Tribal Art and Textiles

At the Tribal Art and textile show in San Francisco this past weekend, I was surprised by the number of dealers there from Europe. Brussels, Paris and Munich were well represented. The items available from the Europeans were fabulous African carvings, Persian rugs, and Aboriginal carvings and textiles.

One dealer did an amazing display using aboriginal carved bowls that were an elongated oval shape, mounted on the simplest of wall brackets. The result was a very modern, sculptural look. That is the genius of these tribal artifacts. The simplicity of materials and design meet the criteria of the most modern of decors.

There were fewer Eastern European dealers there this year than in the past. Do you think the Suzani trend is losing steam? There WAS a beautiful one here in unusual shades of blue from Gail Martin Gallery in New York , pictured below. I’ll have to remember it for a bed covering in the next guest suite I do for my lucky clients. With cornflower painted walls and ivory trim….Fantastic!



I was disappointed that there were very few really beautiful carved Buddhas. They are becoming harder to find every year. Perhaps I need to start going to shows in Japan next year to find the perfect one for me!

Wonderful jewelry, smalls, and textiles and as hangings for pillows were available to bring that Asian twist to my next contemporary project. Definitely worth spending a beautiful spring day there! Check it out!

Jane Antonacci Interior Design