Samuel Merrin's Gift to Tufts Gallery's Collection

Funerary Sican mask at the Met Museum in
New York, dating back to about the 9th
to 11th century AD, newer than Samuel
Merrin's mask.

To compliment it's current permanent collection, boasting contemporary works of Andy Warhol and Joan Miro, Samuel Merrin and his wife presented the Tufts University Art Gallery with an ancient pre-Columbian piece from the northern coast of Peru.

Dating back to 750-1150AD, this ceremonial mask is the work of the Sican culture. Other prominent masks of this culture remain, such as the one on the right that can be seen in the Met Museum.

The mask that Samuel Merrin presented to Tufts is as unique in it's appearance as the combination of materials that were used to make it, including silver and copper for the base, cinnabar paint to coat certain parts, and for decoration, as well as cotton.

Sican ceremonial mask, a gift
to Tufts' Permanent Collection
courtesy of Samuel Merrin.

Samuel Merrin and Art Sales

The official Samuel Merrin blog recently reported on the Merrin Gallery's recent (in terms of decades) philosophy of art sales – silent transactions at the client's wish. It is said that:

Over the past five decades, Edward and Samuel Merrin have acquired, and placed major ancient art collections with leading institutions and private collectors. Especially in the last few years, Samuel Merrin has acquired old collections from major families.

Working with the owners, who wanted the transactions kept confidential, he placed these valued objects of art 'quietly'. Celebrated as one of the great advantages of The Merrin Gallery, this has kept Samuel Merrin a major player in the art world—sometimes even rivaling Sotheby's and Christie's. Where, to purchase private collections and individual pieces, he has at times outbid both auction houses.

Also see Samuel Merrin's official blog

I'll be posting news and updates on Samuel Merrin as they come in - together with my opinion, etc., but for more information about Samuel, please visit his official Blogger blog at: Samuel Merrin and the Gallery, where for example it is said that:

Samuel formally took over the gallery in 1999 and has been involved with ancient art his entire life. As a child, Sam frequently visited his father’s gallery, and worked there over many summer vacations. He was fascinated by the beauty and telling history of the objects that he would handle. Inspired, Samuel received a BA from Tufts University, worked at The Cloisters museum and interned at 'the Met' in NYC.