This was the highlight of our trip to Chicago. Had a full blown museum tour of the shop's history and collection. It was beautiful and very educational. We had a very amazing time. The atmosphere was very welcoming. Glen was amazing storyteller. He was not snobbish and very passionate of his work. We love listerning to those type of stories. My sister who loves art history said she had a blast. Came out with 2 beautiful jewelry for me and my sister. I love anything one of a kind. I buy a lot of antique and vintage jewelry, I believed was pretty reasonable price. Will come back again. read more

I share the ethical concerns many others have raised. Dishonest and poor business practices.

Excellent Collectables !!! There's a wide variety of items to choose from. I got an African Oratory Staff. read more

Primitive - Antique African Oratory Staff - Antiques Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stopped in randomly during my first visit to Chicago. Both the owners were super kind to me and explained the backstory of the shop. The lady offered me coffee and chocolates and allowed me to take my time admiring the entire place solo. 5 floors of artifacts. Calming music and candles lit throughout. Needed to charge my phone before leaving and the lady allowed me to use an outlet in their kitchen area and offered me a glass of wine while it charged. I read some books in the library and had such a great time!!! Highly reccommend read more

So the name simply does not fit. It reminds me more of an upscale art gallery than anything. If I had more money than I knew what to do with, I would certainly shop here. We stumbled in here purely by accident, in the area to enjoy some of the restaurants. Anyway, we were greeted and invited to stroll to our hearts content. Let them know if we needed assistance or had questions along the way. We were also instructed that it would be best to start at the top floor and work our way down, but we could also roam milli nilli if we chose to do so. We did start on the top and worked our way down. This is like a museum and I think just about every time period, religion and area of the globe is represented here. A lot of the rooms are created around the artifacts stored there. It really is something to see. There is an entire room build for Tantric Lingams... wow... and if you are interested someone there can tell you the background story of almost anything in the store. I have a wealth of knowledge about Lingams now. Also found out that they sell tiny lingams at the register, even I could afford one. Personally I enjoyed perusing through this store on my own. I really don't need somebody following me around at all times. Somehow they were always present if I had a question though and more than knowledgeable. Just take it all in , the artsy elevators which are different on each floor, all the special rooms to make the merchandise shine, quite breathtaking. And free to look at. read more

Primitive - Antiques Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Absolutely beautiful place and wonderful presentation with some of the most friendly and welcoming staff! The owner himself gave my friends and I a private tour on two occasions and every other time I have come by the staff have been friendly and even invited us to join in concerts or other programming going on. The place is on the pricier end of course, but my friends were never made to feel unwelcome if we didn't purchase anything. Highly recommend for the experience and maybe the occasional purchase that becomes a treasured family heirloom or investment piece! read more

I recommend that you read the other reviews about Primitive. Although each of us might have our own axe to grind about such a business as Primitive, as a visitor or potential customer, you can only benefit from taking in many opinions about it. I guess it's much too late for the unfortunate name to be something different, something that doesn't belittle the ancient cultures represented in this place. Many of these cultures are older and richer than our own, so you wouldn't expect to find them in a place called "Primitive." My first connection with the gallery was through their Fall sale in an old warehouse building on 35th Street at Racine (http://www.yelp.com/biz/primitive-warehouse-chicago). The objects there were quite impressive; very much like being in the back room of some museum. And a few objects were museum worthy. If you get a chance to visit there (it's by appointment when there's no sale on) don't miss it. Our visit to this "home base" of Primitive imparts a much more commercial feeling than that from their warehouse some 4 months earlier. Here there is a formal grand lobby from where you walk up a few steps to the main display floor, where the staff awaits you. That will have to wait for next time. Today, we are here just to view the exhibit mounted on the fourth floor, about 100 magazine-quality photos of modern Wuhan, China (a city on the Yangtze River, west of Hangzhou). For that purpose, it is a loft space for an art exhibit as fine as any in the River North area. And with the roughly finished floors, robust support timbers, elegant new walls, and thoughtful rest/conferring areas, you might think that's where you are. The gallery is to be lauded for leaving us to view the photo exhibit undisturbed the whole time we were there. I'm intrigued enough to visit again to see what's on those other three floors. I will keep in mind the caveats of the other reviews here. One indicator I can pass along involves that impressive front lobby. High overhead is a massive sculpture composed of multiple (over 100) blown glass organic shapes, all connected together (see my photo). This form of glass sculpture, a "chandelier," is well known as being created by the famous glass artist, Dale Chilhuly. So, of course I inquired of the Primitive staffer if it was indeed a Chilhuly. She told me, "No," that instead it was done by a Chinese sculptor, with full knowledge of what he was copying. Compare theirs with a bonafide Chilhuly chandelier at the Milwaukee Art Museum: http://tinyurl.com/6taoyyd read more

