In 1952, two young Italians, to the great consternation of their families,
left Italy. Their destination:- AFRICA.

The aircraft, a DC4 took off from Rome, rested in places with exotic names:-
Cairo, Karthoum, Gibuti. Finally, 24 hours later touched down in Mogadishu.
To my wife Lidia, and Myself, aged 20 and 25 respectively, it was a dream come true:
The beginning of a new life.

What we did not know was that we arrived when Africa was about to be hit by that "wind of change" which by now has become a storm of catastrophic proportions.

At that time, Italy had accepted a 10 year mandate from the United Nations in order to prepare Somalia for Independence, and, as a newly qualified Medical Doctor, I had signed a contract with the Italian Administration.

In that far away country, our base was an old style Army Fort in the middle of an infinite expanse of sand and black volcanic rock. But often our bedroom would be in the open, our bed the dune's sand, and the roof a low brilliant starry sky.
"And around us was silence, where only the wind played and cleanness infinitely remote from the world of man..."

The aristocratic Somali were our first contact with the African Continent and its people. In later years, in Zaire (the former Belgian Congo), we met the humble inhabitants of the equatorial rain forest, the clever Wagenia fisherman of the mighty Congo River, the hard-working population of the farming communities on the high mountains surrounding Lake Kivu, the majestic Tutsi of Rwanda and many other ethnic groups.
Finally, at home, in South Africa, among the proud Zulus.

During our stay and travels, we have assembled a large collection of original,
old and antique, often unique, items of African Art.

Lidia is no more, she passed away. Now, the collection must go.
It's for sale!