Online catalogue for the 53rd tribal art auction

351 Standing figure of a dignitary

This object is not available any more.

Cameroon Grassfields, Bamileke

wood, light brown patina, traces of black paint, rising from big feet, supporting a stocky trunk with the arms carved close to the body, the right hand supporting a horn, crowned by a big head with raised features and diadem-like, disc-shaped coiffure, dam., crack (head and body left hand side), place of repair (right foot tip), abrasion

H: 44 cm
H: 17.3 inch

Provenance
Private Collection, Germany, about 1900

Sold.

352 Mask "agwe"

This object is not available any more.

Cameroon Grassfields, Widekum

wood, completely stretched with leather, underneath a forehead with a raised forehead ridge there are rectangular open worked eyes flanking a nose with a raised middle ridge, an big opened mouth with visible teeth made from wood underneath, accentuated cheeks with three tube-shaped appendices on each side, remains of pigments in the whole facial area, dam., jagged leather, missing teeth, on metal base; this mask is a mixture between a helmet and a face mask. It is deemed to be the only mask of this ethnic group.

H: 43 cm
H: 16.9 inch

Provenance
German Collection

Price: 2400 - 3600 €

353 Small figure

This object is not available any more.

Cameroon

wood, blackish brown patina, voluminous form, with big feet rising from short legs, sloping shoulders merging into arms worked close to the body, the hands resting in front of the belly, crowned by a rather big head with slanting eyes, flanking a small triangular nose, a mouth with visible teeth underneath, min. dam., missing parts, insect caused damage, fissures, slight signs of abrasion, on base

H: 20 cm
H: 7.9 inch

Provenance
Coll. Karl Woermann, Hamburg, Germany

Price: 1200 - 1800 €

354 Fly whisk

This object is not available any more.

Cameroon

wood, beads, animal hair, wooden handle in form of a stylized animal (horse?), completely covered with blue and red beads, eyes inset with cowrie snails, min. dam.

L: 114 cm (with tail)
L: 44.9 inch (with tail)

Sold.

355 Female figure

This object is not available any more.

Cameroon

wood, brown patina, white and red pigment remains, with strong feet rising from bulky legs, supporting a cylindrical trunk with the arms worked close to the body, crowned by a round head with expressive facial features: a slightly bent forehead underneath, big oval eyes flanking a small broad nose, min. dam., cracks, slight signs of abrasion

H: 32 cm
H: 12.6 inch

Provenance
Private Collection, USA

Price: 1800 - 2700 €

356 Standing female figure

This object is not available any more.

Cameroon

wood, encrusted reddish brown patina, rising from big feet, with each hand grasping to the shoulder, egg-shaped head with a wide facial plane, slightly dam., cracks (left side of the head, abdomen, back), on metal plate (with collection number); Rare !

H: 20 cm
H: 7.9 inch

Provenance
University of Virginia Art Museum ("1980.50.8"), USA

Price: 850 - 1300 €

357 Trumpet

This object is not available any more.

Cameroon, Mambila

wood, dark brown shiny patina, of slightly curved form with s-shaped decorations, scrolled ending, min. dam., cracks, small missing parts, old collection number "914"

L: 42,5 cm
L: 16.7 inch

Provenance
Old German Collection

Sold.

358 Spoon

This object is not available any more.

Gabon, Fang

wood, shiny blackish brown patina, elongated oval spoon, long handle with several ornaments and a drilling on top, min. dam., missing part (spoon), fissures, insect caused damage, on base

H: 40 cm
H: 15.7 inch

Literature
Cuillers sculptures, Ausst.kat. Zürich-Paris 1990-1991, p. 120

Price: 900 - 1350 €

359 Spoon

This object is not available any more.

Gabon, Fang

wood, shiny dark brown patina, oval spoon, elaborate ornamental handle, partly open worked, min. dam., fissures, slight signs of abrasion, on metal base

H: 29 cm
H: 11.4 inch

Literature
Cuillers sculptures, Ausst.kat. Zürich-Paris 1990-1991, p. 120

Price: 800 - 1200 €

360 Face mask

This object is not available any more.

Gabon, Fang

light brown wood, thick layer of kaolin, small residues of yellow and light-blue paint, of hollowed form with a straight chin, a protruding forehead with a concave moulded facial plane underneath, covered by a thick layer of kaolin, dominated by a clumsy nose with a slightly curved and flattened bridge, surrounded by rectangular pierced eyes and mouth with two zigzaged rows of teeth, the coiffure confined in a raised line, the face enclosed by a band of grass fibre with affixed down feathers, finally framed by a clumsy rim of about four centimeters, used for attachment of an exuberant coiffure of grass fibre bundles and animal hair, which is forming the beard as well, quills and stripes of animal skin, slightly dam., minor missing parts, cracks, abrasion (above all at the nose which presumably was used for support), on metal base; there are mainly known three mask types of the Fang people: "ngil" (as the most common one), "ekekek" and the helmet mask "ngontang". Regarding its wild expressivity, this very mask could be assigned to the outmost rare second type. Such masks embody frightening figures, called "bikegehe" or "bikereu". According to Perrois, a combinationn of human and animal features. In former times belonging to the equipment of initiation society used to cause fear and frighten the initiates. The mask could possible be seen in connection with the "mvudi" masks of the Adouma, a small ethnical group in the southeast of Gabun. A widespread deletion of ritual objects, frequently ordered by missionaries, lead to the fact, that comparable few works of art made by Fang people are still preserved nowadays.

H: 40 cm
H: 15.7 inch

Provenance
Coll. Joseph and Doris Gerofsky, Brooklyn, New York, USA

Literature
Schädler, Karl-Ferdinand, Masken der Welt, München 1999, p. 112
Kecskési, Maria, Kunst aus Afrika, Museum für Völkerkunde München, Ausst.kat, Prestel Verlag München, London, New York 1999, p. 140 f., ill. 133

Price: 35000 - 50000 €