Tropical Africa
1575-1625 Benin Head of an Oba
2007 SOLD for $ 4.7M including premium by Sotheby's
Link to catalogue.
Fénéon's Arts from Remote Places
2014 SOLD 4.35 M€ including premium
A masterpiece of African tribal art estimated € 2.5 million for sale on June 18 at Sotheby's in Paris revives the amazing and eccentric personality of Félix Fénéon.
An anarchist activist who became an effective art critic, Fénéon was the discoverer of Seurat before entering the illusion of the communist ideal with Signac. Refusing social or artistic pre-established solutions, he was one of the first along with Apollinaire to be interested in African art.
In 1920, Fénéon obtains and publishes the opinions of twenty specialists on the topic of relevance or not to consider the primitive arts, named by him Arts Lointains, on the same level as the European masterpieces in the Louvre. This question had a final answer 80 years later when Jacques Kerchache obtained the creation of a specialized section in that Museum.
In 1920, the African standard bearer in Fénéon's collection is a Fang figure 67 cm high of a nude woman in seated position which will also later join the Kerchache collection. Its characteristics differ from other Fang styles by a careful anatomical realism and an active expression. The mouth is open to speak.
It was sculpted after the tribal migrations of the eighteenth century (we do not know exactly when) in a very tiny Fang subgroup, the Mabea of Cameroon, whose artistic output is extremely rare. Only a dozen of their ancestor figures are known. The Fénéon-Kerchache specimen is the last in private hands. It is estimated € 2.5 M.
POST SALE COMMENT
The prestigious African figure was sold for € 4.35M including premium.
I invite you to play the video shared by Sotheby's :
An anarchist activist who became an effective art critic, Fénéon was the discoverer of Seurat before entering the illusion of the communist ideal with Signac. Refusing social or artistic pre-established solutions, he was one of the first along with Apollinaire to be interested in African art.
In 1920, Fénéon obtains and publishes the opinions of twenty specialists on the topic of relevance or not to consider the primitive arts, named by him Arts Lointains, on the same level as the European masterpieces in the Louvre. This question had a final answer 80 years later when Jacques Kerchache obtained the creation of a specialized section in that Museum.
In 1920, the African standard bearer in Fénéon's collection is a Fang figure 67 cm high of a nude woman in seated position which will also later join the Kerchache collection. Its characteristics differ from other Fang styles by a careful anatomical realism and an active expression. The mouth is open to speak.
It was sculpted after the tribal migrations of the eighteenth century (we do not know exactly when) in a very tiny Fang subgroup, the Mabea of Cameroon, whose artistic output is extremely rare. Only a dozen of their ancestor figures are known. The Fénéon-Kerchache specimen is the last in private hands. It is estimated € 2.5 M.
POST SALE COMMENT
The prestigious African figure was sold for € 4.35M including premium.
I invite you to play the video shared by Sotheby's :
The Eye of the Byeri
2015 SOLD for € 3.8M including premium
The byeri, practiced by the numerous Fang ethnic groups in Gabon and neighboring countries, is not a theology but a cult of the ancestors.
The deceased person had knowledge and wisdom and his death must not interrupt his teaching. The anthropomorphic fetish is the guardian of the reliquary containing the bones. The ancestor is not anonymous but the colonization deleted the oral traditions that applied to him.
The statuette is necessary for the initiation rites. The adolescent drinks a hallucinogenic concoction before spending a whole night in the presence of the figures of the ancestors. In this carefully organized delirium, he understands how he shall behave throughout his adult life.
This figure of the night is in blackened wood. Some Fang tribes add a refinement: large circular eyes in glued and pinned copper or brass have a hypnotizing effect. It is not surprising that the figures of the byeri, quite common, have fascinated the first European connoisseurs in the early twentieth century more than any other category of African tribal art.
On December 3 in Paris, Christie's sells one of the most described pieces, the Guillaume-Fourquet specimen acquired in 1965 by André Fourquet at the auction sale of the Paul Guillaume collection. It is estimated € 2M, lot 76.
