Oya’s Mini Bazaar

I will always be haunted by Oya’s, not because of the appearance of some of the works and masks, but because I didn’t buckle down and get one of the very affordable Luba masks that were on sale. Most masks were upwards of $ 60, but a small collection were $ 10 and were among my favorites. It was primarily because I’m one of those consumers who doesn’t buy what they don’t understand. Turns out the works I was looking at were for spiritual dancing at points of personal transformation, though that’s not at all a deep analysis.
I was with a friend who had it in her mind to get a whole lot of the beads for some art projects. They had a lot of styles of beads and other arts, beyond the mostly west African and Congolese works that predominate.

Adams Morgan is still my favorite neighborhood in DC, and this shop is one of the reasons! Cruising up and down 18^th st., I’d always manage to stop by Oya’s to check out their goods. DC is not really in short supply of African art or trinkets, but it’s nice to find a place as open and scattered as this bazaar. It really makes one feel as if she’s treasure hunting, or getting the best bargain in town. I like the jewelry and the masks, which would be great as gifts or personal use. I would suggest that anyone who is just moving into their home, or sprucing up their apartment drop in for authentic, decorative art at a decent price!

This place was a hoot! I always found an excuse to lure friends in here prior to starting our romp through the rest of Adams Morgan. If you dig, you can uncover some truly nifty stuff. Check it out:
* Vintage pin of Michael Jackson from his Off The Wall days
* Tiny beads shaped like skulls that appeared to be made from some sort of bone
* Large, funky earrings
* Outdated bumper stickers
* Colorful leather change purses
The list just goes on from there. They also carry larger decorative items — vases, wooden masks, statues, wall hangings, etc. You’ve gotta check it out!