ART in motion POWER AND PRESENCE Paris—A group of sixty-seven exceptional works from Africa and Oceania from a single-owner collection will be offered by Christie’s—without doubt very successfully—on December 11 in Paris. In the words of the auction house’s international consultant, Pierre Amrouche, the collection represents a “twenty-first-century sensibility.” Indeed these pieces were brought together recently and in a relatively short period of time—only about ten years—making it all the more surprising considering how difficult acquiring even a single masterpiece has become. These objects and the intelligence and originality of the choices lying behind them stand as encouraging proof that forming a collection of top-quality objects is still possible with a keen eye and an open mind. A Dogon maternity from the N’duleri region of Mali, for example, owes its power and poetic quality in part to its fragmentary nature. A highly refined Bembe statuette, formerly the property of Saul and Marsha Stanoff, and an astonishing figure commissioned by a Cameroonian king will undoubtedly be among the most hotly contested works in the sale. Where Oceanic material is concerned, all eyes will be on an important New Caledonian apuema mask that was collected by Admiral William Oswald Story at the end of the nineteenth century. Precious few examples of this type remain in private hands. These works will be on view at Christie’s beginning December 6, as will its offerings for its various-owner sale, also scheduled for December 11, which will include a number of masterpieces in ivory, among many other notable artworks. The latter include some particularly strong Northwest Coast objects. Far left: Flute stopper, wusear. Biwat, Papua New Guinea. Wood, shell. H: 50 cm. To be offered at Christie’s, Paris, on December 11, 2014. Est: €150,000–250,000. Left: Mask. Bete-Gouro, Côte d’Ivoire. To be offered at Christie’s, Paris, on December 11, 2014. Est: €100,000–150,000. Lower left: Power figure. nkisi. Songye, DR Congo. To be offered at Christie’s, Paris, on December 11, 2014. Est: €300,000–500,000. Above images © Christie’s Images Ltd, 2014. WINTER BRUNEAF Brussels—Once again this winter, the cold won’t keep the tribal art enthusiasts down. From January 22–25, 2015, the winter BRUNEAF will enliven the Sablon neighborhood with an array of artworks—primarily African but Oceanic as well—offered for sale by both local and foreign dealers. As this issue goes to press, twenty-four have confirmed that they will participate, and each will bring fascinating things for collectors to discover. Left: Standing figure. Baule, Sakassou region, Côte d’Ivoire. Seret Collection. To be offered at Native, Brussels, on January 24, 2015. Est: €15,000–20,000. TRIBAL ART SALE Brussels—On January 24, Native auction house will hold a sale of African, Oceanic, and Arctic art from various European collections, including that of Madame Andrée- Laure Seret, which has never been shown before. Madame Seret, who was a Sablon antiques dealer, acquired most of these objects from her friend, artist Willy Mestach, in the 1960s and 1970s. Many of the objects in the collection reveal the influence that African art had on Western artists. Among these, a Sakassou region Baule statuette, two kifwebe masks that Mestach was especially fond of, and an abstract Lega figure will be among the highlights of the sale. Above: Headdress, pa’e kaha. Marquesas Islands. 19th century. Turtle shell, shell, coconut fiber. L: 46 cm. Ex Patrice Bredel, Tahiti; private collection, France. © Indigenes © Philippe de Formanoir: Paso Doble.
Layout1
To see the actual publication please follow the link above