Online catalogue for the 60th tribal art auction

251 Standing male figure "mu' po"

This object is not available any more.

Cameroon Grassfields, Bamileke

wood, dark brown patina, a stocky round trunk with the arms carved in relief, rising from long bent legs with tapering knees, the big neckless head showing large-sized facial features, achieving an extremely expressive effect, slightly dam., cracks (breast, left side of the head), missing parts (both foot tips), paint rubbed off, on metal plate; the rectangular cavity in the breast was filled with medicine. The figures were used on certain masquerades, where they should protect the members of the "kungan" society from sorcery.

H: 39,5 cm
H: 15.6 inch

Provenance
Private Collection, California, USA

Literature
Homberger, Lorenz (Hg.), Kamerun, Kunst der Könige, Museum Rietberg, Zürich 2008, p. 192 f.

Price: 1500 - 3000 €

252 Head crest "tu ngünga"

This object is not available any more.

Cameroon Grassfields, Bamum

wood, reddish brown shiny patina with traces of black paint, the structure of the face consisting of arching brows, merging into a slender nose, completed by a protruding square mouth below, the remaining components increasing the expressive effect: conical protruding eyeballs and "balloon-like" inflated cheeks, accompanied by flap-like projections, crowned by a coiffure in two bulbous lobes with burled structure, slightly dam., minor missing parts (neck, chin, cheeks), on block-like base; possibly once belonging to the war society "nsorro", which performed masquerades on the occasion of funeral ceremonies. The head crest was completed by a female partner. Nowadays "nsorro" is danced for entertainment, on festive occasions in Fumban and in the Bamum palace. The crest can be attributed to the artist "Ndam nji Mare" from the village of Makoutam. There are several head crests coming from the Malantuen area showing such striking similar features, that all of them can be attributed to "nji mare". One of them came to the Musée de l' Homme in Paris in 1934. As a highlight of the museum it was even published on a postcard. A further crest once belonged to the painter Maurice de Vlaminck and was exhibited in 2008 in the Rietberg Museum in Zurich (publ.: L. Homberger (ed.), Kamerun, Kunst der Könige, p. 117).

H: 50 cm, 19/20th Century
H: 19.7 inch, 19/20th Century

Provenance
Julius Konietzko, Hamburg, Germany

GVR Archives Registration No.
0120350

Literature
Sotheby's New York, The Saul & Marsha Stanoff Collection, May 17, 2007, lot 22

Sold.

253 Anthropomorphic mask

This object is not available any more.

Cameroon Grassfields, Bekom

wood, blackishbrown patina, of oval hollowed form with a flat beard, the coiffure arranged in two spherical lobes with burls, the facial features modelled round and voluminous, achieving an expressive effect, slightly dam., paint rubbed off, hairline cracks (forehead), missing part and crack (chin/beard); of traditional Bekom design. The headdress is modeled after a typical Grassland cap of royalty. The protruding tips follow the crotcheted pattern of the cap.

H: 37 cm
H: 14.6 inch

Literature
Gebauer, Paul, Art of Cameroon, New York 1979, P16

Price: 1000 - 2000 €

254 Mask "agwe"

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Cameroon Grassfields, Widekum

wood, entirely coated with leather, dark brown patina, of narrow elongated form with accentuated cheeks, small wooden plugs on temples and forehead, metal teeth, beard of twisted cord (mostly missing), small remains of a net-like bonnet backside, min. dam., missing parts because of insect caused damage (at the lower rim in the chin area), crest; this mask is a mixture between a helmet and a face mask. It is deemed to be the only mask of this ethnic group and represents a kind of "Till Eulenspiegel".

H: 43 cm
H: 16.9 inch

Provenance
Old Private Collection, Great Britain

Literature
Schädler, Karl-Ferdinand, Lexikon Afrikanische Kunst und Kultur, München, Berlin 1994, p. 389

Price: 1000 - 2000 €

255 Anthropomorphic dance crest

This object is not available any more.

Cameroon Grassfields, Widekum

wood, in form of a jointed doll, on a small disc-shaped wickerwork base, body and head with wooden core, entirely coated with dark brown animal skin, arms and legs carved separate, head with expressive facial features and single worked teeth, small wooden plugs on forehead and temples, remains of real hair, min. dam., small tears and missing parts in the leather, on base

H: 29 cm
H: 11.4 inch

Provenance
Private Collection, France

Literature
Kamer, Helene, Les "Duen-Fubara", Paris 1976, ill. 31

Price: 2400 - 4500 €

256 Anthropomorphic dance crest

This object is not available any more.

