Fantastic!

Steve-

Thanks! For making that fantastic article accessible to everyone! These are the types of articles that I seek out and LOVE!

Henri makes a lot of good statements, and some interesting ones as well, such as his comments about William Fagg.

These experiences of the “early” collectors and dealers are fantastic and I know this article will be something that I will refer back to often!

I have also added a link to your article on my Educational Resources page.

Thanks again,
RAND

One of my favorite excerpts from the article is this below:

“It would be indiscreet to give examples here, but we all know amateurs who, without an special knowledge in the beginning, have succeeded in forming collections that count among the most beautiful in the world as a result of their taste and discernment, at times with very modest means. On the other hand, some specialists who hold a number of impressive degrees and with enormous funds at their disposal have been responsible for disastrous acquisitions which have discredited the showcases of many museums and famous collections for which they have been advisors.”

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Rand Smith
www.randafricanart.com

Hi Rand

I loved the article, too. One of the things I especially enjoy is the existence of blind spots in his thinking. This is characteristic of everyone, even the greats, but you don't get to see them very often.

I'll be posting a number of them in the next few weeks, but your quote is one of them. What it says is true, of course. But it neglects to mention that most amateurs with ample means manage to accumulate collections of trash unless they get good advice, and that most of the specialists exercise very good judgment in their acquisitions.

Regards

Steve Price

My other favorite...

Another statement that Henri Kamer made in his article which I found interesting -

"Collectors must end the practice of making inquiries as to the age of their pieces or those they wish to acquire, and concern themselves more with the sculpture of the object, its origin, its function, its eventual rarity, and especially its quality. Dealers must refrain from praising the antiquity of an object, declaring that "this is 100 years old", or making similar claims, each more exaggerated than the last. Museums must set an example and avoid publishing catalogues like the one for the centennial of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), in which I was amazed to see objects from the Museum of Primitive Art collection arbitrarily classified under such periods as the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. These objects, moreover admirable ones, which figure among the most beautiful of African sculptures, should not have been catalogued in this manner. This does not serve the cause of African art, but creates confusion in the minds of the public."

The whole article was great and I just got done reading it for the 3rd time today I believe. It brought a lot of things to light, at least to me, and it also confirmes the challenges we all go through in collecting African Art.

Thanks again!
RAND

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Rand Smith
www.randafricanart.com

...

Steve-

Yes, I agree with you that 'most' amateurs with ample means manage to accumulate collections of trash unless they get good advice, and that 'most' of the specialists exercise very good judgment in their acquisitions.

It's all about training the eye, seeking good advice, seeking knowledge, and those who are willing to do that will of course eventually be better off than those who collect blindly.

I found this other quote in the article interesting:

"A good expert is an expert who is wrong less often than the others."

RAND

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Rand Smith
www.randafricanart.com

Hi Rand

Kamer's sentence about "good experts" reminds me of the so-called economists' credo: "Often in error, seldom in doubt."

Regards

Steve Price