OUR COLLECTION OF AFRICAN ART

A FEW THOUGHTS ON AFRICAN ART

We have been dealing in these items for over 30 years

The first question usually asked is: How old is it? There is no practical way of determining. With no clear provenance to most pieces, even an "expert" is guessing. Africans have been making and selling art to colonialists and tourists for over 100 years. They have also been selling old pieces no longer wanted. For most collectors, the question is one of authenticity. Is this a genuine cultural artifact that has seen use or was it made to be sold? A simple question perhaps but one also difficult to answer. Pieces can be aged, patina added sometimes with sophisticated techniques. Great art is often built from a tradition and made to be sold. So our best advice is to buy what you love, what speaks to you. Do some research and draw your own conclusions. Thus you too are an expert.