Justin and Elizabeth Lang began collecting
African art in 1938 when
Elizabeth purchased a termite-eaten Baule
statuette; they would continue to
collect pieces for more than 40
years. The majority of their
collection,
however, was acquired between 1970-1974
when the couple travelled to the
Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria.
Both Justin and Elizabeth Lang had a
great
respect for other cultures and they
viewed their African art collection as
one that gives insight into the spirit of
African cultures. When describing
the character of the collection, Justin
Lang said, "there was not really a
set policy of acquisition. We
wanted pieces to enjoy, the type of
pieces
which were used in daily life, in their
house*."This was evident from the
Lang's display of the collection in their
home.
Pieces covered the shelves, floors,
furniture and walls; they are worn in
spots by handling and weather.
There are objects in the collection for
drinking, eating and sitting but also
pieces for ritual and magical
functions such as communicating with
spiritual forces or deities. These
objects include masks, dolls, pipes,
headdresses and combs. They range
from
tiny figures a couple of inches high to
much larger pieces. This variety of
pieces has an emotional freshness, which
allows the collection to be
appreciated by the average observer.
Elizabeth
Lang brought an adventurous spontaneity
to the collection. She
treated a work of art as the channel of a
very personal message and she
judged a piece by its success of
communicating that message. To counter
his
wife's tastes, Justin Lang brought his
own rationality to the collection.
He fought to get the big pieces.
The compliment of female instinct and
male rationality creates a well-rounded
collection and this combination is
not only evident in the collection of
pieces but also in the pieces
themselves.
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