Chief Godfrey Amachree, Queen’s Counsel, was not a casual collector. He was one of the most respected private patrons Nigerian art traders ever encountered. In those days, traders did not operate galleries. They arrived in person, traveling from the North and across West Africa, carrying extraordinary objects to our home in Ikoyi. My father always had first choice.
He was known not only for his devotion to Nigerian art but also, during the golden era of horse racing, as one of the country’s most prominent racehorse owners. The Northern traders respected him deeply. He respected them in return. There was trust, history, and mutual regard.
Because I was exposed to this world from early childhood, those same traders took me under their wing. Simply mentioning my father’s name opened doors. Nigerian art was not decoration in our home. It was history. Identity. Proof of civilization.
