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The African art that inspired the new African American History Museum’s building
The African American History Museum. Image courtesy of Alan Karchmer. Here’s a fun fact about the new African American History Museum in Washington D.C.: the specific pagoda-like form was inspired by...
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Auction surprise of the month: a rediscovered Austral Islands necklace
Austral Islands necklaces are among the rarest and most sought after of all Polynesian artifacts. It was thus no surprise that when a newly discovered example popped up in a small auction in the UK,...
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Come see the Madeleine Meunier Collection in Paris
In my new role as European Director of the African and Oceanic Art department of Christie’s, I’ve somewhat become a kind of public figure. So it was bound to happen I would be photoshopped someday. I...
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Seward Kennedy’s Cabinet of Curiosities to be sold by Christie’s London
On 22 November 2016, Christie’s London will be selling Seward Kennedy’s Cabinet of Curiosities info). This eclectic collection includes a group of African and Oceanic ‘curiosities’ as well; starting...
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Historic results for the historic sale of the Madeleine Meunier collection
I’m very proud to report about my first “White Glove Sale” (an auction in which every single lot sells, for a perfect 100 percent sell-through rate): Aristide Courtois, Charles Ratton: At the heart of...
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R.I.P. Jean Paul Barbier-Mueller (1930-2016)
I’m sorry to inform you about the passing of a great promotor of African Art (among many other things), Jean Paul Barbier-Mueller. The French newspaper Le Figaro just broke the news of his death here....
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Happy Holidays !
I’d like to wish all my readers a very merry Christmas and a joyful New Year! Many thanks for all the continued interest and support. Best wishes, Bruno ps unfortunately we don’t have snow in Antwerp...
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The biggest African art sleeper ever discovered on Ebay
Imo Dara‘s Adenike Cosgrove recently shared a nice interview with African art dealer and all-round good guy Amyas Naegele. He talks about the early days of Ebay and what most likely still is the...
View ArticleThe 10 most popular blog posts of 2016
As this year draws to a close, below the 10 most visited blog posts of 2016: Christie’s appoints new European Head of African and Oceanic Art Christie’s to sell the Madeleine Meunier Collection on 15...
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‘Baule Monkeys’ selected for the International Tribal Art Book Prize 2016:...
It’s the time of the year to vote! Not only on your president (if you’re American), but also on your favorite English and French tribal art book. I’m very proud to announce that my book ‘Baule...
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Star Wars, Princess Leia and the Hopi
Hopi girl. Photo by Edward Curtis, 1906. As everybody seems to be grieving the death of Carrie Fisher, best known for playing Princess Leai in the Star Wars film series, I thought it would be nice to...
View ArticleSAVE THE DATE: Collection X, Christie’s, Paris, 4 April 2017
Please mark your calendar, the next Christie’s sale of African, Oceanic and Northern American Art will take place on Tuesday April 4th at 4pm. Highlights will also be on view mid-March during the...
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Christie’s, Paris, 4 April 2017: African, Oceanic and American Indian art...
I’m proud to officially announce our next auction on April 4th 2017. The first part of this sale will be dedicated to the Laprugne collection (comprising 79 lots), and the second section will present...
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Two Mbembe statues reunited just in time for Valentine’s Day
Right: Mbembe artist; male figure with rifle; 19th to early 20th century; wood; 77.8 cm; gift of Heinrich Schweizer in memory of Merton D. Simpson, 2016-12-1; left: Mbembe artist; female figure; 19th...
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Auction ‘surprise’ of the day: a rediscovered Maori flute (putorino)
These last few days there was a lot of buzz in the air in the circles of collectors and dealers in Maori art. Did you hear about this previously unknown flute in a small UK auction? Of course one did!...
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Catalogue online: Christie’s, Paris, 4 April 2017 (African and Oceanic art...
I’m very proud to announce that our new catalogue is ready; you can find it online here. Now you know why it was so silent on these pages these last few weeks.. The first part of this sale will be...
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Javier Peres announced as honorary president of Parcours des Mondes 2017
Parcours des Mondes recently announced this year’s honorary president: Javier Peres, a young contemporary art dealer and the founder of the cutting-edge gallery Peres Projects. Peres has been...
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One year at Christie’s – ask me anything #AMA
Tempus fugit; last month marked my 1st year anniversary as the European director of the African and Oceanic Department at Christie’s. It’s been one hell of ride so far! The above picture sums up the...
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“Picasso Primitif” at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac (Paris, 28...
Timed with the preview of our April sale (info), next Tuesday sees the opening of the highly anticipated exhibition Picasso Primitif at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris. Organized in...
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How a Benin Kingdom bronze cockerel suddenly became famous
The story is already one year old, but I never got the opportunity to write about it. In March 2016, Cambridge University agreed to remove a bronze Benin Kingdom rooster that had been on display in...
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