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This place collects art and artifacts from around the world. You may see furniture, jewelry, and rugs from all the continents, and there is a sculpture garden too. read more

Primitive - Primitive Art Works - Antiques Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Primitive is a fantastic place to window shop and find inspiration. Full of stunning furnishings, relics, artifacts, antiquities and artwork, walking through the space is Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" personified. Glen, Alison and Richard are exceptionally knowledgable and charming. If you're looking for a one-of a kind curated piece that is more than a catalogue number or ISBN, I highly recommend experiencing Primitive. read more

Wow... Just, wow. I stumbled upon Primitive while out with freinds looking for art galleries. We walked in, realized it was a store more then a gallery, and were about to head out when the proprietor swooped in and started us on the tour. How can I sum this place up? The $5 silver Moroccan dagger (I own two) they were selling for $2,200? The blocks of stone flooring from temples in China destroyed by the Three Gorges Dam, which we were told was a wonderful project to help millions of people (!). The Buddha Room, set up as a mock-temple where everything is for sale? The wishing lingam (Sanskrit for penis, fyi) where you were assured that granted wishes are free of charge! If you want to learn about other cultures, go to the damn Field Museum. If you want to buy their chachki, buy a plane ticket and go there, it's cheaper then this place and you'll probably do the artists and represented people a lot more good. As the name "Primitive" clearly describes, this place is distilled Western elitism. read more

I'm going to preface this with saying that I stopped in to look at the art/antiques, not looking to purchase. We stopped in at 4pm on Saturday and were the only ones in this store. We were greeted by a British man (I think his name was Donald? I can't remember exactly)... However he was very kind and knowledgable! He talked with us and gave us a tour of the floors we had access to (4th floor was undergoing renovations). It was amazing to see all of these art pieces and antiques from around the world.. Definitely pricey for a lot of the items, but they spend a lot of attention to detail and decorating here so that their pieces are showcased tastefully. It felt like being in a museum (minus the curators). Definitely one of my favorite aspects of my trip to Chicago.. Accidentally happening upon this artistic gem! read more

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They get 5 stars because they gave my office a great deal on a fabulous textile for our lounge. Well, that and the place is awesome. I travel a lot for work, and Primitive is like a dream come true...what if you could bring EVERYTHING you found wonderful on your Asian adventure back home with you? And have the space to display it all in! My favorite piece is the Balinese structure they feature when you walk in...it was so fun to do all the paperwork inside of it...a very cool version of a playhouse (if you will). I've also been to the store for a fundraising event, and it is a fantastic space for a party. The Buddha room itself looks incredible for a dinner party (just glad that YOU wouldn't have to move the statuary!) So....even if your pockets aren't deep enough to buy something, go have a look around. It's a great mini-break from Chicago! read more

