Art of Africa, the Pacific and the Americas
Lempertz auction of the Art of Africa, The Pacific and the Americas on 2 September opens with the third and final group of Dan and We masks from the Ivory Coast from the collection of the Swiss artist, Charles Hug (1899-1979) (lots 2 to 10 | € 800-6.000). The African section also includes a fine group of works from the Italian dealer and collector Franco Monti (1931-2008) with a fine Chokwe chair (lot 109 | € 3.000-5.000) and Suku mask (lot 81 | € 3.000-5.000). An exceptional group of Yoruba twin figures from a private German collection includes many from the well-known Galerie Simonis in Dusseldorf (Lots 34 to 48 | € 1.000-5.000). A rare Fang container from Gabon, dating from the 19th century, is covered with reptilian skin and has an embossed brass top. It is one of only a handful known to exist today (Lot 77 | € 6.000-8.000).
The Pacific offerings include a rare Mundugumor figure collected by the dealer and collector Mark Lissauer of Melbourne which was formerly in the collection of Baudouin de Grunne (Lot 129 | € 50.000-80.000) and a rare and large post figure which once stood in the custom house at Nataghera, Santa Ana, in the eastern Solomon Islands. It was photographed in situ in the 1950s but dates from many decades before that (Lot 172 | € 20.000-30.000). A rare Korewori River crocodile, over three and a half metres in length with ancient worn patina was collected by Dr. Fred Gerrits in 1965 and once played an important role in initiation rites, symbolically devouring the young initiates. By the time Gerrits discovered it outside the men’s house in the village of Yaminbot it had ceased to be used in ceremonies (Lot 144 | € 20.000-30.000).
A rare, intriguing and beautiful Melanesian club is one of only seven known to exist. It has puzzled experts who are to date unable to ascertain its precise geographic origin (Lot 182 | € 12.000-18.000). A fine and rare seated figure from the Moluccas Islands in Indonesia has a tantalising inscription which has not to date been deciphered (Lot 209 | € 10.000-15.000). Also, from Indonesia is a seated Nias figure collected before 1907 by the missionary, Otto Kubler (b.1874) of the Barmer
Missionary Society (Lot 208 | € 20.000-30.000).
The sale concludes with a small group of painted kachinas from Arizona. An exceptionally large example was formerly in the collections of Carl Zigrosser (1891–1975), director of the Weyhe gallery in New York and later Adolf and Virginia Dehn, artists and lithographers (Lot 218 | € 18.000-20.000).
Auction 1167
2 pm at Lempertz Brussels, 6 Rue du Grand Cerf – 1000 Brussels
Preview
27 August - 28 August, 10 am – 6 pm
29 August, 11 am – 5 pm
30 August –1 September, 10 am – 6 pm
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