Yesterday evening was the setting of a rather unusual meeting. My old friend Abdul, an African dealer, came by around nine p.m., at the end of one of the hottest days of the summer. He carried a backpack with a heavy weight within. He had announced this visit and this object earlier in the day: a terra cotta figure from the Nok culture in Northern Nigeria. Abdul took a long time, so it seemed to me, to remove the figure from the sack and hold it up for my inspection. I must say I was not impressed. The figure had been broken and repaired in several places in a rather clumsy fashion. The face was clearly abraded and reworked to restore some definition that had been lost. Nok figures frequently have surface features in mere outline and are therefore easily lost by abrasion. Besides, the whole lower face appeared to be reconstructed into a rather formless mouth. The best parts of the sculpture were the cloth accoutrements around the body such as shoulder and waistbands, front and back. In my judgment, the figure had been too seriously compromised to be worthy of consideration for purchase. I did not say anything while Abdul went on singing praises about the authenticity of the piece and how wonderful to have a genuine Nok sculpture at hand. He spoke in vague terms about how the piece had been unearthed years ago, kept in seclusion until quite recently, and was exceedingly rare nowadays. He didn’t mention price, not even when I asked what the owner was looking for. Abdul wanted me to be the first to announce the amount I would be willing to pay, and I had no intention of naming any price as I was definitely not interested in buying. But I was curious to find out what sort of price might be expected. It was a cat and mouse game. I had the impression that my friend knew the piece was defective and that almost any “reasonable” offer from me would be welcomed. Any price to be liberated from such an unsaleable object. The night was still hot and the room stuffy: definitely not a setting for an agreeable negotiation. Finally, out of desperation, I said the piece was too big and too heavy for my collection. I’ve learned long ago never to criticize a work of art in the bargaining process. My explanation only drew angry retorts as to the unrewarded efforts of Abdul in lugging such a heavy object on such a torrid day. Abdul was casting me as ungrateful for his efforts and in some way obliged to respond positively to his initiative. For my part I felt put upon for the implication that I was obliged to buy the object not because I liked it but because Abdul went to so much trouble. He left the house without saying “goodbye”; not a very good way to continue a relationship. I think calmer minds will prevail in the long run. (6/10/08)