PARIS.- Art enthusiasts and collectors will have a rare opportunity to acquire pieces from the personal collection of the late Argentine artist Antonio Seguí (1934–2022) this autumn. The Millon auction house is set to disperse a portion of Seguí's extensive collection of extra-European arts on September 20, 2025, at Drouot's Room V in Paris.


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The upcoming sale, titled "The Antonio Seguí Collection," will feature nearly 200 pieces from Africa, Oceania, and pre-Columbian America. These objects, ranging from sculptures and masks to fetishes and ritual items, once filled the artist's historic home-studio, the Maison Raspail in Arcueil.

Seguí, primarily known for his satirical paintings and distinctive figurative style, maintained a quiet yet profound passion for these global art forms throughout his life. "What matters to me in tribal artworks is the power of creation, authenticity and strength, expression within predefined aesthetic values," Seguí once stated, highlighting his discerning eye for formal potency.

An Artist's Intimate Collection

Seguí's engagement with African and American arts began in the 1950s, intensifying after his move to Paris in 1963. There, he explored "primitive arts" at the Musée de l'Homme and built a lasting friendship with dealer Jacques Kerchache, which further honed his collecting instincts. He frequented Saint-Germain-des-Prés galleries and regularly acquired pieces at Drouot, enriching his growing collection.

From 1970, Seguí began housing his art in the Maison Raspail, the 19th-century former residence of scientist François-Vincent Raspail, which he acquired and meticulously restored. His wife, Clelia Taricco, recalls how "little by little, the collection occupied the entire house, without us even realizing it." Seguí reportedly viewed each object as a living entity, orchestrating a unique display that defied traditional museum conventions. Rather than a purely academic arrangement, his collection was intuitive and dynamic, with pieces sometimes grouped by ethnic origin, and other times simply chosen for their aesthetic impact.

"He liked to create real accumulations of objects, always maintaining an elegant harmony," Clelia Taricco observed. "He liked to stage them, and it is perhaps there that part of the great charm, if not the soul, of his collection resides."

Featured Works

The sale includes a diverse range of objects, with several notable pieces expected to draw significant interest. Highlights from the collection include:

• A Guro Maternity figure from Ivory Coast (early 20th century), estimated at €30,000 / €50,000.

• A Kuyu Ritual Head from Congo (late 19th century), also estimated at €30,000 / €50,000, with notable provenance from the Harry and Freda Schaeffer collection.

• A Yoruba Epa Mask from Nigeria (early 20th century), with an estimate of €10,000 / €15,000.

• A Mumuyé Statue from Nigeria (late 19th century), previously part of the Jacques Kerchache collection, estimated at €5,000 / €7,000.

Additional pieces include Baoulé statuettes, masks from Teke, Bamileke, Fang, and Ogoni cultures, pre-Columbian figures from Peru, Mexico, and Colombia, and a shamanic vase acquired during Seguí's youth travels.

This upcoming auction not only presents an opportunity to acquire significant works of art but also offers insight into the personal passions of a renowned artist who saw collecting as an integral part of his life and artistic vision.