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The owner of the collection which we are selling items from, started to collect artifacts from many tribes in Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaïre) during the 1960's. Over the last 30 years, he has collected close to a thousand rare and exceptional African artwork and artifacts while giving back to the people back there. Over the years, his love of African art and people helped him get a great reputation and much respect from Congolese authorities. He is an international delegate from the National Association of Antiquaries from Congo (Association Nationale des antiquaires du Congo), which gives him power to judge and evaluate antique art from central Africa. His whole collection has been analyzed and evaluated by the National Institute of Museums. Every piece of art and/or artifact he took out of Congo was officially approved by government officials, because he is considered as a true promoter of African culture and not some art smuggler who steal from the native and never give back.
This collection has been exhibited in a few galleries in Canada as well as in the United States. It's been shown to many Museums directors, but due to his intense family life our collector couldn’t keep up with the pace and his collection slept for a decade. Today, it is probably one of the most prestigious African treasures still unknown to the large public.
In 2001, Father Joseph A. Cornet, one of the most prestigious experts on Congo Art, came to see the collection. Father Cornet accepted, thinking he would be coming in Canada to see 10, maybe 20 exceptional art pieces. Two weeks after his arrival, he had identified approximately 200 exceptional ones, but he had to go back to Belgium. Unfortunately, he passed away before he could come back and have a look at the rest of the collection. Many of our most extraordinary items have his signature approval.
When the collection owner came and asked us to help him put some of his collection on sale, we couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw and compared his artifacts to some you see in catalogs, magazines and prestige auctions. They are truly unbelievable and his expertise showed as extremely reliable. Today, we present this Collection to the public. It is so huge that most of it stays in cases and boxes, which is not the best way in our opinion to honor these masterpieces. Thus, we have decided to share with other African art lovers of the world, these treasures that need to be shown and seen all around this world.
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