Online catalogue for the 65th tribal art auction

161 Colon figure

This object is not available any more.

Ivory Coast, Baule

wood, dark and reddish brown patina, on the one hand carved with european suit and shoes but on the other hand provided with traditional scarification marks, typical coiffure and fly whisk, dam., minor missing parts (left ear), place of repair (left foot), paint rubbed off; usually there are European pieces of dress and indifferent facial traits typical for the prevailing local style. A figure resembling an European because it is equipped with a sun helmet, a uniform, a tie, a wrist watch or similar items may just as well represent an African. Africans dressed in European style can be shown as early as the time of Louis XIV when the ambassador of the King of Ardra was received in the Tuileries.

H: 34 cm
H: 13.4 inch

Sold.

162 Face mask

This object is not available any more.

Ivory Coast, Bete

wood, black patina, kaolin, raised vertical forehead ridge, curved eyebrows in herringbone pattern carved in flat relief, metal teeth, drilled holes around the rim, slightly dam., minor missing parts (nose, mouth, backside), paint rubbed off; the most famous Bete masks are those which look like a medieval helmet, with the tusks crossing the face from one side to the other and thus forming a sort of visor (copied from the Ngere masks). Lesser used are masks which combine stylistic elements of the Dan, like the forehead ridge, or metal teeth with characteristics of the other surrounding ethnical groups, as is the case with present mask.

H: 26 cm
H: 10.2 inch

Provenance
Emerson Woelfer, Los Angeles, USA

Price: 3000 - 6000 €

163 Face mask

This object is not available any more.

Ivory Coast, Bete

wood, black patina, small remains of indigo blue paint, the face consists of geometrical forms protruding from a plane back board: three pairs of horns, clamp-like arranged horizontal in front of the face, rather resembling a knights helmet with ventail, slightly dam., paint rubbed off, on base; the masks appear on funerals, towards the end of the mourning period or in honour of important persons, at which the mask dancer himself or one of his companions carries a lance. The weapon might be a hint on the masks original function as warriors mask.

H: 23,5 cm
H: 9.3 inch

Provenance
Coll. Georges-Jean Haefeli, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland

Literature
Hahner-Herzog, Iris, Das Zweite Gesicht, Genf, München, New York 1997, ill. 35

Price: 5000 - 10000 €

164 Face mask "zakpai"

This object is not available any more.

Ivory Coast, Dan

wood, black, slightly shiny patina, or regular form, typical large eye holes and diamond-shaped mouth, elaborate coiffure of black dyed plant fibre weave and long projecting plaited strings, slightly dam. (nose, mouth), paint rubbed off, crack (chin), on metal base

H: 23 cm
H: 9.1 inch

Provenance
Coll. Roger Barr (Artist), France/USA

Price: 3500 - 4000 €

165 Face mask "zakpai"

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Ivory Coast, Diomande

wood, beautiful saturated blackish patina, well-proportioned with fine cut facial features, the large circular eyes slightly encrusted around the rim, which refers to an original framing with metal or cloth, bulging coiffure of plant fibre soaked with mass, slightly dam., missing part (nose), traces of insect caused damage on the inside; these masks are called runner masks, "running juju". They are widespread among the northern Dan (because of the dry area they are mostly needed here). Worn by the fastest runner of the village, they are supposed to warn the inhabitants and to call for help in case a fire breaks out. They used to wear face masks with big circular eyes and a coating of red fabric, completed by a head gear with big leaves "bülä" and a rough costume with short fibre skirt. Their "weapon" was a short branch while their companion used to beat a slit gong. They only appeared in dry season and their only task was to control the cooking fire places within the village. They are not dancing or singing, they are just rumping with the youngsters of the village.

H: 24 cm
H: 9.4 inch

Provenance
Galerie Inge Hett, Berlin, Germany

Price: 4500 - 6000 €

166 Face mask "deangle"

This object is not available any more.

Ivory Coast, We-Guéré

wood, black patina, narrow slit eyes, deepened in a horizontal line, raised vertical forehead ridge, inserted ceramic teeth, the upper face half enclosed by a bulge of fabric, the lower half by plaited plant fibre, forming small lobes on either side, metal eyelet, pierced around the rim, slightly dam. (backside), minor missing parts (fabric), on pedestal; "deangle" literally means a "joking and smiling" mask character. The name implies that a friendly and beautiful appearance is described, determined to entertain the people. The "dean" mask characters belong to the circumcision camps ("mbon") of young boys and girls, which are always situated in the holy forest nearby the village.

H: 30 cm
H: 11.8 inch

Provenance
Old Collection, Belgium

Price: 2500 - 5000 €

167 Miniature mask "ma go"

This object is not available any more.

Ivory Coast, Dan

wood, shiny brown patina, of oval form with pointed chin, min. dam., minor mising parts at the back; the Dan have miniature versions of nearly every mask type. These miniature masks are called "ma go ", which means "small head". On travels they act as a substitute for the big masks in representing the helping spirit.

H: 10 cm
H: 3.9 inch

Provenance
Coll. Helmut Zake, Heidelberg, Germany

Literature
Tagliaferri, Aldo, Miniature masks from West Africa, Mailand 1997, p. 25, ill. 2

Sold.

168 Miniature mask "ma go"

This object is not available any more.

Ivory Coast, Dan

ivory, black pigment, rubbed into the deepenings, an elongated oval face, accentuated by a raised forehead and nose ridge, incised contour, crack backside

H: 9 cm
H: 3.5 inch

Provenance
Coll. Dr. Helga Redlich, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Literature
Fischer, Eberhard, Himmelheber, Hans, Die Kunst der Dan, Zürich 1976, p. 139

Sold.

169 Feast ladle "wunkirmian"

This object is not available any more.

Ivory Coast, Dan

wood, dark brown, partly encrusted patina, double-bowled spoon, the fork-shaped handle crowned by a head scultpure, characterized by metal teeth and a two-lobed coiffure, the eye zone dyed with red pigment, the neck carved with rings, incised ornaments, slightly dam., traces of use, metal base; probably a work of "Zlan" or one of his pupils. Feast ladles as the present one were carried as a badge of honour by the "wunkirle", the most hospitable woman of a village quarter.

H: 62 cm
H: 24.4 inch

Provenance
Lucien van de Velde, Antwerp, Belgium
Private Collection, Belgium

Published in
Lucien van de Velde & Joanna Teunen, Ivory Coast, Antwerpen, March 2011, p. 22

Literature
Johnson, Barbara C., Four Dan Sculptors, San Francisco 1987, p. 35 f.
Homberger, Lorenz (Hg.), Löffel in der Kunst Afrikas, Zürich 1990, p. 35, ill. 14

Price: 6000 - 10000 €

170 Mask "zakpai"

This object is not available any more.

Ivory Coast, Diomande

wood, shiny dark brown patina, metal sheet, oval face with circular pierced eyes, framed by three grooves, pierced around the rim, min. dam., on base; masks of the Diomande have been erroneously attributed to the Dan even though they show another distinct style, characterized by their often elongated faces and linear skin scarification marks which frame the whole face. The Diomande are a small ethnic group of the Dan cluster, belonging to the Konyanke, with their settling area in northwestern Côte d´Ivoire and adjacent areas of Guinea.

H: 24 cm
H: 9.4 inch

Literature
Schädler, Karl-Ferdinand, Encyclopedia of African Art and Culture, München 2009, p. 182

Price: 4500 - 9000 €