Cameroon Grassfields, Widekum

wooden core, coated with animal skin, entirely covered with black, encrusted patina, in shape of a jointed doll with separate carved limbs, plugged into the body, on small disc-shaped wickerwork base, small wooden plugs on forehead and temples, remains of real hair, the eye zone whitened with kaolin, inscription backside "E. F. Ten Houten 243", min. dam. (hands), fine tears (leather), on wooden base

H: 32 cm
H: 12.6 inch

Provenance
Coll. Fred ten Houten, Groningen, The Netherlands

Published in
Afrika, De Ten Houten Collectie Van Afrikaanse Kunst, Eersel, Nederland o. J., p. 27, no 14

Price: 2800 - 5500 €

257 Helmet mask

This object is not available any more.

Cameroon

wood, dark brown patina, forehead and cheeks slightly vaulted, the facial features embedded inbetween, a "smiling", teeth revealing mouth, two-parted bulbous coiffure with hole on top, min. dam., cracks, slight signs of abrasion

H: 49 cm
H: 19.3 inch

Sold.

258 Reliquary Guardian Figure

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Cameroon Grassfields, Beti-Fang, Mabea

wood, matt reddish brown patina, traces of black paint, seated posture, the stylized hands touch each other, mirror glass eyes with metal framing, metal foils on the shoulders and in the area of the abdomen, as well as on the face (scarifications), slightly dam., cracks (head, upper part of the body), missing parts (both foot tips), on base; on the buttocks, we can identify the remainder of sawn wood, indicating that the figure was part of a "byeri" ensemble. Originally, she sat as a guardian on a high, drum-shaped bark container, or on a basket, which contained relics of the founder of a clan, but frequently also skulls and bones of other men and women, who had distinguished themselves in the clan community. All "byeri" ancestor figures originally were decorated with a headdress of feathers "aseng", which is proved by the drilled holes in the coiffure of present figure. Possibly the valuable feathers were kept, when selling the figure. Only special initiated men were allowed to view the contents of these containers, which were brought outdoors on specific occasions to receive offerings. The extraordinary outlines of these figures were clearly visible in the twilight of the shacks, where they were kept. Moreover, the shine of the bright mirror glass eyes, as well as the reflections of the brass foils created a threatening impression. To obtain the metal foils, the Fang used european brass plates, called "Neptuns". There are various proposals concerning the meaning of the reliquary figures, they are considered as memorial figures, portraits of the deceased, sometimes they are connected with a kind of reincarnation cult. The Fang only migrated about 300 years ago to their present settlements, either expelling or assimilating the local residents. The term Fang implies a population consisting of numerous subgroups, living in the south-western Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and in the north-western Gabon. A clear assignment of their works of art is quite difficult. When regarding head and neck, the present figure could be attributed to the Mabea. While the fitting with metal sheet in the shoulder area, as well as the mirror glass eyes with metal framing and the geometrical-cubistic conception of the figure as a whole refers to the Ngumba, Southern Cameroon. For a comparable object of the same hand see: Kevin Conru, African and Oceanic Art, Brussels, 2004, p. 4

H: 49 cm, 19th century
H: 19.3 inch, 19th century

Provenance
Old Colonial Collection, Germany

GVR Archives Registration No.
0038462; 0032190

Literature
Sotheby's New York, Arts of Africa, Oceania & The Americas, May 17, 2002, lot 138
Kecskési, Maria, Kunst aus Afrika, Museum für Völkerkunde München, Ausst.kat, München, London, New York 1999, ill. 112 f. , above all ill. 115;
Kayser, H. (Hg.), Gabun, gestern und heute, Zeitschrift des Museums zu Hildesheim, Neue Folge, Heft 24, 1973, ill.21 a/b, Fang figure, Coll. Tessmann

Price: 80000 - 150000 €

259 Face mask

This object is not available any more.

Cameroon, Fang

light-weigthed wood, residues of blackish brown patina, of oval hollowed form, forehead with raised triangular ornament, the facial plane deepened and flattened with a narrow strut framing the lower half, pointed chin, two drilled holes aside for fixing, slightly dam., cracks (chin, cheek right hand side), minor missing parts at the back of the rim; an exact ethnic classification is pretty hard, because iconographic elements of the Fang, as well as of the Kwele can be found.

H: 23 cm
H: 9.1 inch

Provenance
Private Collection, Berlin, Germany (1996)

Price: 1400 - 2500 €

260 Standing figure "mosongo"

This object is not available any more.

Cameroon, Kundu

wood, brown patina, remains of pigments, both hands up to the chin, a round head with prominent eyes, min. dam., missing parts (foot tips), fissures, slight signs of abrasion, on wooden base; "mosongo" represents a supernatural power, who is said to punish perjurers. If someone perjures by the name of "musongo" the figure goes down or makes a striking movement, and the perjurer soon is befallen by a horrible accident.

H: 33 cm
H: 13 inch

Literature
Gardi, Bernhard, Kunst in Kamerun, Basel 1994, p. 63

Price: 1200 - 2500 €