On this sunny & warm February Saturday we went biking looking to explore new places, so we picked-up a copy of " Chicago Where " magazine. Well, the two places we chose were a total let down; one of them was closed through summer of 2017; the other was Primitive, a retail store of authentic artifacts. Read other reviews, not sure why people have an issue with the word Primitive. The first 4 meanings of the word is: "being the first or earliest of the kind or in existence." It has many meanings but depending on the context Primitive is not a negative word. http://www.dictionary.com/browse/primitive The large picture of a sexy Indian man on the side of the building is impressive & attracted us to go in. The shop is open from 10:00am to 6:00pm & we were there around 11:30am; however, the door was locked. After waiting about a minute, a man (British accent, assume it is the owner) unlocked the door. We asked if he was open & he replied he was but asked what we were looking for (instead of welcoming us). He went on to say, people stop by looking for the hotel next door all the time & thought we wanted the hotel since we had bags with us. Actually, we each had a normal size backpack but explained we were biking. We asked if he was open to the public & if were able to look around. He said yes, let us in, & locked door right behind us; mentioning, he was a shop not a museum as most people thought. He asked if we had an appointment. We said no and, again, asked if it was okay to look around. He went on to say, yes of-course but he didn't understand why we would want to be stuck inside a shop instead of biking along the lake on such a nice day. He also mentioned the meter maids were very aggressive & depending where we left the bikes, they might confiscate them. He repeated several times he was not a gallery nor museum but had unique pieces. (He hopes people appreciates & integrate his pieces in their homes.) At this point he told us to make ourselves at home & explained there were four-levels, recommending we start from the top floor. He said depending on how much time we had, to see his shop, we should allow at least two- to three-hours to see everything, which actually sounds more like a museum than a retail store. The shop has regular hours of 10:00am to 6:00pm on the door. Nowhere does it say by appointment only. It's the first store (or gallery) we've visited that keeps the door locked, which is very unwelcoming. We found the shop owner very passive aggressive and although we did mention we would return (since he later told us how to best browse through his shop), the whole experience left us feeling unwelcome and disappointed. After letting one into the shop, he doesn't welcome one in but instead discourages the customer to the point of questioning why we are interested in browsing inside his shop instead of enjoying the outdoors. To conclude, we just wanted to have a look around & enjoy the place. We weren't expecting so much drama; locked door, dissertation of a Gallery VS a Shop VS a Museum, being told why we are there instead of elsewhere, mad meter maids confiscating bikes, spitting at drivers & targeting parked cars in front of his shop. read more

This is a most unusual and fantastic store. This is the only store I have ever been to where you can purchase museum quality artifacts from all over the world. If you visit I would strongly suggest that you allow an hour or two in order to see their incredible collection and find that perfect piece. read more

Really enjoy dropping in to see old and new treasures. Every If I'm not looking to purchase, always opens my imaginations to eclectic possibilities. Beautiful an peaceful space. Worth a visit..... read more

I'm frankly shocked at the negative reviews. Primitive isn't racist; it's not referring to Asian and Indonesian cultures as "primitive," and it's not schlock - they have amazing pieces from all over the world, and began as an African Art and Folk Art gallery - thus the original name. It's a store, so of course everything is for sale - but where else in Chicago are you going to experience a "temple" installed in the middle of a retail space? Everything there is sold fair trade/ free market, and represents the best each culture has to offer. Most cultures other than Western have a deep respect for energy/ancestry/"magic"/ritual, and that's what Primitive is designed to bring forth. The experience of the space informs designers, architects and home owners about ways to organize their own spaces and bring the sense of peace to their place. If you prefer Target and Walter E Smith, this may be too rarified for you..... An incredible place!!! For the record - I find it hilarious that someone else is lamenting the stone floor from the 3-Gorges Dam - it's called recycling at its finest, otherwise it would be underwater, don't you think? read more

Starting with its condescending name, this place made me profoundly uneasy. The owners gather up the most beautiful art objects the developing world has to offer, ship them off to Chicago, and sell them. But were these ethical buys? Were they purchased, perhaps, from people who more or less had to sell (many of the objects come from extremely poor countries)? Did the sellers abroad know the kind of prices these things can fetch? What kind of profit margin are the owners collecting? Who knows? No attempt was made to assure the visitor that these were "fair trade" objects. So the more we saw, the more rapacious the whole business appeared. I could also have done without the fake religious temple (every object duly price-tagged) and the fake ritual of having people pour water over a lingam stone. Spare us the commercialized reinvention of the sacred. Oh, and the owners' murky ethics aside, I think to buy here is conspicuous consumption at its worst. Paying rich Chicago "merchants" (as the tour guide describes them, disavowing any museum training or background on the part of the owners) $300,000 for a piece of wood, no matter how beautiful, is deliberately choosing not to save lives or ease suffering with that money. I agree with the reviewer who urged people with that kind of money to consider buying the objects from the people in their countries of origin if they feel they must own them, rather than just appreciate them and the people who made them. Or--here's an idea--go to a museum. Better yet, make a goddamned microloan (http://www.kiva.org, for instance) and improve the developing world instead of feeding off it. read more

