material is stone.
Stone, who died in 2006, was a
close friend of the abstract painter
and legendary dealer in African art,
Merton Simpson, who passed away
in 2013. Writes Kan, "[Stone's]
long and profound ties to Merton
Simpson were very private, but look
at the visible proof! The finest group
of Songye figures in private hands,
and more fine and rare Kongo power
figures (minkisi) than most museums
can boast."
Of Stone's character as a collector
Kan also notes, "[It] was unusual
for his time [because] he had the
utmost love and respect for patinas
and surfaces that had been altered
by usage…the oilier and crustier
the surface, the more Allan was at-
tracted by the object." Presence and
patina mark all the figures, masks and
objects in The Allan Stone Collec-
tion. It will be interesting to see into
whose hands, private or institutional,
this highly personal collection will be
disseminated. From every Diaspora,
new alliances, new kinships, new
harmonies evolve. H Lisa Zeiger
Top: Baule Monkey Statue (Gbekre), Ivory Coast
Bottom: Baga D'Amba Headdress, Republic of Guinea
HYLAND
