IKENGA gallery is dedicated exclusively to museum grade artifacts.
Exceptional pieces of African (art) works are distinguished not
exclusively by their age, but by the power of their esthetic expression. Such artifacts are not easily found, and they are certainly
not readily picked up in Africa and shipped abroad “ by the container”.
Exceptional pieces reside in American collections, and become
available as a consequence of death or other changing circumstances. Many of these collection are not officially declared or registered
because of tax-reasons (high inheritance tax for registered collections).
I specialize in finding these pieces, and offer them to
my customers at realistic prices.
All of our artifacts are genuine, authentic, and of exceptional quality. We make statements regarding
age, and or provenance only if this can be substantiated.
Accordingly we provide
spectroscopic tests, performed by the Museum of Art
and Science in Milano, Italy to determine the age of selected valuable wooden artifacts. If our pieces should fail to meet with our
customers approval, we will readily accept returns.
Christa and Anthony Ellison spent many years traveling across Africa. Anthony
has worked in 14 different African countries while with the United Nations. Both have supplemented their practical knowledge of Africa
with extensive studies.
Christa has worked for foundations, private collectors, museums, and universities. She served as curator at
the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, in Fort Lauderdale in the fall of 2002 for the African art exhibition: ”Myth, Mask, and Magic.”
The Museum also showed several pieces of Anthony’s and Christa’s YORUBA collection.
