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Simon Ottenberg: ...yet at least some African societies place little premium on the antiquity of the art. They may demand fresh forms frequently or annually and recoloring -- even reworking and substantial repairs with nails, new wood and so on -- may be normal. In Africa the making of duplicates to satisfy customers may be a virtue and not dishonesty. Again, since the origin of African art in terms of specific artists and even of the specific communities where it is produced is difficult to determine, Western art standards demand, as a substitute, the answer to the question: "Has the piece ever been used or worn in a ritual?"
Roy Sieber: Indeed, there are many "forgeries without forgers" where someone, not the artist, presents a copy created without guile in the false guise of the genuine...
Zdenka Volavka: The modern obsession with traces of long and complex usage has also interfered with old and used objects. A small Kongo nkisi figure that has lost part or all of its receptacle, probably after its usage had stopped, now seems too simple and is, therefore, made "valuable" by the addition of a whole arsenal of paraphanelia.
Herbert M. Cole: What we must realize, of course, is that our cultural and aesthetic bias has little or nothing to do with African values. Masks were often painted with glossy enamels when these became available because brightness was important, rather than the smoked patina that collectors here prefer... True authenticity then is less the issue than the fact that the "collector's aesthetic" of patina or encrustation or signs of wear is simply not served... If I have any argument, then, it is that many pieces of African art are baffling and so are some of their collectors and advocates. Sculpture and advocate alike may get caught out by time and greater experience, but then again they may not... People will continue to buy and display what they like, whatever their reasons and experience, and damn the experts for telling them what is right or wrong.
From
African Arts Volume 9, Number 3
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