There are a lot of Spiro pieces that incorporate the Baoulé jewellery. Actually anyone who works with rare stones would have a piece of the “civilization”. The same is true for a lot of objects beyond jewellery. I don’t see a straightforward path to identifying these items unless the source country pours significant resources into it. And it might result in a few collaborations but change on a larger scale requires facing some uncomfortable truths. What do you think?
I agree, it would take an enormous amount of work, money, effort, and collaboration to firmly identify these pieces and the source country has to be a part of that conversation. And yes, this also includes facing some uncomfortable truths in order to make changes. We’ve taken the first step in insisting on provenance research in all institutions, but it’s a long road.
I adored your writing and loved reading every single bit having studied art history and the love of classics. Thank you so much for this long version from a fellow , Jewelry Designer and history nerd so thank you.
Thank you for the thoughtful engagement with this topic and for digging up the Penn Museum piece. That’s a stronger primary source than most of what's circulating. Your point about where the due-diligence responsibility actually sits with Spiro, the dealers, the professional side of this rather than on Zendaya, who isn't part of that world at all, is the sharpest part of this for me. It's a professional accountability question, not a celebrity one, and that's exactly the conversation that keeps getting skipped.
There are a lot of Spiro pieces that incorporate the Baoulé jewellery. Actually anyone who works with rare stones would have a piece of the “civilization”. The same is true for a lot of objects beyond jewellery. I don’t see a straightforward path to identifying these items unless the source country pours significant resources into it. And it might result in a few collaborations but change on a larger scale requires facing some uncomfortable truths. What do you think?
I agree, it would take an enormous amount of work, money, effort, and collaboration to firmly identify these pieces and the source country has to be a part of that conversation. And yes, this also includes facing some uncomfortable truths in order to make changes. We’ve taken the first step in insisting on provenance research in all institutions, but it’s a long road.
Such an interesting article!
Thank you! ☺️
I adored your writing and loved reading every single bit having studied art history and the love of classics. Thank you so much for this long version from a fellow , Jewelry Designer and history nerd so thank you.
Thank you so much for reading 🫶🫶 and for your lovely reply! 📜🏺
I adore your writing and my pleasure. I am so happy with Substack. I’m never going back.
🥹🥹🫶🫶
Thank you for the thoughtful engagement with this topic and for digging up the Penn Museum piece. That’s a stronger primary source than most of what's circulating. Your point about where the due-diligence responsibility actually sits with Spiro, the dealers, the professional side of this rather than on Zendaya, who isn't part of that world at all, is the sharpest part of this for me. It's a professional accountability question, not a celebrity one, and that's exactly the conversation that keeps getting skipped.
So interesting about the earrings - I had no idea!