This figure 55 cm high has two remarkable features: its black oozing lacquered patina is in very good condition and it still has one of its copper eyes. The loss of both forearms at the elbow can not be an accident or a coincidence. It has probably been voluntarily amputated at the time of its collection to prevent that its magic powers benefit the godless Europeans.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Christie's :
The deceased person had knowledge and wisdom and his death must not interrupt his teaching. The anthropomorphic fetish is the guardian of the reliquary containing the bones. The ancestor is not anonymous but the colonization deleted the oral traditions that applied to him.
The statuette is necessary for the initiation rites. The adolescent drinks a hallucinogenic concoction before spending a whole night in the presence of the figures of the ancestors. In this carefully organized delirium, he understands how he shall behave throughout his adult life.
This figure of the night is in blackened wood. Some Fang tribes add a refinement: large circular eyes in glued and pinned copper or brass have a hypnotizing effect. It is not surprising that the figures of the byeri, quite common, have fascinated the first European connoisseurs in the early twentieth century more than any other category of African tribal art.
On December 3 in Paris, Christie's sells one of the most described pieces, the Guillaume-Fourquet specimen acquired in 1965 by André Fourquet at the auction sale of the Paul Guillaume collection. It is estimated € 2M, lot 76.
This figure 55 cm high has two remarkable features: its black oozing lacquered patina is in very good condition and it still has one of its copper eyes. The loss of both forearms at the elbow can not be an accident or a coincidence. It has probably been voluntarily amputated at the time of its collection to prevent that its magic powers benefit the godless Europeans.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Christie's :
The Art of the Warua Master
2015 SOLD for £ 6.1M including premium
The increasingly detailed knowledge of the masterpieces of African art allows to group some figures. The corpus from the Warua Master from the Luba ethnic group includes altogether four bow stands, two stools and three statuettes.
One of these pieces has a history of collection. It was given in 1902 or 1903 to an explorer by the chief of a village on the Luvua river in Congo.
The only male figure in this set is a statuette 42 cm high, sold for $ 3.6 million including premium by Sotheby's on May 15, 2015. Although this specific artwork has no functional use, I noted that the geometric regularity and the beauty of shapes was guided by the utilitarian role of other artefacts created by the same hand.
On July 9 in London, Christie's sells one of the four bow stands, lot 110 estimated £ 1.5M.
The female figure with pointed breasts has a striking resemblance with the male statuette discussed above with regard to the attitude, the proportions in the body, the shape of the head and the facial lines. Perched on a small pedestal, she wears on her head a carved trident that can hold the bows. The total height of this piece is 64 cm.
One of these pieces has a history of collection. It was given in 1902 or 1903 to an explorer by the chief of a village on the Luvua river in Congo.
The only male figure in this set is a statuette 42 cm high, sold for $ 3.6 million including premium by Sotheby's on May 15, 2015. Although this specific artwork has no functional use, I noted that the geometric regularity and the beauty of shapes was guided by the utilitarian role of other artefacts created by the same hand.
On July 9 in London, Christie's sells one of the four bow stands, lot 110 estimated £ 1.5M.
The female figure with pointed breasts has a striking resemblance with the male statuette discussed above with regard to the attitude, the proportions in the body, the shape of the head and the facial lines. Perched on a small pedestal, she wears on her head a carved trident that can hold the bows. The total height of this piece is 64 cm.
Last night this Luba figure sold for £6,130,50, the highest price for a work of African art at auction in the UK. pic.twitter.com/anPH0wpvV1
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) July 10, 2015The Masters of the Luba Empire
2015 SOLD for $ 3.6M including premium
The Luba lived in the vast region between the Congo River and Lake Tanganyika. Their monarchy was centralized and powerful. Around 1900 their royal art began to be studied, enabling to identify the creations of two artists who probably lived in the time of the height of that empire a few decades earlier.
The continuous movement of the tribes has a consequence that African art is not local but mixed with neighboring influences. The two major artists whose figuration is very different have also a Hemba influence.
Both executed altogether fetishes and utilitarian objects for royal ceremonies such as caryatid seats and cups, and bow stands. This duality explains the regular proportions in the body whose geometry is perfectly balanced without being realistic.
