From German private collections

Witnesses of different generations of collectors. On the 27th of May in Wurzburg.

Invitation card for the 86th Zemanek-Münster Tribal Art Auction in Wurzburg on the 27th of May.

Exciting German collections - witnesses of different generations of collectors that are part of an extensive selection of fine old tribal art from Africa, Asia, Oceania and North America.

Our auction house is dedicating a special catalogue devoted to the Africa collection of Walter Schmidt. He belonged to the young generation of tribal-art collectors who had just emerged in post-war Germany in the 1950s. More than 60 lots are on offer, including 11 objects that were published by Dr. Karl-Ferdinand Schädler in 1973 in his pioneering book »African Art in German Private Collections«. Included are a Yaure mask and a Senufo mask, which can be assigned to a master from the Korhogo district (Lataha village).

The Berlin collection Ludwig Leicher (1895 - 1963) is even older. Pre-war photographs and archival material document the once-large collection, which comprised of several hundred objects, that were largely lost in 1944 during the war. Above all, works from Asia still remain, such as the very old, extremely finely crafted portrayal of a seated 'Avalokiteshvara'. An early 19th century "moai tangata" figure from the Easter Islands was also saved. Captain Carl A. Pöhl sold it 1863 as custos to the Hamburg museum Godeffroy, which existed from 1861 to 1885.

Bernhard Jäger separates himself from a small part of his extensive Africa collection with 34 African objects including masks and figures from Central and East Africa, that he acquired from Peter Loebarth.

Other auction highlights come from the Ivory Coast, Gabon, Mali, Cameroon and especially the Congo. Also on offer, from a Portuguese collection dated before 1900, is a rare shield from the Songye / Luba (see photo). It is from the Congolese Kabalo area.

Preview in Wurzburg:
Wed 24 until Fri 26 May from 10 am until 7 pm 
Sat 27 May from 9 am until 1.30 pm 

Auction in Wurzburg:
Saturday, 27 May 2017 starting at 2 pm 

Telephone bidding support in German, English and French!

The comprehensive two volumed auction catalogues (German-English) are expected to be sent on the 10th of May and are then also available online.