MARCHÉ DE L'ART
34
BRAFA
BRUSSELS—The Brussels Arts and Antiquities Fair (BRAFA)
is a major annual art event that will be held this year
from January 27–February 4, 2018, as usual at the prestigious
Thurn & Taxis venue. For several years now, BRAFA
has established itself as a leading general antiques fair and
the one that now hosts the largest number of participating
dealers specializing in tribal art. That presence will increase
again this year with a record total of fifteen galleries listed
on the fair’s website under the heading of “Primitive and
Pre-Columbian Art.” A number of these dealers have provided
a few details about what they are preparing to show,
and we’ve heard enough to be able to say with confidence
that a visit to this year’s BRAFA is a must for any collector
with an interest in African, Oceanic, Asian, or Native
American art.
This year Didier Claes is the show’s vice president. He
has repeatedly shown that he is not one to rest on his laurels
and has consistently created innovative presentations.
For the 2018 BRAFA, he is making another daring move
by deciding to show Yaka initiation masks, objects that are
seldom seen at the top end of the art market. Impressive
in size, vividly colored, and boldly constructed with a thick
raffi a fi ber fringe, these undeniably beautiful objects are
anything but classical. Afi cionados will have the opportunity
to become better acquainted with them thanks to the
ten or so examples he will display.
LEFT, TOP TO BOTTOM:
Female fi gure.
Kanak, New Caledonia.
19th century.
Wood. H: 39.5 cm.
Private French collection.
To be offered by Galerie Yann Ferrandin
at BRAFA, January 27–February 4, 2018.
Anthropomorphic cup.
Kuba, DR Congo.
19th century.
Wood. H: 27 cm.
Ex George Lebert, Brussels, before 1935;
Murray Frum, Toronto.
To be offered by Galerie Grusenmeyer-
Woliner at BRAFA, January 27–
February 4, 2018.
Standing fi gure. Kuyu, Congo.
Wood, pigment. H: 65 cm.
Collected by Aristide Courtois before
1938.
Ex Charles Ratton, Paris.
To be offered by Galeries Philippe Ratton
at Lucas Ratton at BRAFA, January 27–
February 4, 2018.
RIGHT: Female fi gure. Senufo,
Côte d’Ivoire. 19th century.
Wood, shea butter. H: 68 cm.
Collected by Emil Storrer, c. 1950.
To be offered by Galerie Jacques Germain
at BRAFA, January 27–February 4, 2018.
LEFT: Knife. Eskimo, Bering
Sea, Alaska. C. 1850–1860.
Caribou bone, wood inlay. L: 15 cm.
To be offered by Deletaille Gallery at
BRAFA, January 27–February 4, 2018.
BELOW LEFT: Mask, gye.
Bété-Guro, Côte d’Ivoire. Late
19th–early 20th century.
Wood. H: 40 cm.
Ex A. Schneiberg, New York.
To be offered by Guilhem
Montagut Gallery at BRAFA, January 27–
February 4, 2018.
RIGHT: Sculpted head. Ewa,
Upper Karawari River, Papua
New Guinea. Mid 15th–early
16th century.
Wood, traces of pigment. H: 42 cm.
Ex Loed van Bussel, Amsterdam; private
collection, Paris.
To be offered by Galerie Serge Schoffel at
BRAFA, January 27–February 4, 2018.