entrusts these steps to the specialist art handlers of the Horus Group companies. They collect the work, pack it, and can deliver and install it at destination. You don’t lift a finger.
Door-to-door or white glove: what's the difference?
Moviiu offers two ways of handling your work at departure, depending on your needs: you can pack the work yourself using our custom-made packaging, or entrust all handling and packing to our specialist teams.
Without white glove at departure
- Our teams make the custom packaging.
- The empty packaging is shipped by our partner carriers (DHL, UPS, FedEx).
- You receive the packaging and pack the work yourself.
- You book the pick-up (Moviiu can also do this for you on request).
- Our partner carriers ship and deliver the work.
White glove at departure
- An appointment is made to collect the work from the gallery or auction house (for grouped collections, our teams give you a precise time slot).
- Our teams collect the work on site and take it to our workshop.
- The dimensions are checked in the workshop and dedicated packaging is made.
- The work is carefully packed, ready for final shipment.
- Our partner carriers ship and deliver the work.
“White glove on arrival” option
You can also choose the “White glove on arrival” option.
At Step 6, the parcel is not shipped directly to the final address but received at our Moviiu warehouse. Our teams then arrange an appointment for last-mile delivery. The work is unpacked on site in your presence, and we take the packaging away with us.
White glove collection
Our art handlers collect the work wherever it is: at your home, in a studio, gallery, storage facility or saleroom. You have nothing to prepare.
1. You select the option
“white glove” at step 3 of the online quote, under additional services.
2. Our team contacts you
to agree on a precise collection slot.
3. The art handlers inspect the work
and photograph any existing defects. This condition report serves as the reference throughout the shipment.
4. The work is protected on site
then taken to our workshop.
5. Our packers measure it
and pack it in Moviiu packaging made to its dimensions.
6. The shipment leaves
with DHL Express, FedEx or UPS. You and the recipient immediately receive the tracking number to follow it through to final delivery.
White glove delivery
The work is first taken to the warehouse of one of our sister companies, as close as possible to the destination. From there, our art handlers deliver it in person and, if you wish, take care of the rest:
- unpacking and removing the packaging,
- placing the work where you want it,
- hanging paintings,
- assembling works delivered in several parts.
The recipient sees no box and no bracing: they discover the piece in its place.
Where is the white glove service available?
White glove collection
France
Paris region
Switzerland
Geneva, Lausanne, Bern, Basel, Zurich, Lucerne
Germany
Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Munich, Frankfurt
Brazil
São Paulo
Austria
Vienna
In Switzerland, the service relies on our sister company Veron and can often be extended to the rest of the country. Find out more on our white glove service in Switzerland page.
White glove delivery
Delivery relies on the network of the 17 Horus Group companies, present on 4 continents. It is available in our main destinations: France (Paris region), Switzerland (Geneva, Lausanne, Bern, Basel, Zurich, Lucerne, and extendable to the rest of the country through our sister company Veron), Germany (Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Munich, Frankfurt), Austria (Vienna) and Brazil (São Paulo).
For this service, each project receives a custom quote, calculated according to the delivery addresses, the characteristics of the work and your specific needs on site (unpacking, installation, hanging…).
To check feasibility for your exact address and get a personalised quote, write to us at info@moviiu.com.
Which works is it for?
The white glove service is never compulsory. We recommend it whenever a work needs special attention:
- old or contemporary paintings, especially large formats and fragile frames,
- sculptures and three-dimensional works that are heavy or difficult to handle,
- unique, fragile or high-value pieces,
- works to be installed or assembled on site,
- lots bought at auction that need to be removed quickly from the saleroom.
A condition report that protects everyone
At collection, our art handlers act as professional witnesses. By noting and photographing any scratches, chips or restorations visible before departure, they record the condition of the work at the moment it is collected.
For an auction house or gallery, this is valuable protection: a buyer cannot blame the transport for a pre-existing defect. For the shipper, it guarantees a solid file if damage occurs.
White glove and insurance
As the work is packed by our teams in Moviiu packaging, it can benefit from ad valorem transport insurance: 1% of the declared value, minimum €20, no excess, from collection to delivery.
Who uses the white glove service?
Collection of lots from the saleroom after the sale, without tying up their teams. The service is already used in Paris by houses such as Sotheby’s, Bonhams and Millon.
Delivery of a major piece to a collector, with hanging.
Bringing an acquisition home, moving a fragile work.
Collection from several suppliers, installation at the end client’s home.
Case studies
Paris ➔ Lausanne
Requirement: An interior designer delivers a framed painting and a pair of lamps, found at two different addresses in Paris.
Moviiu solution: White glove collection at each address, packing by our teams, transport, white glove delivery with unpacking, hanging and installation.
Geneva ➔ London
Requirement: A collector sells a large canvas to a British buyer who will hang it himself.
Moviiu solution: White glove collection in Geneva with condition report, custom packing in the warehouse, export and import formalities, door-to-door delivery.
Booking the white glove service
1. Start your quote
by entering the addresses, the work, its dimensions, weight and value.
2. At step 3
select white glove collection and, if needed, white glove delivery. The surcharge is shown in your quote.
3. Confirm
our team will contact you to set the collection appointment.
4. Track
your shipment from your customer account through to delivery.
Frequently asked questions about the white glove service
How long does it take to arrange a collection?
Collection usually takes place within 3 to 4 working days of booking. For auction houses with a grouped rate, collections are organised within 7 to 10 working days.
Is the service compatible with international shipping?
Yes. White glove collection can be combined with shipping anywhere in the world, and we prepare the necessary customs documents.
My work is already in a wooden crate. Can I still choose white glove?
Write to us at info@moviiu.com, giving the outer dimensions of the crate. We will tell you the most suitable solution.
Do you offer transport for fairs and exhibitions?
No. Moviiu focuses mainly on transporting individual works, generally with up to three works per parcel. We can, however, send several parcels if your quote request requires it. For larger projects, contact us: we will direct you to the most suitable company in the group.
What does “white glove” actually mean?
The term refers to high-end handling by staff trained in handling works of art. Our definition of the white glove service explains these practices in detail.
Your works deserve professional handling, at departure and on arrival.
Add the white glove service to your quote.