3. African Art Collection

The living spaces on the third floor of the Gross townhouse probably have more art than the studio and galleries! Chaim Gross was an avid art collector and had a special interest in African art. It’s easy to see how the totemic stacking style influenced his own work. He began collecting pieces from Africa in the 1930s.

Gross was especially fond of statues from the Dogon people of West Africa which are displayed in the case pictured above which stands between the living and dining rooms, across from a built-in display of even more art on the opposite wall. His collection also boast a large assortment of tiny Ashanti gold weights and many different types of African masks. Part of his collection was exhibited at the Worcester Art Museum in The Sculptor’s Eye: The African Art Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Chaim Gross in 1976.