Online catalogue for the 55th tribal art auction

81 Zoomorphic helmet mask "Head of Poro"

This object is not available any more.

Ivory Coast, Senufo

wood, painted in black and red, helmet-shaped, crowned by massive horns, the elongated snout opened, revealing big teeth, two tusks aside the nose, the forehead carved with a small chameleon, plant fibre cuff at the lower rim, slightly dam., cracks (left side of the head), places of repair (right horn, left tusk), missing parts (small horn aside the nose), paint rubbed off, on base; these helmet masks are called "kponyugo", a common term, meaning "Head of the Poro".

L: 69 cm
L: 27.2 inch

Provenance
Coll. Roland Hartmann, St. Gallen, Switzerland

Literature
Förster, Till, Die Kunst der Senufo aus Schweizer Sammlungen, Museum Rietberg, Zürich 1988, p. 52 f.

Sold.

82 Stool

This object is not available any more.

Ghana, Ashanti

wood, reddish brown patina with residues of dark paint, rectangular base, carved with a pair of struts in openwork design, their form reminding of wisdom knots, supporting a curved seat, zigzag shaped decorating elements aside, slightly dam., cracks, minor missing parts, scratches, paint rubbed off

H: 26 cm; B: 48 cm
H: 10.2 inch; B: 18.9 inch

Provenance
Coll. Roland Hartmann, St. Gallen, Switzerland

Literature
Bocola, Sandro (Hg.), Afrikanische Sitze, München/New York 1994, p. 79, Kat. 35 f.

Sold.

83 Leopard with antelope

This object is not available any more.

Ghana, Ashanti

brass, elongated, hollow trunk on short legs, openworked in some areas, ornamentally dissolved, narrow struts with concentric circle ornaments inbetween, legs and head with fine grooves, slightly dam., cast with small cracks on the underside; among the Asante and Fante, leopards have long been identified with chieftaincy. The virtues of the leopard, its strength, fearlessness and courage were attributes ascribed to an effective ruler and numerous proverbs characterize this symbolic congruity.

L: 13,5 cm; H: 7 cm
L: 5.3 inch; H: 2.8 inch

Provenance
Coll. Roland Hartmann, St. Gallen, Switzerland

Literature
Aspects, Akan cultures in Ghana, Den Haag 2001, p. 45

Sold.

84 Stool

This object is not available any more.

Nigeria, Igbo

wood, dark brown patina, lancet-shaped, vaulted base, carved with three columnar struts, arranged side by side, supporting a hollowed seat with curved sides, underside of the seat and upper side of the base decorated with concentric diamond-shaped ornaments in relief, incised zigzag bands at the rim, slightly dam., cracks, minor missing parts at the base

H: 26,5 cm; B: 49 cm
H: 10.4 inch; B: 19.3 inch

Provenance
Coll. Roland Hartmann, St. Gallen, Switzerland

Price: 400 - 600 €

85 Mask with hinged jaw "idiok ekpo"

This object is not available any more.

Nigeria, Ibibio

wood, black, encrusted patina, expressive, roundplastic forms, big pierced eyes below threefold curved brows, accentuated by zigzag-shaped projections aside, bulbous cheeks, a big mouth with cantilevered lower lip, missing part (at the left eye and backside at the rim), place of repair (movable jaw); belonging to the "idiok" masks, the so-called "ugly ghost" masks, representing straying spirits

H: 31,5 cm
H: 12.4 inch

Provenance
Coll. Roland Hartmann, St. Gallen, Switzerland

Literature
Wittmer, Marcilene K./Arnett, William, Three Rivers of Nigeria, Atlanta 1978, p. 72, ill. 171

Sold.

86 Herbalists staff "opa osanyin"

This object is not available any more.

