PRESS RELEASE
12.11.2014
3 MAJOR PRIVATE COLLECTIONS OF TRIBAL ART
INCLUDING 127 SPOONS FROM THE WOLF COLLECTION
- SALE 10 DECEMBER 2014 -
Guro mask, by the Master of Bouaflé, Ivory Coast, H. 40
cm (estimate 100 000 – 150 000 € / 130 000 – 200 000
$). Photo : Hughes Dubois.
Exceptional Dan anthropomorphic spoon, Ivory Coast, H.
62 cm (estimate : 100 000 – 150 000 € / 130 000 –
200 000 $).
Paris – For its second sale of the year, to be held on 10 December, the Tribal Art department at Artcurial will pay tribute to
collectors, in offering no less than three major private collections. The first of these comprises 127 African spoons belonging
to Liuba and Ernesto Wolf. The second, belonging to M. and Mme Robert Hendrickx from Brussels, includes a historic group
of 15 Dogon sculptures. The final collection, from Paris, comprises 24 combs. Other remarkable lots in the sale include a royal
Luba pipe from the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as an exceptional and extremely rare Guro mask, by the Master of
Bouaflé, from the Ivory Coast.
Florence Latieule, in charge of the Art Tribal department, explains : « Artcurial’s decision to make Tribal Art a permanent
department demonstrates the confidence that we have in this speciality. The wonderful quality of the work presented in the sale,
the documented and prestigious provenance and the coherence of the collections offered, will appeal to a demanding and
highly competitive market. »
THE LIUBA AND ERNESTO WOLF COLLECTION
This collection, unique for its richness and diversity, covers the key elements of the production of Sub-Saharan Africa, with a
focus on ethnic groups that have carved the most extraordinary creations. There are no fewer than 24 Dan spoons and 27
Baule and Guro spoons. The group of 3 Dan anthromorphic spoons is particularly exceptional.
The spoons were collected from the end of the 1950s and several were exhibited at the Dapper Foundation in Paris in 1991, in
the exhibition « Cuillers Sculptures ». The collection unites different styles and materials, principally wood, but also metal, for
the Ashanti pieces from Ghana, and also bone and ivory for the Boa and Lega spoons from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Dapper Museum is currently holding a new exhibition dedicated to these symbolic pieces of Tribal Art : « L’art de
Manger ».
Exceptional Dan anthropomorphic spoon, Ivory Coast
Ernesto and Liuba Wolf Collection
H. : 62 cm
Estimate : 100 000 – 150 000 € / 130 000 – 200 000 $
The integration of a complete female statue and a spoon makes this remarkable
sculpture unique in the art of the Dan people. The Dan female statue is a portrait of
the first wife or the favourite wife of a chief. An object of prestige for its owner, the
statuette was presented with pomp to the villagers, then carefully hidden from view,
only brought out subsequently for distinguished guests. It could also be treated as a
doll by a woman who, for pleasure, might like to wash and dress it. The spoon added
to the top of the skull symbolised the most hospitable and generous woman from the
village. The sculpture was therefore very highly regarded and revered by its
successive owners as a symbol of status and prestige in the village.
Fang spoon, Gabon
Ernesto and Liuba Wolf Collection
H. : 25,50 cm
Estimate : 30 000 – 40 000 € / 40 000 – 53 000 $
Examples of Fang spoons with figurative decoration are relatively rare, with themes
limited to male and female heads and whole figures. The head of the Wolf spoon,
like a miniature Fang reliquary head, with a face set with tiny white pearl eyes,
recalls another Fang spoon that was exhibited in the Dapper Museum in 1991. The
double helix of the handle is not typical of Fang decorative arts, but has been found,
however, on other pieces. The artist who carved the Fang spoon in the Wolf
Collection must have been one of the most highly accomplished Central African
miniaturists. The craftsmanship is intricate, delicate and refined, and the spoon
combines a sense of grandeur with its double-twisted handle, with the intent, staring
face adding a more figurative aspect.
THE COLLECTION OF M. ET MME ROBERT HENDRICKX, BRUSSELS
Great art enthusiasts Robert Hendrickx and his wife particularly loved painting which led them to collect work by artists from the
School of Paris such as Picasso, Braque, Matisse, Dufy, Ernst… It was in 1958, following a decisive meeting with the Brussels
dealer Maurice d’Arquian, owner of the famous Galerie Internationale d’Art Contemporain, that Hendrickx became passionate
about tribal art and assembled a wonderful collection remarkable for the variety of pieces from Oceania and Africa. This
collection featuring 19 pieces of tribal art, of which Artcurial will present a selection of fifteen Tellem and Dogon sculptures from
Mali, is exceptional for its provenance, pedigree and age. In fact, eight of these statues appeared in the important exhibition at
the Musée de Tervuren in Belgium « Art d’Afrique dans les Collections Belges » held from 29 June to 30 October 1963. The
eclectic and archaic nature of these Tellem and Dogon sculptures from Mali give this collection a wonderfully unique character.
