There is an old story I once heard from a collector who spent years traveling through mountain villages between Nepal and Tibet. He told me that certain masks should never be looked at too quickly. “At first,” he said, “they are only wood.” But then, after some time, the face begins to change. One evening, while arranging objects in my… Read More »The Mask That Smiled Back
This morning, before opening the shop, I placed these two next to each other. Not because they belong to the same tradition. They clearly do not. But sometimes objects begin to speak differently when they share the same space for a while. One is a mask from Zambia, in the Mbunda style. The other, a small Lobi figure from Burkina… Read More »Two African Pieces on the Table
Hi African Art collector , Some dealers would like you to believe that all African art is rare and priceless. But we should remember that this is the art of an entire continent, home to hundreds of cultures and carving traditions — meaning there is truly something meaningful to collect at every level. While many of the pieces I offer… Read More »Collecting African Art Without Regret — Even in a Changing Market