Nigeria, Yoruba

staff of wrought iron, crowned by a stylized large bird, surrounded by a circle of 16 smaller birds, attached to an iron ring, combined with the staff by radial arranged spokes, traces of corrosion, acrylic base; the staff is planted in the ground at the entrance to an "osanyin" priests compound to ward off nocturnal attacks by witches. Many diseases and other misfortunes are caused by malevolent witches, and "osanyin" priests have to look for medicinal herbs in the bush, which is where the witches live. The herbalists are also protected by the power of "orunmila", who once went out into the bush himself to curb the witches power. He is represented by the big bird on top of the staff.

H: 58 cm
H: 22.8 inch

Provenance
Coll. Roland Hartmann, St. Gallen, Switzerland

Literature
Witte, Hans, A Closer Look, Local Styles in the Yoruba Art Collection of the Africa Museum, Berg en Dal 2004, p. 251 f.

Sold.

87 Mask "gelede"

This object is not available any more.

Nigeria, Yoruba

wood, middle brown patina, of oval, hollowed form, elaborate coiffure, crowned by a massive curved lobe, protruding bean-shaped eyes with pierced pupils, a fine grooved chin beard, half-circular incised scarification marks on forehead and cheeks, slightly displaced facial features (eyes and ears), slightly dam., missing parts becaused of insect caused damage (lobe, beard), paint rubbed off, on base; "gelede" is a society exclusively for men, once a year they send their masks to the villages around to increase fertility and to ward off harm.

H: 41 cm
H: 16.1 inch

Provenance
Coll. Roland Hartmann, St. Gallen, Switzerland

Sold.

88 Dance crest "egungun"

This object is not available any more.

Nigeria, Yoruba

wood, reddish brown patina, the coiffure painted in black, kaolin, half-spherical base, pierced around the rim for attachment, crowned by a head, widely protruding to the back, surmounted by a grooved coiffure in two lobes, the oval face marked by big, almond-shaped eyes, a flat nose and a teeth revealing mouth, skin scarification marks on cheeks and temples, handle-shaped projections at the back and left hand side of the head, dam., cracks, missing parts because of insect caused damage (base), place of repair (base, handle shaped projection); the "egungun" masks belong to different families, representing their ancestors. Some mask types are related to certain professions like hunters or palace servants.

H: 32 cm
H: 12.6 inch

Provenance
Coll. Roland Hartmann, St. Gallen, Switzerland

Literature
Eisenhofer, Stefan (Hg.), Kulte, Künstler, Könige in Afrika - Tradition und Moderne in Südnigeria, Linz 1997, p. 266 f.

Sold.

89 Staff "erinle"

This object is not available any more.

Nigeria, Yoruba

staff of wrought iron, a stylized bird on top, surrounded by miniatures of different form (snake, chameleon, turtle, arrow, sickle), hook-shaped projection with attached bell, traces of corrosion, acrylic base; used in the cult of "erinle", a hunter who turned into a river deity, totally indistinguishable from "osanyin" staffs. The priests of both deities practice medicine, although as a river deity "erinle" is in a sense specialized in fertility problems.

H: 88 cm
H: 34.6 inch

Provenance
Coll. Roland Hartmann, St. Gallen, Switzerland

Literature
Witte, Hans, A Closer Look, Local Styles in the Yoruba Art Collection of the Africa Museum, Berg en Dal 2004, p. 253

Sold.

90 Ifa priests staff "opa osun" oder "opa orere"

This object is not available any more.

Nigeria, Yoruba

staff of wrought iron, a big stylized bird on top, surrounded by a circle of 10 smaller birds, arranged in pairs on a flat iron ring, funnel-shaped bells "agogo" and plant fibre attached in two places, missing parts (birds), acrylic base; property of a "babalawo" (Ifa priest). The "opa osun", which can also be used as ceremonial walking stick, must regularly be nourished with blood to saturate it with power ("ashe") which can be mobilized by means of invocations as a weapon against destructive forces.

H: 149 cm
H: 58.7 inch

Provenance
Coll. Roland Hartmann, St. Gallen, Switzerland

Sold.