The Kinshasa Art Market

From Grains of Golden Sand:

"Ironically, the main market in Kinshasa for live, wild pets faced the American consulate, the USAID offices, the U.S. Information Service Library, and diplomats’ residences. This was a large market where the mostly expatriate clientele shopped for malachite jewelry, sand paintings, cowry-shell Kuba masks, and village-woven raffia tapestries. Anything—from carved chess sets to old Belgian Congo money, to baskets and spears—could be had in this marketplace that ringed the terminus of the Boulevard de Trente Juin. There were potted plants, dried flower arrangements, fruits and vegetables, seasonal “Christmas trees,” carved ivory statues, and even cheap elephant-tail hair bracelets (the “elephant” fiber was actually smoked and darkened palm rib filaments)."

Seen above are paintings done on flour sack cloth, stretched over wooden frames. They are propped up with sticks and rocks. It was a unsettling experience to shop at the art market because the sellers were pushy in the extreme. Buyers were mobbed, followed, and even physically pulled in one direction or another. But there were hidden rules that were useful, if only people knew how to use them. If one started looking at something, the other sellers crowding around were supposed to cease and desist. One had to shout this out, and make the primary seller enforce the "union" rules, so one could bargain in peace.

Another tactic concerned negotiating. It was ill-mannered (truly!) to pay the asking price. One demeaned the seller by denying the challenge and thrill of the give and take of bargaining. A theatrical discussion, with humorous twists, was always appreciated. One of my stock tricks was to counter the asking price (say, 100 Zaires) with a ridiculously absurd low ball (like 3 Zaires). The seller would explode with surprise.

"Oh!" I would reply, pointing up to the sky, "You started up in the clouds, I had to come down to the earth, and dig a hole for my price!" This icebreaker brought a belly laugh, warmed up the watching crowd, and let everybody know that, although I was an expatriate, I was a haggling force to reckon with.

Finally, the best trick of all, was to go first thing in the morning. It was imperative that the first item that was discussed had to be sold, as this would give extra good luck for the rest of the day. Few people knew about this, but the sellers all agreed that they would always give a rock bottom price for the day's first sale.

Photo by: D. Messinger