Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkino Faso and Ghana, all located in an area recently known for political turmoil, but also an area with a long history of skilled artisans in wood and metal sculpture.

The political trouble, Sheikh knowledgeably explains, has resulted in an unprecendented mixing of cultures in the region - and this has had an enormous influence in the work produced in each of the countries. Spend more than 5 minutes chatting at his stall, and a number of tomes on the subject are almost certain to appear.

Sheikh enthuses at length on the various pieces on display - each a choice example of an entire legacy of design. Dogon ritual death masks, statues and masks from the Baole tribe in the ivory Coast and much sought after handcrafted mahogany doors with figures representing each stratification of traditional african society - military, workers, the family, their dog. The stall carries a mixture of antique and recent work in materials including wood, ceramic, bronze, silver, copper and bone. Sheikh also supplies a number of exclusive shops in Cape Town.