Lisbon - The Angolan State on Monday in Lisbon snatched 36 of the 38 national ethnographic pieces from various regions of the country put up for auction by “Cabral Moncada Leilões”.
The pieces, which were part of the private art collection of the Portuguese Elísio Romariz dos Santos Silva, were auctioned by the heirs of the private collector who lived in Angola for several years.
According to a press release from the Embassy of Angola in Portugal to which ANGOP had access, the recovery of the 36 pieces will enrich the Angolan cultural heritage, while also safeguarding the national heritage.
The commitment of the Embassy of Angola in Portugal in the recovery of the largest number of pieces of this collection, is part of the national effort so that future generations have direct contact with the national handicrafts elaborated in the 50s, 60s and 70s and thus reinforce their cultural roots.
According to official data, it was at the Dundo Museum that Elísio Romariz dos Santos Silva established the contacts that allowed him to deepen his interest in Angolan culture, having participated in the creation of the Museum of Ethnography of Lobito.
The auction was promoted by “Cabral Moncada Leilões” and also included pieces from Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Liberia, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
EJM/VM/TED/DOJ
