Give PC a chance... Item Number: 100010 $0.00

DescriptionIn the words of the late John Lennon, “All we are saying, is give PC a chance…”

I fully recognize that many of our customers are already collectors of Pre-Columbian art, so this week’s column may either not appeal to you, or pertain to you. But even if you do collect PC, maybe a refresher on the attributes of this incredible art is not a bad thing to have to read about…

For years, many collectors of classical antiquities (Greek, Roman, Egyptian) have looked down upon people who collected Pre-Columbian art - It’s not as “fine.” It’s not as “realistic.” “It’s not as “important.” Hell, “it’s not “classical.” I’ll even admit that I collected classical antiquities a good five years before I ventured into my first piece from the Americas. Part of the reason I was hesitant stemmed from my love of ancient Greek art after spending 10 days honeymooning around Greece and Turkey with Teresa, another part was the fear that had been instilled upon me from those saying so much PC material was fake and almost impossible to distinguish from authentic, but also because I, too, wanted to be an art snob.

I credit Howard Rose of Arte Primitivo (then Harmer Rooke Gallery) for turning my head around. I would look through the Harmer Rooke Catalogs and see a piece from West Mexico that was interesting, or from Peru that was whimsical, but quite honestly I was afraid to pull the trigger. Howard convinced me that Pre-Columbian, while very different from classical, has a set of strengths and a very different appeal that should not be overlooked. Let’s review and compare a few of those PC attributes to those from the classical world, shall we?

Strength/Power – When I think of classical art, especially that from Greece, I think refined (dare I say wimpy?). Thinly-potted ceramics with swirly handles and floral decorations and light, delicate figures - Ladies of Fashion and thin-winged men (not even wearing tights)! But, when I think of Pre-Columbian art, I think of power. It’s hard to look at a Moche Ai Apec stirrup vessel and not think of the power the artist was trying to convey in his subject. Or a West Mexican standing warrior in full body armor – powerful in battle. Or a Nazca kero decorated with trophy heads – power over your enemy’s soul. Or a Mayan Painted bowl with underworld scenes – power over death. Pre-Columbian art is many things, but wimpy it is not. Often it’s heavy, large, totally over-the-top, but almost always very powerful!

Refined – There is no doubt that classical art is probably the more refined of the two specialities. Most of the really delicate, detail-oriented art that we’ve handled comes from ancient Greece or Egypt. But don’t take that to mean the artists from the Americas were any less skilled or any less able to make incredibly fine pieces of art! Look at inlay work created by Peruvian metal-smiths – some of the finest in the world. Or some of the jade carvings from the cultures in Costa Rica and from the Mayan territories – amazingly detailed, especially given the “primitive” tools available at the time. And how about the fine-line potteries made by the Moche culture? You will be hard-pressed to find better technical skill at pottery decoration anywhere and virtually any time!

Color – Now here is an area that PC kicks the proverbial butt of the classical arts! On my Greek shelf at home, you will find wonderful examples of pottery in colors ranging from black to red to black and back to red, not to mention black… On my PC shelf, you will see red, blue, black, purple, yellow, tan, green, white and gold (I will get more into gold a bit later) to name a few. Unless you are able to afford better quality Egyptian art (wall fragments, sarcophagi/mummy masks, or faience), Pre-Columbian art is just more colorful!

Mixed Mediums – Sorry, but yet another area that PC art wins hands down! In the classical world, the materials still surviving today that are most accessible to the average collector would include pottery, bronze (yes, there is gold and silver, but they tend to be out of the $$ reach of most collectors), glass (includes faience) and stone – all mediums allowing great creativity, but with the exception of glass, just not all that colorful. In the Pre-Columbian arena, we see pottery, stone – a far larger variety of styles, colors and sizes - textiles, metals - copper, gold, silver, bronze (and all much more affordable than their classical counterparts), bone (animal and human), feathers, wood and shell.

Value – I truly believe - and please don’t strike me down for saying anything against classical arts because I love Greek art with all my heart – that you get more value for the buck in Pre-Columbian art. Over the last 20 years I have watched Greek and Egyptian art values go through the roof. Greek Attic pottery in particular has grown at an average rate of 10% per year and shows no signs of stopping. Great if you own a bunch, not great if you are just starting to buy and your pockets are not terribly deep. $10,000 will buy you an AVERAGE quality Greet Attic “vase.” $10,000 will buy you an incredible, almost world-class piece of pottery from just about ANY Pre-Columbian culture. $2,000 will buy you very little in Greek Attic pottery, and maybe even less in Egyptian art. But $2,000 will still buy you a very fine, large, perfect piece of West Mexican ceramic, or a fine Moche stirrup jar, or Nazca kero, or Cocle pottery pedestal plate, or Costa Rican jade, or Inca textile, etc…

Investment potential – Finally, let’s talk investment potential. Here I will still give a slight nod to the classical arts because over the past 20 years this area has shown an ability to outperform the market, and certainly outperform just about any other art form. An example I have used before, a client bought a very nice Attic amphora in 1968 for $800 (he had to choose between the vase and curtains for his new home – he chose wisely!) We sold that vase for him last year for $47,000. That is a compound rate of just over 10.4% per year. It’s a good guess that classical material will continue this brisk increase; however, at some point prices will be too high for the average investor to buy in. We have already seen that many buyers are priced out of the Attic arena and have switched over to the more affordable South Italic Greek. We think this probably bodes well for better quality Pre-Columbian material, as well.

I have been very lucky to have been invited into the homes of very astute collectors of ancient art – and fine art in general. I have to say, without a doubt, the collections that have always impressed me the most were those where there was a careful mix of cultures, mediums, styles and sizes, the interplay of colors and textures, the strength of Pre-Columbian and the refinement of classical. When combined properly, the effect can be magical!

I look forward to your comments and encourage you to submit ideas for future topics!

Bob Dodge