162
FIG. 6 (above):
Kneeling female fi gure.
Lumbo, Gabon.
Wood.
Ex Leonardo Vigorelli, Milan; Joel
Greene, San Francisco.
Photo: Marco Leonardo.
FIG. 7 (left):
Staff top.
Mabea Fang, Southern
Cameroon.
Wood, brass tacks.
Ex Pace Primitive, New York.
Photo: Marco Leonardo.
FIG. 5 (above):
Mask. Bassa, Liberia or
Sierra Leone.
Wood, fi ber, metal.
Ex Leonardo Vigorelli, Milan.
Photo: Marco Leonardo.
in the masks and fi gures. And, then, sometimes I
question that belief.
I’ve said a lot about how I was involved with
African tribal art as a child. I’ll briefl y answer
the second part of your question—how the art
currently affects my life today—in the context
of the fi rst: Looking at the tribal art in my New
York apartment gives me energy when I’m feeling
tired. I have a sense that I am taking care of it
while it is taking care of me. And it keeps me
connected to my roots.
J. D.: Years ago when we fi rst met, you had
many pieces of decorative art from Africa.
Looking around your apartment now, I see
only high-quality works of African tribal art.
Please talk about your evolution as a collector.
C. C.: The knowledge and passion that I’ve
gained from living with good pieces have driven
my evolution. When I was growing up in Chad,
I never had a chance to study the pieces as
creations of art and beauty. In Chad we dance
the masks as part of a ritual, but when it’s over,
the pieces get put away.
The fi rst time I saw Werner Muensterberger’s
apartment full of great African tribal art, it was
a very powerful experience for me. Instinctively,
I felt I wanted to learn all about it. But seeing a
great piece and owning one are two very separate
things.
Soon after seeing Werner’s collection, I was
back in Africa and bought quite a few pieces in
Nigeria and Cameroon. I was told crazy stories of
the importance of the pieces I was being offered,
and I brought them back to America. They turned
out to be fakes. When I began to understand the
difference between the original works of art and
the copies, I sold the copies at the fl ea market.
Over time I’ve learned well. I have a good eye and
can spot a good piece. But one thing I’ve learned
is you have to have money to put together even a
small collection of good tribal art. Even though
you might have a good eye, without money a
good collection is not going to happen. You can
get only what you can pay for.
J. D.: Do you have any thoughts or
feelings you’d like to share regarding the
disproportionate number of white collectors to
black collectors of African tribal art? Do you
have any suggestions that might help increase
the number of African and African-American
collectors?
C. C.: One day, if I have the resources, I’d
like to take my collection to Africa and open
a museum. We need more great museums in
Africa that can teach people. Visiting museums
could get collectors, both Africans and foreign
visitors, interested in learning about and
collecting the art.
A high degree of sensitivity and education
is needed to get people interested in collecting
African tribal art. Africans have the sensitivity
to the art that comes from watching and
participating in the dances in the villages. But
then it requires a level of education that enables
one to see the pieces as works of art that one
would want to live with. For many in America,
including African-Americans, there
has been a prejudice associating
art from Africa with sorcery and
black magic. This propaganda
has stigmatized the art, and many
African-Americans turn away
from their heritage rather than
embracing it. I remember Werner
TRIBAL PEOPLE