36 PRE-COLUMBIAN ART SALE Paris—On March 23, auctioneers Binoche et Giquello will put important Pre-Columbian sculptures from the Vanden Avenne Collection up for sale. This collection, undoubtedly among the most important Mesoamerican ones in Europe, was started in the 1960s. A substantial number of the pieces in the auction are already familiar to aficionados, having been seen on numerous occasions in temporary exhibitions and in their accompanying catalogs. The earliest of these was the Art de Mésoamérique exhibition in 1976, but the most prestigious one is certainly Trésors du nouveau monde, seen at the Musées Royaux d’Art et d’Histoire in Brussels in 1992, in which thirteen of the objects scheduled for sale here were shown alongside other pieces from museums and other major private collections. It is reasonable to assume that these will be much coveted. They include a greenstone funerary mask from Teotihuacan’s Classic Period with angular eyes, forehead, and cheeks that contrast beautifully with the carefully modeled rendering of the mouth and the nose. An important Zapotec funerary urn from Monte Albán, Mexico, which is remarkably well preserved, will also undoubtedly attract lively bidding. Other interesting works have been announced, such as a group of Mayan vases decorated with glyphs dating to the Early Classic and Post-Classic Periods, a completely unique Veracruz mirror back, a male and female pair from the Nayarit culture of ancient West Mexico, and many other manifestations of the talent and vitality manifested in the art of the great Mesoamerican cultures. AUCTION IN PARIS Paris—Auctioneers Pierre Bergé and Associates, working in collaboration with expert Johann Levy, are preparing a sale of important African art that will take place on April 8 at Hôtel Drouot and will feature a single private collection of objects assembled between the late 1950s and the early 1980s. It reflects the collector’s predilection for fine surface effects and for ancient bronzes. It is largely made up of works from Côte d’Ivoire and neighboring countries, with most objects originating from the Dan, Baule, Lobi, and Senufo peoples. Masks and figures will be the mainstay, but examples of so-called “colonial art”—the vibrant, lively, and original hybrid art form born of the dominion of European powers in Africa—will also be included. LEFT: Mask, gu. Guro, Côte d’Ivoire. Wood, pigment. H: 34 cm. To be offered by Pierre Bergé & Associés, Paris, April 8, 2016, est. 20,000–30,000 euros. ABOVE: Anthropomorphic hacha. Maya, Mexico- Guatemala border region. AD 450–650. Green granite. H: 25.5 cm. To be offered by Binoche et Giquello, est. 70,000–100,000 euros. ABOVE CENTER: Lid with incised decoration (detail). Maya, northeastern Petén, Guatemala. AD 300–400. Terracotta. D: 46.5 cm. To be offered by Binoche et Giquello, est. 120,000–150,000 euros. ABOVE RIGHT: Funerary urn. Zapotec, Monte Albán, Mexico. AD 450–650. Terracotta. H: 57 cm. To be offered by Binoche et Giquello, est. 250,000–300,000 euros. BELOW: Warrior with a removable zoomorphic mask. Veracruz, Juachin, Gulf Coast, Mexico. AD 600–900. Terracotta, stucco. H: 24.5 cm. To be offered by Binoche et Giquello, est. 20,000 –25,000 euros. RIGHT: Couple, thila. Lobi, Burkina Faso or Côte d’Ivoire. Wood. H: 89 cm and 73.5 cm. To be offered by Pierre Bergé & Associés, Paris, April 8, 2016, est. 15,000–18,000 euros.
•TribalPaginaIntera.indd
To see the actual publication please follow the link above