The figures are often a woman or a mixed janus. The fetishes are related to spirits whose incorporation into a woman's body is likened to a pregnancy. The traditions of hermaphrodite figures were probably already abandoned at the time of the two masters.
The Buli Master may in fact apply to two or three different or subsequent artists. A beautifully carved caryatid seat was sold for € 5.4 million including premium by Sotheby's on 30 November 2010.
The Warua Master is probably one artist because of the similarity of the faces in the works collected under that name which is no more than a bad old phonetic for Luba or Baluba.
A very rare Luba male figure made by the Warua Master, 42 cm high, is estimated $ 3M for sale by Sotheby's in New York on May 15, lot 107.
The continuous movement of the tribes has a consequence that African art is not local but mixed with neighboring influences. The two major artists whose figuration is very different have also a Hemba influence.
Both executed altogether fetishes and utilitarian objects for royal ceremonies such as caryatid seats and cups, and bow stands. This duality explains the regular proportions in the body whose geometry is perfectly balanced without being realistic.
The figures are often a woman or a mixed janus. The fetishes are related to spirits whose incorporation into a woman's body is likened to a pregnancy. The traditions of hermaphrodite figures were probably already abandoned at the time of the two masters.
The Buli Master may in fact apply to two or three different or subsequent artists. A beautifully carved caryatid seat was sold for € 5.4 million including premium by Sotheby's on 30 November 2010.
The Warua Master is probably one artist because of the similarity of the faces in the works collected under that name which is no more than a bad old phonetic for Luba or Baluba.
A very rare Luba male figure made by the Warua Master, 42 cm high, is estimated $ 3M for sale by Sotheby's in New York on May 15, lot 107.
#AuctionUpdate: Luba Male Statue by the Warua Master fetches $3.6m in the NY African, Oceanic, and Pre-Col sale pic.twitter.com/0pEqXt5435
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) May 15, 2015Geometry for the Senufo
2014 SOLD for $ 12M including premium
The mythology of the Senufo people in Ivory Coast gives the leading role to the genesis. All human beings have a matrilineal link to the couple of primordial ancestors. The rites are held in every village by an initiatory society, the Poro.
This belief is embodied in statues that are used at both passages, puberty and death, as well as sanctuary ornaments. On November 11 in New York, Sotheby's sells a figure of the divine mother, 92 cm high, lot 48.
The Senufo artist who made this work did not wish to respect the proportions: the torso is very long and narrow and the legs are short, perhaps to be seen from below like a figure of El Greco. Instead, he expressed the mythic power by using geometry. For example, the ears are perfect circles, breasts are cones and eyebrows are a simple horizontal line.
The prominent navel resulting from the loss of the umbilical cord is the link that evokes fertility and creation. The line drawings adorning the bodies of the pubescent women are copied onto the statuette.
The ancient history of this piece is unknown, but comparisons may date its realization in the nineteenth century or early twentieth century. It would be a contemporary to the majestic Senufo primordial couple that was sold for $ 4 million including premium by Sotheby's on November 14, 2008.
This belief is embodied in statues that are used at both passages, puberty and death, as well as sanctuary ornaments. On November 11 in New York, Sotheby's sells a figure of the divine mother, 92 cm high, lot 48.
The Senufo artist who made this work did not wish to respect the proportions: the torso is very long and narrow and the legs are short, perhaps to be seen from below like a figure of El Greco. Instead, he expressed the mythic power by using geometry. For example, the ears are perfect circles, breasts are cones and eyebrows are a simple horizontal line.
The prominent navel resulting from the loss of the umbilical cord is the link that evokes fertility and creation. The line drawings adorning the bodies of the pubescent women are copied onto the statuette.
The ancient history of this piece is unknown, but comparisons may date its realization in the nineteenth century or early twentieth century. It would be a contemporary to the majestic Senufo primordial couple that was sold for $ 4 million including premium by Sotheby's on November 14, 2008.
ca 1900 The Primordial Couple of the Senufo society
2008 SOLD 4 M$ including premium
As early as June 20, Sotheby's, in a press release, announced a very important pair of Senufo statues, for sale in New York on November 14, lot number 63.
