When asked in 1982 about the collection she and her late husband, John, had formed, Dominique de Menil stated, What characterizes my collection? Maybe a passionate curiosity for the past and also a vulnerability to poetry ... poetry of images revealing the beauty and mystery of the world ... [I] am very moved by ... art that ... expresses the tragedy of man's ephemeral condition" (de Menil 1983:50). At the time, Dominique de Menil was working with Renzo Piano on plans for The Menil Collection, the museum that would house the couple's collection and manifest its poetry (Fig. 1). Thoughtful and meticulous, Dominique de Menil labored over every detail of the design and, when construction was complete in 1987, the installation of the collection as well (Fig. 2). Her goals were clear: "I would like my collection to be displayed in such a way that it opens new vistas, that it reveals 'Terra Incognita'--islands beyond" (ibid.).

The Menil Collection, with its 16,000 objects, is but one outcome of this French couple's vision and philosophy. Intertwining art, social activism, and a profound spirituality, the de Menils left an indelible mark on their adopted city of Houston, both in the campus that houses their museum and related galleries and chapels, and in the effect their philanthropic projects had on various institutions in the city. Through their political action and support of museums and scholarly projects, they also affected a world beyond Houston and it is within this dynamic framework that the significance of their African art collection can be understood.

The African holdings at The Menil Collection number close to 1,000 objects, ranging from a miniature Kongo ivory finial (Fig. 3) to a near life-size Mboi figure from northeastern Nigeria (Fig. 4). There are concentrations of objects from Mali, including Dogon sculpture (Fig. 5), Bamana masks and headdresses (Fig. 6), Inland Niger Delta terracottas (Fig. 7), Benin bronzes (Fig. 8), and Lega ivories and "maskettes" (Fig. 9). These groupings of objects are punctuated by unique works, such as a Jukun figure (Fig. 10) and a Bongo figure (Fig. 11). Assembled largely between the 1950s and 1970s, the African collection was selfconsciously idiosyncratic, like the de Menil's collections from other areas. The couple did not have a predetermined agenda and did not aim to be encyclopedic in this or any part of their collection. The acquisition of an African object, like any other type, was the result of a strong response to the work itself. Dominique de Menil said, "I think I buy because I fall in love" (ibid., p. 49).

The couple put African art into conversation with the other parts of their collection, which grew over time to include ancient, Byzantine, medieval, modern, Oceanic, Native American art, and more. Openly embracing chance, the de Menils delighted in the ever-changing shapes the collection took over time. As Dominique de Menil stated in The Menil Collection catalogue,