Custom display stands and mounts from "Display Africa"

Displaying things in your home can be a challenge, especially for odd pieces like a Katanga cross or an ivory bangle or that odd mask that won't hang
on the wall right. When I first started collecting I would look for anything that would work as a display stand or something I could rig/alter in order to
display a mask. I've had some interesting things holding up masks...

Displaying certain pieces can be a challenge, especially if you don’t have the right pedestal or the right table space to display the piece. I am strapped
for space in my house to display certain things, especially helmet masks. When I am out and about, I am constantly looking for creative ways to
maximize some of the spaces in my house to display different kinds of things.

I tried various types of pre-fabricated stands, but more often than not found that they didn't work for me most of the time.
I ended up spending quite a bit of money on them only to have them sit in a closet now.

Up until recently, I had no one to make custom stands and mounts for me,  and previously I thought it would be way too expensive anyway.
That was all until I met Ken with Display Africa.

Ken is someone I used to work with, and when I found out that he is an expert welder I asked him if he would consider making some stands and mounts
for me. I figured it was time to finally get some stands and mounts made for some of my things so I could display them properly. A mask hung on a wall
doesn't begin to compare to having it mounted on a nice stand, a statue that doesn't stand very well on it's own and has to be leaned against a wall
doesn't compare to having it mounted so it will stand on it's own. It's also much more affordable than you would think.

The first piece I asked Ken to make was a mount for my Katanga cross, and he did an awesome job. It looks like it is floating and it has just the right tilt
to it so the lighting hits it just right. Ken has a very artistic eye and has made many custom display stands for me now as well as many other collectors
and dealers around the country.

I feel very comfortable just giving him a piece, telling him about how high I'd like it and have him made a stand for it. He always come back with a
perfect stand or mount for the piece.

Ken didn't have a website, so I put together this page on my website so others out there who were having challenges displaying their objects and
finding someone to make stands or mounts for them could get in touch with him.

I can HIGHLY recommend Ken as a custom stand and mount maker.
DISPLAY AFRICA
Custom Artifact Display Stands and Mounts
Denver, Colorado

Specializing in tribal mask and artifact mounts

Ken
(303) 882-3100
Email: displayafrica@msn.com
Below is generally what would be involved to have Ken make a custom stand or mount for you:

1) LOGISTICS
In order for Ken to make a custom stand or mount for your object he will need to have the object in his hands. The thing about custom stands and
mounts is that they are made to specifically meet the unique display requirements of your object and it is usually something that can not be done
only from a photograph. You will need to ship/mail your mask to Ken, and the mask would have to be packed in a box large enough that would
also accommodate the stand being shipped back in it with the mask. You would also be responsible for the charges to ship your mask back to you.

2) DETAILS
You would need to include a brief statement about what you want the mask to look like on the stand, height from the bottom of the mask to the
base of the stand and so on. Or you can just tell him to use his judgement, that is pretty much what I do. What Ken does is truly an art and he is
excellent at what he does. My general rule of thumb is that the distance the mask needs to be off of the ground should be equal to 1/4 or 1/3 the
height of the mask. It's best to call him or contact him via email to discuss your object and expectations.

3) PRICE
Ken's prices on custom stands and mounts usually range between $50 - $100, it depends on the complexity of the stand. The simple helmet
stands are cheaper and more information can be found on them below. Usually people will send Ken a photo of the object along with dimensions
and he can usually give you a good estimate of the cost of the stand or mount. They are very high quality stands and mounts, you would have a
hard time finding something comparable for the price. I have friends in New York that use a stand maker there and they pay a lot more to get
stands made..

4) TIME FRAME
You will need to give him between 2 weeks and month to complete the stand or mount after he receives the object. He can usually give you a
good estimation of the time frame when you contact him.

Ken also makes stands for helmet masks that are VERY nice. They come with a great rotating top on them that makes a nice fit for any helmet
mask. These can just be ordered and shipped directly to you. There is information about them further down on this page.

He has done some very simple stands for me as well as some very complicated ones.

Below are just a few examples of some of my pieces that he has made stands and mounts for.  

You can click on any photo or link under the photo to go to the page on my website for the piece to see all of the photographs to give you an idea
of the work he does. It gives you a good idea of what he can do with different types of objects.
Female Kifwebe mask # 2
Male Kifwebe mask # 2
Mumuye - smaller figures
If you have free standing objects that don't stand up very well, he can make simple metal bases with a post coming out of it and drill a hole into the
leg of the statue to make it stand up correctly and look great as with the 2 objects below. Neither of these objects would stand on their own and
Ken did a wonderful job of mounting them to make it easy for me to now display them. He has made many of these types of mounts for me.
A fantastic custom display stand for a group of combs
Some ideas for helmet masks, hats, headdresses and other similar items...

Helmet masks can be hard to display since they are usually pretty large and require a lot of table space. Stands for helmet masks are fairly
common, and due to the nature of helmet masks the stands don’t need to be custom made since the masks just sit on the stand ( you do have
to make sure the mask is balanced though).

Often times the stands aren’t tall enough for you to place the piece directly on the floor because it doesn’t put it at a viewable level and out of
the way of foot traffic. You normally have to place them on a table or pedestal of some sort to get them at a viewable level and out of the way of
foot traffic and I’ve always wanted some inexpensive stand that would to allow me to display helmet masks in areas where I don’t have any
display pedestals or tables.

Ken makes them in 15" and 30" high sizes and larger if you need. You can adjust the top by rotating it so you will get the perfect fit.


Pricing for helmet display stands up to 15 inches is $30 plus shipping
Pricing for helmet display stands 16 to 30 inches is $35 plus shipping
Other sizes please contact Ken for pricing.

If you are interested in ordering one of these you can contact Ken directly to order them through his contact information earlier on this page.
The photo below shows a 36" tall helmet stand on the very left and the larger stand in the middle is 45" tall.  
Normally they have square bases.

Sometimes it is nice to get a piece up off of the floor a little more and out of the way of foot and dog traffic.

Ken can make different heights so you can display a group of masks like this in a corner and really make the masks
look great in a group. I have a group of Kuba masks displayed at different heights and it looks great.
Also, a couple of months back I came across some shelves that I bought that allowed me to maximize space on a wall where it was really hard to
display much of anything. I got 4 of the shelves and off set them so it would allow me to display some larger pieces along with some smaller
pieces. The photo isn’t that great, but it gives you an idea of what you can do with the shelves. It’s great for small things and gives you a place
to rotate small things that you may have tucked away in a cabinet to a more prominent place. The pieces I have on my shelves are constantly
changing and it's nice to kind of highlight different items from time to time.

Here is a link to the Pottery Barn website, the display shelves should be listed towards the bottom of the page:

http://ww2.potterybarn.com/srch/index.cfm?imgs=1&words=shelf
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