These statues have many qualities that justify their estimate of $ 3 million. They are large: 1.16 m for the male and 0.97 m for the female, in very good condition, and relatively old because they are believed to be created in the late nineteenth century or beginning of the twentieth century. Acquired in 1961 by Nelson Rockefeller, they were until 1967 part of his Museum of Primitive Art in New York, and were often exhibited and described.
This couple of ancestors of the Senufo society from Ivory Coast is powerful, with protruding chins, and arms and legs slightly bent in a position of ritual dance. The heads are dressed with large size symbolic attributes. The patina is deep brown with red, ochre and white pigments. The identical overall position of the two statues reinforces the idea of a complementarity man - woman of the primordial Senufo couple, to whom the creator of the world, whose catalog reminds us that his name was Kolotyolo, gave birth together as twins.
It is rare that such a pair has been preserved without being separated.
POST SALE COMMENT
The sale of the Rosenthal collection fetched $ 10.8 million including expenses, including $ 4 million for this pair of Senufo ancestors. The price of this lot rewards the condition, the ornamentation, the pedigree ... and advertising, since it was announced long time in advance and had long been at a place of honor on the site of Sotheby's.
These statues have many qualities that justify their estimate of $ 3 million. They are large: 1.16 m for the male and 0.97 m for the female, in very good condition, and relatively old because they are believed to be created in the late nineteenth century or beginning of the twentieth century. Acquired in 1961 by Nelson Rockefeller, they were until 1967 part of his Museum of Primitive Art in New York, and were often exhibited and described.
This couple of ancestors of the Senufo society from Ivory Coast is powerful, with protruding chins, and arms and legs slightly bent in a position of ritual dance. The heads are dressed with large size symbolic attributes. The patina is deep brown with red, ochre and white pigments. The identical overall position of the two statues reinforces the idea of a complementarity man - woman of the primordial Senufo couple, to whom the creator of the world, whose catalog reminds us that his name was Kolotyolo, gave birth together as twins.
It is rare that such a pair has been preserved without being separated.
POST SALE COMMENT
The sale of the Rosenthal collection fetched $ 10.8 million including expenses, including $ 4 million for this pair of Senufo ancestors. The price of this lot rewards the condition, the ornamentation, the pedigree ... and advertising, since it was announced long time in advance and had long been at a place of honor on the site of Sotheby's.
collected < 1920s Primitivism from De Miré to Rubin
2015 SOLD for € 5.5M including premium
The Kota reliquary figure was used to mark the location of a buried basket containing the relics of the dead. These tribal graveyard ornaments from Gabon have common generic features.
The flat face in leaf shape is more or less stylized. It is placed on a wider oval on which they could hang ear ornaments. The hair is a crest looking like a military helmet and the hollowed diamond shape constituting the body is undoubtedly a symbol of female fertility.
Collected at an unknown date, which is the case for most of these pieces, a Kota figure 66 cm high had highly influenced the art of the twentieth century by the constructivist purity of its face limited to a central ridge between the two eyes positioned halfway up the head.
Its provenance is exceptional.
Its earliest identified owner is Georges de Miré in the 1920s. De Miré was one of very few connoisseurs at that time who knew to see an intrinsic artistic quality within a tribal piece.
Following financial difficulties, De Miré sold his collection at auction in Drouot on 16 December 1931. The Kota was purchased at this sale by Helena Rubinstein.
It was acquired in the early 1980s by William Rubin, the director in New York MoMA and former friend of Picasso who was able to interview the artists to explain the depth of the tribal influence on modern art, becoming the most subtle theorist of primitivism.
This figure is estimated € 6M for sale by Christie's in Paris on June 23, lot 37. The video shared by Christie's to introduce this lot is mostly a tribute to Rubin's exceptional vision.
The flat face in leaf shape is more or less stylized. It is placed on a wider oval on which they could hang ear ornaments. The hair is a crest looking like a military helmet and the hollowed diamond shape constituting the body is undoubtedly a symbol of female fertility.
Collected at an unknown date, which is the case for most of these pieces, a Kota figure 66 cm high had highly influenced the art of the twentieth century by the constructivist purity of its face limited to a central ridge between the two eyes positioned halfway up the head.
