Mooscollection is an online gallery dedicated to the collection, exhibition, conservation, and study of the arts of West Africa. The collection was founded and curated by Dean Hamerly and is located in New York City.
Dean's passion for Akan art began when he first encountered an Asante linguist staff with a rooster and a hen finial at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond while attending Virginia Commonwealth University. This encounter sparked a life long interest in the art of the Akan people. Dean's interest in African art further grew during his graduate studies at the University of Arizona when he first made travel plans to Côte d’Ivoire. After his studies and years teaching at the U of A, he spent two and a half years living in a rural Dogon village in Mali while working for the Peace Corps. During this time, he developed deep relationships with his Malian friends, which continue to this day. His time in Mali allowed him to travel extensively through Mali and in many of the surrounding countries in West Africa. Over the last 30 years, Dean has dedicated himself to collecting art from Africa, focusing mainly on the art of West Africa and the Akan art is among the most significant in his collection.
Ashanti Linguist Staff (Okyeame Poma), Ghana. Possibly Osei Bonsu, 1900-1977. Collection of the VMFA, Richmond.