Introducing Jacaranda Tribal. An Online Gallery Featuring The Art of Southeast Africa.
Dear $email,
 I am pleased to announce the launch of Jacaranda Tribal, an online gallery at
www.JacarandaTribal.com . Jacaranda Tribal offers museum-quality art from South and East Africa. The site offers approximately 60 illustrated objects online, ranging from weapons and beadwork to ceramic pots, pipes and snuff containers. Many more items are in inventory and images are available on request.
Jacaranda Tribal’s collection is curated by Daniel Rootenberg, a South African native now residing in New York City. Growing up in South Africa, Daniel was exposed at a young age to the material culture of the native peoples, especially on family holidays to
Kwazulu, Natal and the Eastern Cape. Unfortunately, during those years the art from the region was little appreciated or understood for a number of reasons: black culture was disdained by the Apartheid government; traditional collectors of tribal art viewed the mainly non-figurative art as merely ethnographic; and there was a general lack of understanding of the complex, migratory nature of the peoples of the region. Only in the last two decades has there been a sea shift in understanding and appreciation, commencing with the Art and Ambiguity show at the Johannesburg Art Gallery in 1991. The items on exhibit at the show were largely the result of the collecting efforts of the London-based collector, Jonathan
Lowen.
 It was only when Daniel was ensconced in New York that he started collecting seriously. The impetus was a visit to the African Forms show at the Museum for African Art, New York and seeing many of the Southern African items on display from the Marc and Denyse Ginzberg collection. Struck immediately by the refinement, form and strength of these objects he immediately decided to become a focused collector. After a successful stint as CFO of
WeightWatchers.com, Daniel decided to marry his internet and finance background with his love of tribal art. Thus, Jacaranda Tribal was born.
The objective of the Jacaranda Tribal site is twofold:
1. Serve as an online gallery for collectors and curators, and
2. Serve as a resource and aid to collectors of art from Southern Africa.
To this end, the site will feature, among other resources, regular articles by experts in the field. The first commissioned article is authored by Professor Sandra
Klopper, Vice Dean of Arts at the University of Stellenbosch. Her article is entitled Collecting Southern African
Art(ifacts) and discusses the history of collecting art from the region. Professor Klopper has authored or co-authored numerous seminal books including The Art of Southeast Africa, The Art of Southern Africa and Art and Ambiguity.
When asked why he decided to open an online gallery rather than a traditional gallery, Mr. Rootenberg points to many of the benefits of collecting online:
- 24/7 availability,
- Unlimited worldwide reach as collectors from as far away as China and Korea discover African art
- Confidentiality and discretion.
- Collecting with the assurance of the Jacaranda Tribal 5 day inspection period review (any item may be returned within 5 days for a full refund if the collector is not totally satisfied with his/her purchase)
Collectors may also sign up for the complimentary Jacaranda Tribal newsletter, notifying subscribers as new items become available and receiving exclusive content written by experts.
The gallery aims to satisfy most collecting budgets. Prices start at around $500 with the majority of items priced below $5,000, while rare objects such as staffs by the Baboon Master can exceed $100,000.
I encourage you to browse the web site at www.JacarandaTribal.com , view the numerous works on offer and utilize the numerous collector resources.
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David Norden