Online catalogue for the 55th tribal art auction

301 Water spirit mask

This object is not available any more.

Nigeria, Ijaw

wood, dull patina, white and blue remains of pigments, of slender elongated form, a slightly protruding forehead with spiralic decorations, small eyes with heavy lids flanking a nose with narrow bridge and broad alae, a slightly opened mouth below, scarification marks in the area of the eyes and cheeks, an incision saying "TUCUICIE" (?) on the left temple, pierced around the rim, min. dam., insect caused damage, signs of abrasion, on metal base; these masks were worn horizontally, because the water spirits have their face on one level with the water surface.

H: 30 cm
H: 11.8 inch

Provenance
Coll. Alessandro Passaré, Milan, Italy

Sold.

302 Face mask

This object is not available any more.

Nigeria, Ijaw

light brown wood, of hollowed, narrow, elongated form with a flattened chin, dominated by big circular pierced eyes with raised rim, the head separated from the facial plane by a three-parted notched headband, eyes, brows and coiffure accentuated by dark paint, slightly dam., cracks, two minor missing parts at the back of the rim, on metal base; the most important masquerades of the Ijo occur on occasion of the water spirits "ekine". Aside of human head crests big fish and amphibian masks are used.

H: 26 cm
H: 10.2 inch

Provenance
Gallery Fernandez Leventhal, New York, USA

Literature
Wittmer, Marcilene K./Arnett, William, Three Rivers of Nigeria, Atlanta 1978, p. 38

Price: 800 - 1200 €

303 Water spirit mask

This object is not available any more.

Nigeria, Ijaw

wood, brown shiny slightly encrusted patina, of narrow form with a tapering chin, a protruding forehead with a deepened facial plane below, a long nose with broad nostrils flanking circular, tube-shaped eyes, an oval mouth with full lips below, min. dam., cracks, small missing parts on the back

H: 32 cm
H: 12.6 inch

Literature
Anderson, Martha G., Ways of the Rivers, Arts and Environment of the Niger Delta, Los Angeles 2002, p. 143

Price: 1200 - 1800 €

304 Elephant mask "ogbodo enyi"

This object is not available any more.

Nigeria, Izzi

wood, black, white and brown residues of pigments, a stylized elephants head with conical protruding eyes and triangular snout with tusks, a human face with raised tattoo on the rear, dam., signs of abrasion, cracks (head, snout)

L: 45,5 cm
L: 17.9 inch

Provenance
Swiss Collection

Literature
I. Hahner-Herzog u. a., Das Zweite Gesicht, Afrikanische Masken aus der Sammlung Barbier-Mueller, Genf, München, New York 1997, p.55 f.

Sold.

305 Elephant mask "ogbodo enyi"

This object is not available any more.

Nigeria, Izzi

wood, black and white paint, a stylized elephant head with conical eyes and a triangular protruding snout with tusks, completely covered with geometrical patterns in black and white paint, pierced around the rim, min. dam., cracks, signs of abrasion; this mask was worn horizontally on top of the head, the holes at the lower rim served for attachment of raphia fibres covering the head of the dancer, who was wearing a long costume made of plaited plant fibres.

L: 56 cm
L: 22 inch

Provenance
Pierre Robin, Paris, France

Literature
I. Hahner-Herzog u. a., Das Zweite Gesicht, Afrikanische Masken aus der Sammlung Barbier-Mueller, Genf, München, New York 1997, p. 55 f.

Sold.

306 Male colon figure

This object is not available any more.

Nigeria, Izzi

wood, dull patina, black paint, rising from strong legs, a cylindrical trunk with prominent navel and sloping shoulders merging into angled arms worked close to the body, a short neck supporting an oval head with european facial features and sun helmet, dam., cracks, insect caused damage, missing parts (feet), on base; common to all colon figures is their origin in the contact between Euopeans and Africans. Usually, they show elements of the traditional sculpture style of the region and not seldom the African artists allow wit and criticism flow into their sculpture.

H: 43 cm
H: 16.9 inch

Price: 800 - 1200 €

307 Mask "akuma"

This object is not available any more.

