March 17, 2005 | Read Time: 1 minute
The de Young Museum, in San Francisco, has announced that John and Marcia Friede plan to donate their collection of New Guinea art, estimated to be worth more than $100-million. The collection of nearly 3,000 pieces includes carved figures, masks, shields, and other objects dating from prehistoric times to the 20th century.
Mr. Friede, a New York businessman, and his wife began acquiring art from the South Pacific island of New Guinea more than 40 years ago. The couple did not plan to collect only New Guinea art, Mr. Friede says, but became so enamored of it that they started giving away their other art works to make room for the collection.
The donors will lend the museum 350 of their best pieces for an exhibit that will open in October. They will give additional pieces over time, and the museum will receive the entire collection after they die.
Mr. Friede, a member of the museum’s board, has played a significant role in planning the exhibit and drafting its two-volume catalog. He has been working with architects on the exhibit space in a new building that will open in October to replace the original museum, which was damaged in a 1989 earthquake.
The art of New Guinea, an island virtually isolated until the 19th century, has been unpopular among art collectors. Some of the works Mr. Friede acquired during travels in Australia, Europe, and elsewhere were once bought at flea markets with pocket change, he says. Mr. Friede says he hopes his gift will lead others to better understand and appreciate New Guinea art.
“If you fall in love with something, you become a propagandist to some extent,” he says.
