28
ABOVE: Pair of masks.
Tukman, Île You, Papua New
Guinea.
Elizabeth Pryce Collection, to be
offered at Sotheby’s, Paris, on October
10, 2018.
© Sotheby’s Paris.
LEFT: Mask.
Baule, Côte d’Ivoire.
Pierre Bergé Collection, to be offered
at Sotheby’s, Paris, on October 29–31,
2018.
© Sotheby’s Paris.
BELOW: Objects from the
Elizabeth Pryce Collection.
To be offered at Sotheby’s, Paris, on
October 10, 2018.
Photo: Sotheby’s/Art Digital Studio.
SOTHEBY’S
PARIS—Sotheby’s is sure to be much talked about this
fall. In addition to its customary sales in November in
New York (detailed elsewhere in this section) and in December
in Paris (which we will discuss in our winter edition),
the department of African and Oceanic art in Paris
will be holding two other special sales. The fi rst will be on
October 10, 2018, and will be composed of eighty-fi ve
objects from the collection of Elizabeth Pryce. Ms. Pryce,
a pharmacist in Sydney, fi rst discovered Oceanic art more
than forty years ago through a friend. Her interest quickly
became a passion. She was a co-founder and then the
vice president of the Oceanic Art Society in Sydney while
at the same time putting together a comprehensive collection
of Oceanic art that she sourced from some of the
best dealers in the fi eld. It includes major works such as a
Biwat fl ute stopper from Papua New Guinea, an artwork
that is an extraordinary blend of power and refi nement.
Pryce’s selections also reveal her special affi nity for elegantly
executed objects of everyday life, including
headrests, combs, and lime spatulas. The sale will
be unusual in that it will be entirely Oceanic and
also for the fact that the objects will be offered
without reserve. This will likely allow opportunities
both for experienced collectors and those with a
nascent interest in tribal art.
A few days after the sale of the Pryce Collection,
the arts of Africa, Oceania, and North America
will once again be featured at Sotheby’s on October
29, 30, and 31. These will be the dates of the Pierre
Bergé—D’une demeure l’autre sale. Likely to be one of
the most important events of the season in the art world,
this sale for the benefi t of the Fondation Pierre Bergé –
Yves Saint-Laurent and the Fondation Jardin Majorelle
will consist of more than 800 lots from this
eminent businessman and art connoisseur’s
four residences in France and Morocco. About
fi fty masks will be part of this incredible offering,
including three particularly important
ones: a Lega ivory mask from the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, and Yaure and Baule
examples, both from Côte d’Ivoire.
Those interested in the sale will be happy to
learn that a special preview of highlights from
it will be presented at Sotheby’s in Paris from
September 10–15.
ABOVE:
Flute stopper, wusear. Biwat,
Yuat River, Papua New
Guinea.
Elizabeth Pryce Collection, to be
offered at Sotheby’s, Paris, on October
10, 2018.
© Sotheby’s Paris.
BELOW: Ivory mask. Lega,
DR Congo.
Pierre Bergé Collection, to be offered
at Sotheby’s, Paris, on October 29–31,
2018.
© Sotheby’s Paris.
ART in motion