Buying African Art on the Internet

Collecting African Art can start with something as simple as one or two pieces of carved wood or soapstone but it can quickly become an obsession.

These days, you don't even have to travel to hunt down more pieces for your growing collection. Although there is nothing like displaying a piece and describing to your guests how you found it in a quaint market, the Internet has made it possible to amass African art for your home without even leaving your chair.

At Authentic Africa, you can find a wide range of regional, tribal pieces, from masks and spears to statues and jewelry. Authentic Africa scours the Dark Continent for you, from Angola to Zaire, to satisfy your passion and theirs.

If you want to collect mainly older pieces, or prefer the contemporary look, Authentic Africa will have something at a price you can afford.

Just take a look at the under $75 section and you will find necklaces, dolls, carved combs and masks starting as low as $15. Authentic Africa also sells drums, furniture and music CDs and you can order online.

Izania Market is an online auction site that specializes in African art and collectibles. You can register to bid on items as diverse as African robes for men and women, a Tanzanian pregnant body mask and Ibo carved figures. Izania Market has been set up to serve the black virtual community and also sells a wide range of regular auction items such as cell phones and sporting goods.

For African Art is a website that stocks a stunning range of tribal art, like a Yoruba beaded tunic from Nigeria. These tunics are worn by diviners or chiefs, and are covered in authentic designs worked with tiny glass beads.

You will also find magnificent feathered hats from Cameroon, old carved dolls from Ghana, and even a carved door from Gabon.

If you want to decorate your home with authentic African textiles, For African Art had a large range, including mudcloth pieces in striking colors and designs. Mudcloth is produced in Mali, where it is known as bogolan. The cotton is grown, spun, woven and dyed as a handcraft industry in a tiny village in Mali. It gets its name from part of the process which requires painting patterns on the cloth with clay-rich mud. This cloth can be used for wall hangings, furnishing or made into clothes.

Buying rural African craft items is not only a way to decorate your home with affordable pieces; it also helps the people who produce the crafts. Crafty Africa has a stunning selection of masks which are made by local African craftsmen.

The masks are available to hang on your walls, or on stands. The masks are hand carved from wood and are very reasonably priced for some unique pieces.

Artisans in Swaziland produce a range of charming candles in the shapes of African animals, which you can purchase at Swazi Candles. These candles are made using the ancient `millifiore' (thousand flowers) technique. Originally, the technique involved glass, but the Swazi artisans have adapted it with hard wax veneer on the candles. As the soft wax melts inside the hard wax, a well forms where you can place a votive candle this way your Swazi candle lasts and lasts!

If you can't find exactly what you want, don't forget to keep an eye on Ebay. The famous online auction house has a growing African art section with items available from Ebay stores and sellers. You might find a modern oil painting depicting a jazz singer, a djembe wooden drum straight out of Africa, a Ugandan wrought iron sculpture, or a Tuareg silver ring inscribed with tribal symbols.

With such a wealth of African art, old and new, available at your fingertips, start surfing now!




author: Gail Kavanagh

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