Nigeria: Selections from the Collection of Jeremiah Fogelson

Tribal Art: So, Jerry, how did you begin collecting tribal art? 

Jerry Fogelson: I always collected as a kid--you know stamps, coins, that sort of thing. Trips to the Art Insitute of Chicago started me appreciating real art--a fabulously romantic Delacroix, a man on a horse fighting a lion. Later, in the '50s, I made my first trip to Europe and was knocked out by Michelangelo's Moses and the Winged Victory at the Louvre. At the same time, my father acquired a beautiful Dan spoon, which I found absolutely fascinating (and still own). Then in the mid-sixties in Chicago, I won quite a bit of money at poker, which I considered fun money. That gave me a bit of a budget for art. I came across a small shop on Wells Street that had some tribal pieces, and I was even more turned on by the exotic quality of the things. In 1906, I sw the Wielgus Collection at the Arts Club of Chicago. I went back many times because I was so struck by the pieces. I began to realize this was what I wanted and, at the same time, how difficult it was to find such great objects. 

"Over the years, I've mainly focused on pieces from West Africa. I'm attracted to their sculptural qualities--their abstract forms. I'm happy when I can see the sculptor's brillance, his unique 'hand.' "

Tribal Art: What have you found to be the best way to collect?

Jeremiah Fogelson: Without a good dealer it's almost impossible. In the best scenario, he offers me fine pieces and, at the same, he's the one who can help discard those pieces I'm done with. I was lucky to have met James Willis when I was living in Eugene, Oregon, and found his gallery on a visit to San Francisco in the mid-seventies. He has a great eye and is honest, and many of my best pieces came from him. I've never had huge amounts of money so I couldn't really even consider high-end pieces from Gabon or Zaire. For me, it's better to have a great piece from an area that's no so widely collected.