Art Treasures from African Runners

Book excerpt: This stunning collection of African art provides an insightful view of the people and cultures involved in the African art trade. African 'runners' appeared on the Western art scene shortly after the 1967-1970 Biafran Civil War when they began exporting artefacts to Europe and America. These native-born dealers, who procure art in Africa through family or business connections, are the molar sources to overseas customers of old tribal art, the supply of which is rapidly dwindling. This book features an eclectic collection of more than nine hundred never-before-published photographs of African art and describes the methods of the runners who brought these objects to America. A collector with hands-on knowledge of the African art trade, John R. Rohner presents African art from a fresh angle, offering a fascinating portrait of cultural contrast as he defines the differences between African and Western art dealers and details his own experiences with runners.