Nigeria, Jukun

wood, dull middle brown patina, residues of kaolin and camwood powder, of rectangular form, curved brows merging into a narrow nose with grooved bridge, flanked by tubular protruding eyes, both face halves hollowed below the brows, merging into a plank-like plane, pierced around the rim, slightly dam., traces of insect caused damage (nose bridge), missing part (below the left eye), cracks (at the lower rim); old and rare piece ! belonging to the "akuma" cult. The mask was used manifold. It was called upon for healing a sick person or for thanking the deity immediately prior to the harvest of corn, it was performed at important funerals, greeted important visitors and helped to celebrate a good fortune. The mask is worn tipped back at an angle of about thirty degrees from the vertical. The Jukun are an ethnical group of around 30.000 people, nowadays living in various enclaves in the area of the Upper Benue River. They first were discovered in the second half of the 19th century, and became an english colony in 1900. Their king "Aka Uku", a demigod, was the first priest as well. He was responsible for rain, fertility of the earth, security and well-being of the community and was the mediator between the clan ancestors and the living people as well. In former times, when ascending the throne, he had to eat his predecessors heart. After a reign of seven years he himself was killed and the cycle started again.

H: 49 cm
H: 19.3 inch

Provenance
Jacques Kerchache, Paris, France
Robert Jacobsen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Artist/Collector)
Jan Lundberg, Malmö, Sweden

Published in
Weltkulturen und moderne Kunst, Die Begegnung der europäischen Kunst und Musik im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert mit Asien, Afrika, Ozeanien Afro- und Indo-Amerika, München 1972, p. 435, ill. 1924

Literature
African Art, A Source of Inspiration for Modern Art, Malmö 1986, p. 109, ill. 119
Roy Sieber, Barry Hecht, Eastern Nigerian Art from the Toby and Barry Hecht Collection, in: African Arts, Spring 2002, p. 56 f.
Evers, Christophe, Art of the Upper Benue River, Brüssel 2003, p. 38 f.
Dr. Schädler, Karl-Ferdinand, Lexikon Afrikanische Kunst und Kultur, München/Berlin 1994, p. 206
Kerchache, Jacques/Paudrat, Jean-Louis u.a., Die Kunst des Schwarzen Afrika, Freiburg/Basel/Wien 1988, p. 557

Sold.

308 Magical figure

This object is not available any more.

Nigeria, Koma-Gemba

bulbous calebash, breast and navel modelled with clay-like mass, instead of a head crowned by an abstract sitting figure, with the upper part of the body bent forward and the arms raised up, arms and legs consisting of animal horns, the neck of the calebash forming the trunk, the head made of wood, plugged into the calebash, showing a crested coiffure and plant fibre beard, the eyes inset with abrus seeds, animal hair arranged at the back, the whole corpus spread with clay like mass, residues of red paint, slightly dam., cracks, on base; embodiment of a spirit being. According to local informations used to solve problems within the village community.

H: 43 cm, coll. in situ
H: 16.9 inch, coll. in situ

Provenance
Coll. Dieter Schnurr, Cologne, Germany

Price: 900 - 1400 €

309 Figural drinking receptacle for palm wine

This object is not available any more.

Nigeria, Koro

wood, dark brown patina, in the shape of a stylized standing figure, flattened on the rear, the trunk in the shape of a deeply hollowed oval receptacle, framed by long arms and surmounted by a cube-shaped head which is dominated by a crested coiffure and an accentuated mouth, in some areas covered with blackish mass and red abrus beads, old collection number at the bottom "AF 242 VON SCHROEDER", dam., insect caused damage (esp. on the back), cracks, on metal base; the Koro are a small Kwa-speaking ethnical group of 20000 people settling in the north-west of the Afo.

H: 49,5 cm
H: 19.5 inch

Provenance
Coll. Ulrich von Schröder, Zurich, Switzerland

Literature
Leiris, Michel/Delange, Jacqueline, Afrika, Die Kunst des Schwarzen Kontinents, München 1968, ill. 500

Sold.

310 Standing ancestor figure

This object is not available any more.

Nigeria, Longuda

wood, dark brown patina, encrusted in some areas, traces of libation, of abstract form, with a bell-shaped lower part of the body rising from strong legs, supporting a slender, elongated trunk with round back, long arms emerging from the breast, arranged clamp-like in front of the body, crowned by a head with crested coiffure and a wide facial plane with a narrow tapering chin, reaching down to the breast, small eyes and nose marked by notchches, slightly dam., crack (back), missing part (left foot tip), paint rubbed off in some areas, on metal plate; the Longuda are a small ethnical group living in east Nigeria, along the eastern river banks of the Benue. Only few of them is known, aside of figural terracotta pots, used for soothsaying and healing. Figures are extremely rare. Their style seems to be influenced by the neighbouring Jukun and the Mumuye.

H: 68 cm, coll. in situ
H: 26.8 inch, coll. in situ

Provenance
Coll. Dieter Schnurr, Cologne, Germany

Literature
Evers, Christophe, Art of the Upper Benue River, Brüssel 2003, p. 40

Sold.