Roderick J. McIntosh, Tereba Togola, and Susan Keech McIntosh. 1995. "The Good Collector' and the premise of mutual respect among nations". African Arts. 28(4)(Autumn 1995): 61-69, 110-111.

The 1993 bilateral agreement between Mali and the United States (hereafter referred to as the 1993 Bilateral Accord) imposes emergency import restrictions upon a wide class of antiquities from the Niger River Valley and the Bandiagara region. As archaeologists who have investigated prehistoric and early historic sites in Mali's upper Inland Delta (RJM & SKM) and MÚma (TT), which are currently threatened by the destructive actions of looters, we regard this accord as a positive step toward the conservation of Mali's cultural heritage. While applauding this emergency agreement, we hope it will soon be superseded by a permanent, bilateral treaty granting durable protection to the remains of one of the world's great urban civilizations.
Those who fear that the 1993 Bilateral Accord may restrict access to Malian cultural treasures can take heart from the expressed intentions of the (archaeologist) President of the Republic of Mali, Dr. Alpha Oumar KonarÚ, and his government that they intend this accord to result in increased access by the world to Malian art and antiquities. The Malian government has stated unequivocally that it regards "good collectors" and public-trust museums as natural partners in its goal of sharing those artistic and cultural glories with the world. This article expands on this theme to explore what constitutes a Good Collector of African art and what role such collectors can and should play in facing the challenges opened up by the 1993 Bilateral Accord...

This paper is press copyrighted. Full publication on this site is pending approval.
...This, ultimately, is why we call upon Good Collectors who truly love African art and the African maker cultures to celebrate the signing 1993 Bilateral Accord as a first step towards enlightened relations between nations. As the pioneering implementation instrument between African art Source and Market nations, the agreement will be seen as one of the first steps in a long process of reforming the art market. The Good Collector has nothing to fear and much to benefit from these reforms. Good Collectors (along with museums, scholars of art, and policy makers) have much to contribute to the evolution of the market and to ensuring unobstructed access to these pieces. But most importantly, the Good Collector must use independence of mind when presented with the syndicate's and its apologists' arguments against these reforms. We are encouraged by initial drafts of codes of ethics for dealers (e.g., O'Keefe 1994). We join spokesmen of the Malian government in asking for Good Collectors to stand up, to examine squarely the principles that should govern the acquisition of art, and to respond accordingly.

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