Put it BACK

Earlier today, I visited an antique market in Barcelona's Old Town. As a lover of all things ancient and old, I was enamored with the gorgeous setup. Vendors selling a variety of vintage jewelry, religious statues, and fading vinyls. But something kept catching my eye. From table to table, there was a seemingly endless collection of West African and Black paraphernalia. Masks, cowrie shell belts, dolls, and statuettes big and small. And I couldn't help but wonder...

What did all these old white people do to end up with these objects?

This phenomenon is nothing new. Colonial powers plundering Africa, Asia, and the Americas and using their indigenous regalia for their red carpets and crown jewels. We see it in museums, and it's no different when it's collecting dust in someone's living room.

Anyways, back to the market. The whole experience made me feel uneasy, but the icing on this cake was one particular object. It was some sort of cup fashioned after a Black man's head, pitch black in color. As I browsed the rest of the table, the vendor took off the top of its head, revealing an interior made for holding smaller trinkets. Instantly, I was filled with a visceral disgust. Nausea knocking my stomach sideways. The image of an ancestor's brain picked out from his skull struck me. I was hit with an acute sense of Oh! It's time for me to go.

The aforementioned cup

Now, I'm a spiritual person (animism is probably most aligned with what I believe). I don't know if it was my ancestors or just common sense, but I immediately went home. I believe that these objects are imbued with the spirits indigenous to these lands and cultures. I can't help but think about the bloodshed they have seen. Their longing for the calloused hands that carved and crafted them. 

Keeping these objects solely for aesthetic purposes leaves those ancestors & spirits disturbed and angry. They may even lay some curses for your troubles...

These artifacts have a history. One that does not begin and end as decorations. It is up to us as the living to use our discernment and be respectful of these histories and put a stop to the cycle of displacement.

So! The next time you visit an antique store and want to add an "adventurous" piece of art to your home, maybe try for a painting. I'd hate to see you end up in a ditch.


XOXO, Michaela

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