ART in motion Mask. Vuvi, Gabon. Ex Isaac Païlès, Paris; Jean-Claude Beller, Paris; private collection, United States (acquired in 1993). Est.: 60,000–90,000 euros. To be offered by Sotheby’s, Paris. 34 ABOVE: Figure. Luluwa, DR Congo. Ex Nathalie Chaboche, Guy Porré. Est.: 180,000–250,000 euros. To be offered by Sotheby’s, Paris. Mask. Yaure, Côte d’Ivoire. Est.: 350,000–450,000 euros. To be offered by Sotheby’s, Paris. A SALE OF HISTORICAL PIECES Paris—At a press conference last April 7, Sotheby’s announced ambitious tribal art sales for June and September. In its upcoming spring sale on June 18, the highlight is undoubtedly a spectacular Mabea Fang female figure whose equally impressive estimate of 2.5 to 3.5 million euros attests to its exceptional quality. From a corpus of works from which only ten are known—and the last one remaining in private hands—this masterpiece is a rendering of a female ancestor venerated for her fertility and numerous offspring. The beauty of the sculpture’s lines and the strength of its expression have long been recognized by aesthetes. Félix Fénéon and Jacques Kerchache both had the privilege of having it in their collections, a pleasure that will soon go to another fortunate individual’s to enjoy—unless, of course, the figure should happen to become part of a museum’s collection. Other items in this seventy-lot sale—a deliberately concise number of high-quality objects—include a number of pieces with important provenances. Among them are works from the collection of Bernd Mulhack, a German collector who began collecting African art in the 1960s and made his early acquisitions from Philippe Guimiot. These notably include a striking Bangwa male effigy figure. The sale also includes a Gabonese Vuvi mask that was published in the spring 2013 edition of this magazine as part of the in-depth article on these works by Charlotte Grand- Dufay. At the time, the location of this object was unknown to the author, but it has now come to light. RIGHT: Standing female figure. Fang-Mabea, Cameroon. Ex Félix Fénéon, Jacques Kerchache. Est.: 2.5M–3.5M euros. To be offered by Sotheby’s, Paris. BELOW: Male effigy. Bangwa, eastern Batoufam, Cameroon. Collected by P. Guimiot in Douala in the 1960s. Ex Bernd Muhlack, Kiel. Est.: 350,000–500,000 euros. To be offered by Sotheby’s, Paris.
untitled
To see the actual publication please follow the link above