Its provenance is exceptional.
Its earliest identified owner is Georges de Miré in the 1920s. De Miré was one of very few connoisseurs at that time who knew to see an intrinsic artistic quality within a tribal piece.
Following financial difficulties, De Miré sold his collection at auction in Drouot on 16 December 1931. The Kota was purchased at this sale by Helena Rubinstein.
It was acquired in the early 1980s by William Rubin, the director in New York MoMA and former friend of Picasso who was able to interview the artists to explain the depth of the tribal influence on modern art, becoming the most subtle theorist of primitivism.
This figure is estimated € 6M for sale by Christie's in Paris on June 23, lot 37. The video shared by Christie's to introduce this lot is mostly a tribute to Rubin's exceptional vision.
collected < 1930s The Baule Duality
2015 SOLD for € 5.4M including premium
The Baule (Baoulé) from Ivory Coast used the abstract concept of duality as a mystical element for understanding the world. The duality takes many forms: man and woman, body and soul, the object and its shadow, the reflection, the confluence, the twins, and even the role of the ego in the community.
The Vérité collection included since the 1930s a double mask, sold for € 1.3 million including premium by Enchères Rive Gauche on 17 June 2006. It is now estimated € 2M for sale by Sotheby's in Paris on June 24, lot 26.
Unlike the Janus figures, the two faces are side by side. It is a real mask in which only the two central eyes are pierced to be used in that function.
Both heads are identical in shape but differ in the location of scars, in the hair and in the color of the patina that has been partially preserved. It is indeed a male-female duality. The serene and wise attitude of the two heads confirms that the meaning is more philosophical than religious. This is not an emanation of the primordial couple.
A double mask is created by the artist on the occasion of a twin birth, probably as a unique piece that explains its great rarity. Two other examples only are known. A dancer wore this mask in the presence of the real twins during festive celebrations.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Sotheby's :
The Vérité collection included since the 1930s a double mask, sold for € 1.3 million including premium by Enchères Rive Gauche on 17 June 2006. It is now estimated € 2M for sale by Sotheby's in Paris on June 24, lot 26.
Unlike the Janus figures, the two faces are side by side. It is a real mask in which only the two central eyes are pierced to be used in that function.
Both heads are identical in shape but differ in the location of scars, in the hair and in the color of the patina that has been partially preserved. It is indeed a male-female duality. The serene and wise attitude of the two heads confirms that the meaning is more philosophical than religious. This is not an emanation of the primordial couple.
A double mask is created by the artist on the occasion of a twin birth, probably as a unique piece that explains its great rarity. Two other examples only are known. A dancer wore this mask in the presence of the real twins during festive celebrations.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Sotheby's :
<< 1930 A Mask for the Reincarnation
2019 SOLD for $ 4.2M including premium
Against the dangers of the rainforest, several groups maintained secret societies with a dual role : to terrorize the malicious and to communicate with the ancestors. There is in Gabon the Ngil of the Fang and in Mali the Bambara ethnic group.
For the Songye of Congo, this activity is entrusted to the Bifwebe. This word is the plural of Kifwebe. The Kifwebe man wears a complete disguise that turns him into an overpowering creature. From his human origin, he keeps the standing position. He speaks with a strange falsetto voice and roars like a lion.
The Bifwebe masks are adorned with a pattern of undulating lines which does not imitate the zebra absent in this region but rather an antelope. The nose and mouth have intimidating shapes that evoke the snout of the crocodile and the thorns of the porcupine.
Female masks also exist but for other uses. The Songye believe that it is the reincarnation of an ancestor that gives life to the fetus. The Kifwebe woman wears the mask to facilitate the reception of the ancestor in her belly, and also in some applications of the Lunar rituals.
These rare female masks do not have the severity of their male counterparts. One of them, described before 1930 in the Walschot collection, is a masterpiece of African art by the vitality of the waves of the face, in a pure white of kaolin contrasting over the dark skin. This specimen probably directly inspired Calder and the entwined zebras by Vasarely. It will be sold by Christie's in New York on May 14, lot 8.
