Greatness in the Grain: STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!

[Mobolaji E. Aluko]

Prince Timothy Adedapo:

Great thanks to you for this piece of yours, which is clearly written
straight from the heart!

I (along with several other Nigerians, African and of course American art
patrons) was invited to the preview opening event of this Olowe exhibit at
the Smithsonian Museum of African Art about two-three weeks ago, and I
enthusiastically attended with my wife. [The place was packed full, and
the finger food and wine was generous.] Both of us being Ekiti, we were
particularly proud to attend. My wife also has a fair amount of
professional dealings with the Museum, and talks frequently there about
the children of Africa. We know (on a professional basis) the Director of
the Museum as well as others who work to ensure that African art is
properly represented within the Smithsonian.

But we came away from the exhibit VERY uncomfortable with the VAST SIZE of
the holdings of the Olowe carvings, and the literature describing them .
The descriptions showed a defensiveness about how the carvings came to
hand, that one could not escape the feeling that indeed they had been
stolen. For example, there was one in particular in which it was written
that the Olowe, on voluntarily "allowing" the door carving to be taken to
England, later agreed for it to be retained in exchange for a stool, gift
of the Queen. IT SOUNDED LIKE AN ABSURD EXCHANGE that only the Marines
would believe. One wondered how many of houses and palaces were left with
so many missing and elaborately-carved doors!

But without proof of theft, and will little "locus standi", there was
nothing I could really think of doing about my unease with the exhibition.

My suggestion to you? After a private letter by you to the Museum's
officials and to the author of the Washington Post piece (I can supply the
information if you wish) to establish your "locus standi" as well as
register your specific protest and suggestions for redress, I believe that
your protest is best furthered by cultural organizations in the Washington
DC area: Ekiti Sons And Daughters (ESAD), the Isokan Yoruba organization
and other Nigerian Cultural organizations who might wish to be involved.
(I don't believe that there is an Ise-Ekiti Progressive Union in DC or in
the US!) They can appeal (and later make a stink) for redress about this
exhibit, which lasts till September. If you can come to Washington, DC,
you might even lead a protest and give context to the protest.

By the way, in the same exhibit hall, there are Nsukka, Benin, Nok, etc.
and other African exhibits, many also most probably stolen. So I can
assure you that there is much to protest about here, not only about the
Olowe. So the response that you might hear is: if we give in to your
Olowe protest, what next?

But press on and best wishes.

Bolaji Aluko

PS: This is the public version of my private mail to you.

On Sun, 29 Mar 1998, Harry Ogunleye wrote:

> Fellows,
> special thanks to kasirimi Nwanu for this piece,it opened up an old family
> wound. you see the Arinjale of ise Ekiti in Ekiti state is my
> Grandfarther,and the great olowe whose talent the article (reffered to
> above) was written about spent the better part of his life working for my
> Grandfarther as the 'AGBEGILERE OBA' (ie the king's sculptor)
> Now get this,Between 1973 and 1975 certain part of our
> palace was repeteadly broken into by unknown men/women who looted my
> grandfarther's treasures including all the sculptors and other acient
> treasures too painful to mention .This sad saga caused so much 'wahala'
> within my family side of the rulling houses in our village,Even as I
> speak naturaly we realized that this shameful event could not have
> happened without the help and cooperation of some members of our family.I
> must tell you that my Grandfarther the late 'AGUNSOYE BI OYINBO' OBA ADEYEYE
> THE ARINJALE (2'nd) of Ise Ekiti later died in 1976 as a result of the
> 'FIASCO'and frustration that grew out of this rarther shameful episode in my
> family history.Let me further state that I know as a matter of fact that
> baba olowe lived and worked for my Grandfarther untill he died sometimes
> around the late 1950's I also know through family history that baba olowe
> gave only one piece of sculptor work (ERE) to a group of some white men
> believed to be from the office of the district officer (during the colonial
> days) who visited my grandfarther's palace at that time.It is also a fact
> that baba olowe carved a wooden door for the
> ogoga of Ikere Ekiti (15 miles) from our village I can also tell you
> categorically that baba olowe never travelled out our village,it is not true
> that he was born at Efon alaaye (although his family may have migrated from
> their to Ise Ekiti .
> My question now is given what i descibe above(which i can proof beyound
> reasonable dout) How did baba olowe's works
> made their way out of our village to the art galleries and exhibition all
> over the world ie Europe and USA,Is'nt it possible that these may very well
> be my family treasures? is there anyway that my family and I can do
> something about this? just at about a week before I stumbled to this piece
> posted by K. Nwanu on the Net, my sister and I were talking about this
> shameful part of our family history,And bingo few days later right in front
> of my eyes .
> MY MISSION :
> """""""""""""""
> 1) it is more than important for me and my family to proof to the whole
> world that these treasures exihibited world wide may very have been 'stolen
> properties' from us .
> 2)the whole world should know that baba olowe's decendants are living in
> appauling porverty in our village today under the leadership of oga
> ogundele (as we call him) He is the only surviving son of baba olowe he is
> still a young man in his 50's .
> 3)Do you think micheal Angelou's decendant (if any) can be living in the
> kind of wretchednes as the olowes.is'int something seriously wrong with a
> situation where by a man's talent, creation
> and handworks are profited world wide,and yet his family members live in
> dispeakable condition like destitutes.
> 4)If these are my family stolen treasures(as iam sure they are) Don't you
> Guys think that someone somewhere owe my family and olowe family something
> in addition to sincere apology? I know that there are uncountable stories of
> how the white men stole black men's treasures,inventions,etc
> all over the world from slavery to colonalism to neo colonialism only to
> profit from
> them world wide I am
> also concious of 'BLAME THE WHITE MAN SYNDROME' but I assure you neters
> that I know what Iam talking about.I was in secondary school when all of
> this was going on in our family as you can see I was not a baby then
> infact I can recorgnize most of the crafts if I see them .
> You see I first read about baba olowe's work in the usa about 8 or 9 years
> ago my problem then as it is still is now is wether anybody will believe me,
> especially in these days of international '419' but today I no longer care
> how many people believe me or don't believe me I fill like I owe it to my
> family and olowe family to say something.Thus I wish you fellow villagers on
> this net will consider this as a gennuine call for help ,Iam sort of
> confused and don't know where to go, and what to do I am hoping that some of
> the opinion leaders on this net e.g. prof.charles ochie,prof.Bolaji Aluko
> ,mr. Ayo ayetigbo,Francis I.Achike,kasirimi Nwoke,E. Duruigbo,Nubi
> Achebo,Obi Iheduru,Sam Akintimoye to mention just a few And please any
> lawyer on the net?
> somebody please talk to me on this if you want any proof you will be
> overwhelmed by many infact there was a Govt. enquiry on this matter by then
> western state and later Ondo state Govts. As you can imagine there was
> plenty of 'grammar and drama'but no result case reffered back home to be
> settled as family dispute. no culprits arrested no treasure found.
> if these later turn out to be my family's stuff, I hope I will be able to
> expose some people,restore some honor back to my family ,And hopefully help
> the olowe family family.
> And please if something good come out of this for my family it will be 'all
> well that ends well'.But God knows that conpensation adventure is not my
> priority.
> thanks to my friend Harry for letting me in 'on the NET secret' ,And thank
> to you fellow villagers for listening to me. now I will siddon dey wait for
> 'your ideas'.
> Prince Timothy Adedapo.
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