The statuettes with a human likeness were made by the Dogon people to serve as receptacles for the soul "kikuni say" and the
life force “nyama” of the dead. After carving these statuettes to resemble their dead, the Dogons placed them on the roof of
where they used to live with a small terracotta vase for libations, called a “bundo”.
The first statue to have been made was created to the exact dimensions of the person that had died, and a whole series of
statues followed on that carried on this practice. Over time, the Dogons reduced the scale of their statues in order to be able to
move them more easily.
These statues formed part of the ancestors’ altar or "waguem". Amongst the different roles they played in society, Dieterlen
mentioned that they were prayed to during collective ceremonies, when asking for rain, a successful hunting trip or to ward off
epidemics as well as to resolve disputes between family or tribe members.
Large Dogon statuette, Mali,
M. and Mme Robert Hendrickx Collection
H. : 37 cm
Estimate : 20 000 – 25 000 € / 26 000 – 33 000 $
Female Tellem statuette, Dogon, Mali,
M. and Mme Robert Hendrickx Collection
H. : 30 cm
Estimate : 20 000 – 25 000 € / 26 000 – 33 000 $
TWO REMARKABLE PIECES
The Tribal Art sale will present many highlights including a beautiful Baule mask, in Kpan style, from the Ivory Coast (estimate :
60 000 – 80 000 € / $), that used to belong to André Lhote. However, of particular note are two remarkable pieces : a royal
Luba water pipe, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and a Guro mask by the Master of Bouaflé, from the Ivory Coast.
Royal Luba water pipe, Democratic Republic of Congo
Wood with aged brown patina
H. : 55 cm
Estimate : 100 000 – 120 000 € / 130 000 – 160 000 $
Luba anthromorphic water pipes are amongst the most creative and sophisticated in
Luban art. These pipes have been used since time immemorial by the people in East
Congo, to smoke a locally grown tobacco thought to be a mild narcotic, and also for
social and cultural purposes. An amazing photograph published in 1910 shows a
Luban chief or soothsayer smoking a water pipe placed in the bowl of a Luban cup,
evidence of the many sacred connections between divination and the use of tobacco.
The figure and the water container of these anthromorphic pipes were considered to
be « feminine », while the reed that linked to the terracotta tobacco bowl (missing in
our pipe) was « masculine ». Thus, the pipe symbolised the relationship between
men and women in this matrilineal society. This type of object is extremely rare, and
we are aware of less than a dozen examples in museum and private collections.
Guro mask, by the Bouaflé Master, Ivory Coast
H. : 40 cm
Estimate : 100 000 – 150 000 € / 130 000 – 200 000 $
The appearance on the art market of a new mask attributed to the most remarkable
sculptor known as the Master of Bouaflé is a highly significant event in the
understanding of Guro art.
Amongst the various styles of the Guro and the neighbouring Baule peoples, there
are no distinctive regional styles, linked to a tribe or an area. Artists and workshops
active in the same village could create sculptures in very different styles. Great
sculptors were rare, as were exceptional pieces of work. It was important to the
Baule people to be able to identify the mark or handiwork of a particular artist. It was
possible to recognise « the manner » of a certain artist in a village, and declare that
one artist was superior to another.
The body of work by the Master of Bouaflé is limited. The current inventory
comprises twelve masks and four weaving loom pulleys. There are four criteria used
to identify his style : eyes closed in a long, stretched gash, a very large forehead
curving in at the base of the brow, small, impish and slightly upturned nose, and a
closed mouth with pouting lips. Furthermore, the edge of the masks are often
decorated with a wispy beard.
The mask presented here is a particularly fine example of his work, with exquisite
detailing displaying a taut, balanced expression.
**********
High-resolution images available on request
Catalogues available online at www.artcurial.com
Estimates in dollars provided as a guide
About Artcurial – Founded in 2002, Artcurial confirmed its position as the leading French auction house in 2013 with 123
sales organised across 20 specialist departments. In 2013 the auction house achieved an overall sales total of 178.1million euros, representing an increase of 24% on 2012, and notably achieved the third highest auction price of the year
in France with the sculpture La Rivière, by Aristide Maillol, that sold for over 6.1-million euros. It has also confirmed its
position as market leader for Comic Strips in Europe, Collectors’ Cars in continental Europe, jewellery and watches in France
and Monaco and Old Master Paintings in Paris. In 2014 Artcurial has continued its development and strengthened 20th Century
fields with the new Photography, Limited Editions and Tribal Art departments. With a strong international bias, Artcurial
maintains its presence abroad with offices in Milan and Brussels, and travelling exhibitions in the United States and Asia.
Sale date :
Wednesday 10 December 2014 at 19.00
Viewing dates :
From Saturday 6 December 2014
To Tuesday 9 December 2014
Artcurial
7, rond-point des Champs-Elysées
7508 Paris
Contact Press :
Jean Baptiste Duquesne
Chargé des relations presse
+ 33 1 42 99 20 76
[email protected]
www.artcurial.com