The treasure hunter behind Amatuli Artefacts has found a home for his astounding collection of curiosities in an eclectic building in Kramerville.

I’m more of a collector than a dealer says Mark Valentine, looking around the back area of the Amatuli Artefacts showroom in Kramerville, where found objects are for sale. From Yoruba staffs to old vacuum cleaners, the objects in here have been allocated prices. But when it comes to his own collection of artefacts from all over the world, which mean more to him than a sale, the businessman says, “There are many – some I haven’t seen in 10 years!”

Mark beams when he talks about his passion, a brand that was established in 1988 and that “started in a vaguely ugly building where we sold woodwork things”. After many years on Corlett Drive, Mark and Amatuli co-owners Elize van der Merwe and Christine Valentine decided it was time for a move. “Kramerville is the fastest-moving vaguely legitimate design area in South Africa at the moment,” says Mark. Looking to create “an emporium for Amatuli”, they first bought a warehouse that is now the Weylandts showroom. Then they bought the four-storey building on Desmond Street that soon became the venue for after-work drinks and Mark’s 50th birthday party. “I pay no rent for the view from Maboneng to the Cradle of Humankind,” Mark says. It’s this view and the eclectic finds inside that have made people want to rent the space for special occasions.

On the ground floor, one is greeted by the unmistakably African yet cosmopolitan decor of Milk Bar, which is in front of the Amatuli Artefacts showroom. A coffee shop and intimate eatery that has a chesterfield in one nook and charming tchotchkes in others, Milk Bar is the first of a planned franchise in the province.

Overseen by Rob Laing, Milk Bar is based on the story of three characters. Borrowing from the tale of how coffee was discovered in Ethiopia’s Sidama Valley, Tekalign is a goat herder-cum-coffee-trader who perfects the art of brewing coffee. On a mission to share his brew with the world, he meets an artefacts trader and adventurer named Manasse in Rwanda and falls in love with Amina in Tanzania, who represents the brand’s love for food. “Milk Bar is the coming together of these characters and the places they’re from,” says Rob.

David Ballam portraits shot in the Omo River Valley in Ethiopia line the walls, and anything from ’80s bubblegum to contemporary Afropop plays softly in the background. Fynbos gin is served alongside 2M beer from Mozambique, Tafel Lager from Namibia, Black Label quarts and Coca-Cola in small vintage glass bottles. Notably, Milk Bar supports ethical sourcing and fair trade, is supplied by Bean There, and serves Ethiopian and Rwandan single origin coffee and a blend from Ethiopia and Burundi.

On the first floor is the Sir James van der Merwe Bar – a composite of Mark’s son’s first name and Elize’s surname. In this popular Wednesday evening venue, Mark’s love of all things vintage is displayed through a combination of armchair sophistication and nostalgia thanks to distressed chairs, fading posters and more.

Katy’s Palace Bar, named after Mark’s daughter, is a palatial space on the third floor that is characterised by matching furniture and clean lines.

Above that is what Mark calls his man cave. Take a look around this apartment and it becomes clear what he means when he says he’s more of a collector than a dealer.

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The VISI Great Spaces tour of Amatuli Artefacts, in association with Saint-Gobain, on Saturday 12 December 2015 was one of VISI Deputy Editor Annemarie Meintjes’ highlights of the year. 

A collection of interesting people, who we’re privileged to call VISI readers, gathered together to listen to Amatuli owner Mark Valentine’s enchanting stories, bringing the eclectic spaces in the building to life. After an extensive tour of the building – including visits to the Amatuli shop, Sir James van der Merwe Bar, Katy’s Palace Bar, and Mark’s personal loft apartment – the tour group made their way back to the Milk Bar café where they tucked into Fable Food’s delectable chocolate cakes, sipped on Graham Beck bubbly and got to leave with the latest issue of VISI.

It was a great way to sign off a year of visits to fabulous VISI Spaces!

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If there are more popular words than “vintage” or “mid-century” on Pinterest, then we want to hear them! Of course, we wholly endorse giving timeworn items a second chance at life. Not all old is gold, though, so we asked the experts for their advice.

Jeremy Astfalck

The Old Corkscrew, theoldcorkscrew.co.za

How did you get into antiques and vintage?

While doing my BA degree at Wits in Johannesburg, unlike most of the other students who got work in the local restaurants as waiters and waitresses, I discovered the newly opened Johannesburg flea market. I soon became a seller as well as a buyer.

What should people look for when they buy antique and vintage items?

Quality, strength of design and that uniqueness that will ensure that the item remains as iconic in the future as it was when first produced.

Are there some antique and vintage items and styles that are more in vogue than others?

Currently anything from the Far East made more than 50 years ago. The Chinese market in particular is booming as they are buying back everything that is in the Chinese taste.

What is your favourite place for picking up a bargain?

Many of the country’s flea markets and charity events are great sources – from the Milnerton Market through to the annual SA Riding for the Disabled Association antique fair held at the Alphen Centre in Constantia in August.

What is your favourite place to blow the budget?

The South African Antique Dealers Association (SAADA) yearly flagship events. 

Charles Kerr

Con Amore, conamorehome.com

How did you get into antiques and vintage?

I grew up in a home with beautiful pieces and my parents were keen collectors. While at university I discovered that I could turn my knowledge of antiques into profit by buying items on auction and selling them at the flea market on the weekends. It wasn’t great for my studies, but it was the beginning of a career for me.

What should people look for when they buy antique and vintage items?

Always buy the best that you can afford, and try to avoid damaged items unless you know a good restorer. Buy with your heart and not with your head – if you love the piece you will always have space in your home for it. Markets change often, and pieces that are bought for investment only can sometimes end up being white elephants with no good place to go.

Are there some antique and vintage items and styles that are more in vogue than others?

