“Papa” Sambou Sissoko, the Man from Mali
Sambou Sissoko, Papa Sissoko, as he is affectionately known, is a descendant of Malian Emperor Mansa Musa, said to have been the richest man who has ever lived.
Mr. Sissoko, a man of high culture and honorable tradition but lacking formal education began his entrepreneurial career as a poor boy selling peanuts in his native Bamako, the capital city of Mali.
Mr. Sissoko’s interest in the beauty and culture of African Art began earnestly in 1954 when he acquired his first sculpture. From those humble beginning, and because of his worldwide reputation for honesty, fair dealing and hard work, the acquisition of that single statue has resulted in one of the largest and most refined collections of African art in the world.
Today, Sambou Sissoko is widely known among dealers of fine African Art. In fact, many pieces of his original inventory can be found in major museums and have sold at record prices at prestigious auctions houses such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s. Unfortunately, seldom is he accredited as part of the objects provenance. This is typical of marketplace tactics wherein dealers fail to acknowledge real sources instead claiming to have found the piece “in situ”.
It is high time credit is given where credit is due, to honor the truth and recognize that Sambou Sissoko, through sheer hard work and perseverance has earned his place as one of the most notable sources of masterworks within the world of African Art. His elegant new gallery gives ample testimony of this fact.
“Papa” Sambou Sissoko, the Man from Mali
Sambou Sissoko, Papa Sissoko, as he is affectionately known, is a descendant of Malian Emperor Mansa Musa, said to have been the richest man who has ever lived.
Mr. Sissoko, a man of high culture and honorable tradition but lacking formal education began his entrepreneurial career as a poor boy selling peanuts in his native Bamako, the capital city of Mali.
Mr. Sissoko’s interest in the beauty and culture of African Art began earnestly in 1954 when he acquired his first sculpture. From those humble beginning, and because of his worldwide reputation for honesty, fair dealing and hard work, the acquisition of that single statue has resulted in one of the largest and most refined collections of African art in the world.
Today, Sambou Sissoko is widely known among dealers of fine African Art. In fact, many pieces of his original inventory can be found in major museums and have sold at record prices at prestigious auctions houses such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s. Unfortunately, seldom is he accredited as part of the objects provenance. This is typical of marketplace tactics wherein dealers fail to acknowledge real sources instead claiming to have found the piece “in situ”.
It is high time credit is given where credit is due, to honor the truth and recognize that Sambou Sissoko, through sheer hard work and perseverance has earned his place as one of the most notable sources of masterworks within the world of African Art. His elegant new gallery gives ample testimony of this fact.