African Art Market - 1Earth Antiques and Appraisals Magazine

Congolesian
fetish, symbolizing
the power of a
chief. 1900-1920

Since 1980, the market for traditional African art has been steadily growing, so you may have some very valuable objects. Objects from the Congo are especially popular right now.

While African Art regularly comes up for auction, it's becoming harder and harder to find. The most sought after pieces were made in the early 1800s, but many of them were taken when Europeans colonized several African countries in the late 19th century. Consequently, a great deal of African art has been in the hands of collectors for more than a century. Much of the rest is in European museums.

Right now, collectors are very interested in fetishes, like the one pictured here. They're spending tens of thousands of dollars for these sculptures. This figural piece was made in the Congo by the Songe tribe and is worth $25,000 to $35,000.