Currently there is a big move towards mid-century modern, and “brown” Victorian furniture has fallen in value like a grandfather clock down a mine-shaft! The markets are fickle, though, and I do believe that Victorian furniture will see its day again – simply because they used the finest materials (exotic woods that cost an arm and a leg today) and the furniture was well manufactured by skilled craftsmen.

What is your favourite place for picking up a bargain?

Without a doubt, London’s famous Portobello Market – but get there with the fruit sellers (around 6am) and make sure that you’re gone by the time the busloads of tourists start to arrive. The infamous Chor Bazaar (thieves’ market) in Bombay is also fantastic for the quirky and the curious items on offer – but in recent years it has also become a bit of a tourist trap.

What is your favourite place to blow the budget?

The London Silver Vaults in Chancery Lane. Three floors underground, it is the world’s largest collection of silver items for sale in one place. Prices start below £100 but there are many items on display for over £100 000!

Anton Welz

Director and furniture specialist at Stephan Welz & Co, www.swelco.co.za 

How did you get into antiques and vintage? 

I come from a long line of collectors and my grandfather, Jean Welz, was one of South Africa’s 20th-century master painters. So I was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by art and wonderful antique and vintage pieces. I worked in my first auction while still at high school and then studied History of Art so that I could turn my passion into a successful career, surrounded by antiques and vintage pieces.

What should people look for when they buy antique and vintage items?

Condition, condition, condition – this is absolutely paramount. One should not overpay for a sub-quality piece. Any damage, restoration or repair work can reduce the value of a piece by up to 70% depending on the extent of the damage, no matter how old the piece. Some restoration can be very difficult to spot so always ask for a condition report before making a decision.

Are there some antique and vintage items and styles that are more in vogue than others?

Very much so, there has been a drop off in the prices of Victorian furniture and what we term “brown” furniture in the past three years, concurrent with what has been experienced in the English market. We have seen an increase in prices of mid-century modern furniture, particularly 20th century contemporary design. Art deco prices have dropped off, however, good design attributable to a particular designer (Etore Sottsass, Charles and Ray Eames, Le Corbusier, Phillippe Starck and a host of Danish designers – Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl) are becoming increasingly collectable. Perhaps partially due to the practicality of the pieces and the fact that it is currently a hot trend to own a mid-century modern classic.

What is your favourite place for picking up a bargain?

Auctions are always top of my mind. Traditionally perceived as stuffy affairs for the wealthy only, auctions are changing with the times, becoming less formal and offering greater ranges of beautiful items to purchase, whether for investment or just for love. There is also something very appealing, in our increasingly green-conscious environment, about purchasing an item that is not brand spanking new, and whose value has increased (and will further increase) over time. And, we’re not just talking about fine art – jewellery, silver, furniture and even cars make it to today’s auctions and are there for the taking at significantly lower prices than if purchased new, or from dealers.

What is your favourite place to blow the budget?

A fine and decorative arts auction.

Astrid van der Heim

Van der Heim Interiors International, vdhinteriorsintcc@vodamail.co.za

How did you get into antiques and vintage?

My mother was an avid collector of fine bone china tea sets and figurines. In the late-1960s and 1970s I was drawn to the so-called junk shops; having to furnish my own home I found the quality and nostalgia of a bygone era a feast. This was when plastic and plywood furniture was all the rage and it did not have the visual depth for me, as well as being way beyond my then budget.

What should people look for when they buy antique and vintage items?

Condition, design and beauty have been more important for me than the financial investment. Most of what I have collected has always improved in value as the trends for manufacture have changed. I always know what I am looking for – it is not about price or value for me but about the mix of the various areas that makes the statement.

Are there some antique and vintage items and styles that are more in vogue than others?

Yes, but the best rule to decorate your home is by selecting what appeals to your design sense. That said, the Art Deco period has in my opinion held its own in the past 20 years of having been a collector of this era.

What is your favourite place for picking up a bargain?

I have found great decor items at Redecorate, recently moved to Parkhurst, Johannesburg. To revamp pieces for low-budget makeovers: Hospice and Tock H Parkview both in Johannesburg.

What is your favourite place to blow the budget?

New York at the tag (garage sales) and auctions. London flea markets for small pieces that I collect for personal pleasure. Hong Kong for the little Chinese pieces that have meaning and the patina of mostly unrestored scars showing their survival through previous lives. The Art Deco shop at Horizon Plaza has breathtaking pieces. In South Africa: The Ossewa, Melville; Vintage Cowboys; JAB Antiques, Melville; and Yesteryear, Westdene, which is one of my favorite shops as it has an Aladdin’s cave atmosphere with cabinets full of stuff that I love to browse through.

Mark Valentine

Amatuli Artefacts, www.amatuli.co.za

How did you get into antiques and vintage?

Not a conventional one. I was a runner in the villages of Botswana and Zimbabwe, pulling out old brass beds and boer trunks. This was just a hobby in the beginning and grew from there.

What should people look for when they buy antique and vintage items?

Generally there are no rules. Great patina, good form, an honest provenance and your heart should beat slightly faster when you see it for the first time.

Are there some antique and vintage items and styles that are more in vogue than others?

Some styles are timeless, i.e. country furniture seems to hold its appeal more that classics. Simple, with great lines seem to be the rule of thumb in my business.

What is your favourite place for picking up a bargain?

The deep south of Johannesburg, hidden reclamation yards and, recently, some old French colonial furniture in the Cameroon.

What is your favourite place to blow the budget?

Definitely Ethiopia, in the footsteps of the Queen of Sheba and the Menelik Dynasty. The mountain fortresses and towns of Lalibella and Axum house some great treasures, ancient Ethiopian cedar furniture and extraordinary tribal objects from the Omo Valley.

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