Heavy and sought after: African statue turns up at thrift store in Schijndel

A striking art object from Africa recently arrived at thrift store Het Goed in Schijndel. This is a handmade marble statue of approximately 26 centimeters high and 70 centimeters wide. According to Hans van den Born, it is not just a decorative piece, but a sought-after object within a specific sculptural tradition. And according to him, such images do not often end up in a thrift store

The artwork is made of so-called springstonea type of stone commonly used in Zimbabwe. “These types of images don’t come to us often,” says Hans. “It is made by hand and falls under the Shona style, a well-known form of sculpture.” According to him, it is a decorative object with prestige in the art world: “In that world it is quite well-known and sought after. Considerable sums are sometimes paid for it.”

Striking object
After a death, the statue ended up at Het Goed from some of its belongings. “The relatives gave up the contents and that is how it came to us,” Hans explains. “It is not possible to say with certainty where exactly the image comes from or how old it is. These types of images are still being made, so it could be older or quite recent.”

What is immediately noticeable is the weight. The work of art is estimated to weigh between 25 and 30 kilos: “A quite heavy object. And that makes it a real eye-catcher. In a minimalist environment it really stands out. That you enter and immediately think: hey, that’s nice what you have there.”

Interest expected mainly from enthusiasts
The statue has now been placed on Marktplaats, with a bidding option. There are not many responses yet. “We notice that it is quieter at the moment, probably due to the holiday period,” Hans explains.

Still, he expects the statue to be sold within a few weeks. “I expect a buyer to come along within six to eight weeks who will see its value. It is especially attractive to enthusiasts.” It is expected to ultimately fetch between 200 and 300 euros.