L. L.: That’s simple. In 2000 my wife became seriously ill and the presence of so many tribal objects at home made her uncomfortable. She perceived them as having negative vibes. My children were not especially interested, so I made the decision to sell most of the collection, though I did decide to keep some pieces I was particularly attached to. T. A. M.: But you kept a number of smaller collections. You produced a beautiful book based on your collection of kris handles, for example. Why do you like collecting series of similar objects? L. L.: As I said, I kept some objects, whether African, Oceanic, or Indonesian, in part because I had a special affection for them but also so as not to separate myself too much from my past. I retained the collection of Indonesian kris handles and created a book with Eric Ghysels, which was 129 FIG. 3 (above): Apartment interior with part of the Lanfranchi Collection, 2015. Photo: Pietro Notarianni. object. The inspiration, if one can say that, always came directly from each artwork, be it a mask or a sculpture. Each choice was guided by the force of impact on my sensibilities and personal taste. Certainly, some museum collections as well as private collectors’ were also infl uential and I was fortunate to meet Jacques Blanckaert, Count Baudouin de Grunne, and Willy Mestach in Brussels; Michel Perinet, Hubert Goldet, and André Fourquet in Paris; and in the U.S. I met Armand Arman, Jim Ross, Sam Singer, and Marc and Denyse Ginzberg. There were many others, of course, and there was also the ongoing memory of the Carlo Monzino Collection. I should add that many tribal art dealers also helped me on this long journey, and I take this opportunity to thank them all. T. A. M.: At a certain moment you stopped collecting African art in a general sense and sold off most of the collection. Why?
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