African collections

There are several collections of African art in Slovenia, the most impressive ones are housed in the museums in Ljubljana, Velenje and Slovenj Gradec. They are tightly linked to catholic missionaries, businessmen, and diplomats from 19th and 20th century. The Slovene Ethnographic Museum keeps the Egyptian collection, donated in 1843 by Anton Laurin; the Easter Sudan collection, donated in 1850 by Ignacij Knoblehar; the Anton Codelli collection from Togo, Nigeria and Cameroon brought in 1912–1914; the Pygmy collection donated by Paul Schebesta. The Velenje Museum collection was acquired in 1971 from František Foit, Czech academic sculptor. The collection in the Slovenj Gradec Museum, however, was donated in 1977 by Franc Tretjak who spent nearly 20 years in Africa as an economic consultant of the United Nations.