I've been to numerous events here, all of them made more special by the incredible surroundings and spirit within the building. It's hard not to be taken aback amidst the treasures throughout. A place to take anyone that appreciates other cultures. So they sell what they stock, it's a store, not a shrine. I've found the owners to be nothing but fascinating, with a story behind every piece. read more

It was an amazing experience visiting the primitive warehouse. i went to their warehouse in south chicago and while it is expensive I think the pieces are worth it. it was as interesting as visiting a good museum and learning the history behind the artifacts was fun. the owner, Glen, is very knowledgable and the staff are helpful. I didn't find it elitist unless you are politically correct and overanalyzing the name. I'm sure the original owners of the furniture artifacts were paid decently and the pieces only become marketable/valuable once they are restored which isn't easy to do well. No one is patronizing other cultures: the pieces are heirloom quality furniture/objects with an interesting history, probably a better value than most other material objects. read more

The owner of this establishment supports the unwarranted killing of rescued dogs. The Animal Care League is allowed to hold fundraisers at Primitive even after the owner was made aware of the fact that they hand pick through dogs and keep only the most higly adoptable ones. They refused to return a dog to our rescue but preferred to kill her instead. The owner of Primitive upon hearing this said he was personally disappointed in the ACL but apparently not enough to tell them they can't hold their fundraisers at Primitive. Primitive even advertised them last year as a NO KILL facility which is just FALSE. The ACL creates this illiusion as a fundraising tactic only. I am personally disappointed that the owner would allow them back again this year. Acl kills 1 out of every 5 dogs it takes in. They are all about fundraisers and nights out on the town not helping save lives. Our rescued dog Cookie was a good girl and she was killed by the ACL. Please do not support the ACL or Primitive due to their obvious approval of these unwarranted deaths. read more

You can think what you like about the name of the store, but it is clear the owners have a real passion for displaying works from cultures not well represented at other Chicago stores. Look at the inventory online, as not everything is on display in the showroom and many pieces are in the warehouse (which is fairly readily accessible). Primitive had many items unlike any I've seen previously and is a must-see for those who collect the unusual. read more

Amazing quality. The name primitive in artist lingo means not classically trained artists. it is not a deragatory term. It is descriptive ot the artists/artisans who made the pieces. Chicago has nothing else like it for Indian and Himalayan art. The sacred lingam at Primitive has a very powerful energy. I see some people have mocked it. It will not serve them well. read more

my husband and i stopped in this weekend on a whim. we were both dressed like complete bums (we were in our workout attire) i thought that we'd be shunned away based on our appearance... we were greeted by a very nice lady who told us to feel free to roam around and take a look at everything. she gave us a brief overview of the company. we weren't there to purchase anything, we weren't even "window shopping" but we were both transformed to another land. i'd go there again just to take pictures of everything. great find. read more

I purchased a lot of jewelry there for myself, and trusted Glenn and his expertise. Then i needed a special gift and purchased a $250 bronze "one of a kind lost wax technique" sculpture plus a nice base to put it on. To my complete horror that same week I saw the EXACT same statue (a whole mass-produced group of them) for $25 each at CENTURY MALL. I bought the $25 statue and the $250 statue back to show Glenn. He claimed they were told it was a lost wax statue (who are the experts here?) and then gave me a full refund. I felt crushed and lied to, and they lost a loyal customer. read more

Primitive is one of the most amazing places I have found in this city. I have been to many of the countries represented at this amazing gallery and have lived and worked with many of the artist and craftsmen in thailand, cambodia, laos, burma, argentina, vietnam and india. This gallery at its core has a beautiful message, "All cultures are essentially the same, we just express ourselves differently." There is a wonderful mix of new and old objects, and they are presented in a way that allows two different cultures and times to feed off each other's positive energies and truly shine. Every time I walk into primitive I am reminded of my amazing experiences around the world and can always find something I want to take home. The staff are all enthusiastic, welcoming, and extremely knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this gallery to anyone looking to redecorate their home, find a unique gift, spoil themselves with something amazing, or just take a break from being in Chicago and step into another world for a bit. read more