For the Songye of Congo, this activity is entrusted to the Bifwebe. This word is the plural of Kifwebe. The Kifwebe man wears a complete disguise that turns him into an overpowering creature. From his human origin, he keeps the standing position. He speaks with a strange falsetto voice and roars like a lion.
The Bifwebe masks are adorned with a pattern of undulating lines which does not imitate the zebra absent in this region but rather an antelope. The nose and mouth have intimidating shapes that evoke the snout of the crocodile and the thorns of the porcupine.
Female masks also exist but for other uses. The Songye believe that it is the reincarnation of an ancestor that gives life to the fetus. The Kifwebe woman wears the mask to facilitate the reception of the ancestor in her belly, and also in some applications of the Lunar rituals.
These rare female masks do not have the severity of their male counterparts. One of them, described before 1930 in the Walschot collection, is a masterpiece of African art by the vitality of the waves of the face, in a pure white of kaolin contrasting over the dark skin. This specimen probably directly inspired Calder and the entwined zebras by Vasarely. It will be sold by Christie's in New York on May 14, lot 8.
exhibited 1930s - The Lega Initiation Mask
2016 SOLD for € 3.7M including premium
The Lega ethnic group (sometimes called Warega) of Congo was divided into several clan communities which recruited their members through an initiatory process. Masks were worn during the ceremonies. They were made of wood, bone, stone, resin or ivory.
Among these materials, ivory is the most important. An ivory mask is representing the founder of the community and the number of past generations from him is known by the group. Such a mask is exhibited and never worn : it is indeed a work of art in the Western meaning of that wording. It is unique for a community and therefore it is extremely rare.
The Lega tribe is certainly the one that has best mastered the art of ivory. In addition to the full scale mask, many small replicas that may be called masquettes were produced for the need of the initiatory liturgy. These masquettes were held in the palm of the hand.
In the 1930s, the Lega ivory masks marveled in due course the pioneering connoisseurs who were exploring the depth and variety of African arts. One of these masks, abundantly exhibited, described and photographed at that time, has just resurfaced. It is estimated € 1M for sale by Sotheby's in Paris on June 22, lot 41.
The quality of the patina had been identified but the piece had been only photographed in black and white. Its rediscovery confirms that this is a masterpiece : amateurs highly appreciate the figures in good condition that provide the evidence of an intense tribal use.
Its deep patina in a superb color mixing brown, red and orange was performed by a repetitive anointing with pigmented oils. This organic layer had a magical role. This specimen bears the trace of withdrawals that had been taken for therapeutic purposes in an interesting case of the intervention of the ancestor for a real assistance to the new follower.
Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's :
Among these materials, ivory is the most important. An ivory mask is representing the founder of the community and the number of past generations from him is known by the group. Such a mask is exhibited and never worn : it is indeed a work of art in the Western meaning of that wording. It is unique for a community and therefore it is extremely rare.
The Lega tribe is certainly the one that has best mastered the art of ivory. In addition to the full scale mask, many small replicas that may be called masquettes were produced for the need of the initiatory liturgy. These masquettes were held in the palm of the hand.
In the 1930s, the Lega ivory masks marveled in due course the pioneering connoisseurs who were exploring the depth and variety of African arts. One of these masks, abundantly exhibited, described and photographed at that time, has just resurfaced. It is estimated € 1M for sale by Sotheby's in Paris on June 22, lot 41.
The quality of the patina had been identified but the piece had been only photographed in black and white. Its rediscovery confirms that this is a masterpiece : amateurs highly appreciate the figures in good condition that provide the evidence of an intense tribal use.
Its deep patina in a superb color mixing brown, red and orange was performed by a repetitive anointing with pigmented oils. This organic layer had a magical role. This specimen bears the trace of withdrawals that had been taken for therapeutic purposes in an interesting case of the intervention of the ancestor for a real assistance to the new follower.
Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's :
Exceptionally rare Lega mask from Congo, part of auction @SothebysFr #Paris on 22 June https://t.co/hFqP1uAEWU pic.twitter.com/u18IsWWbtk
— SHOW ON SHOW (@SHOWONSHOW) April 29, 2016
