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African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art
Sotheby's New York
May 15, 2017
Sale 9619

Kwele masl 108


Lot 108, "Kwele mask, Sangha Region, Republic of the Congo, 15 1/8 inches high

By Carter B. Horsley

The May 15, 2017 auction at Sotheby's New York of African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art is highlighted by a very great Kwele mask from the Sangha Region of the Republic of the Congo, a Chokwe female figure from Angola, a female statue from Lake Sentani, Papua, Indonesia, a Kanak figure from New Caledonia, a Canoe Prow Figure from New Georgia in the Solomon Islands, a Mayan stone sculpture of a serpent, and a Bamileke animal from Cameroon.

Lot 108 is a superb Kwele mask from  the Sangha Region of the Republic of the Congo.  It is 15 1/8 inches high. The catalogue notes that "the crest of the long sinuous horns, often described as 'W' shaped horns, suggest the shape of the horns of the bongo antelope."

It has a modest estimate of $80,000 to $120,000.  It sold for $137,500 including the buyer's premium as do all results mentioned in this article.

The sale total was $6,252,875.

Cover 29
    

Lot 29, Female Statue, Lake Sentani, Papua, Indonesia, 40 5/8 inches high
Lot 29, a female statue from Lake Sentani in Papua, Indonesia, is the cover illustration of the auction catalogue.  It is 40 4/8 inches high and is one a base by the Japanese wood artist Kichizo Inagaki. "The aesthetic qualities of Sentani artists' distinctive abstraction of the human form captured the attention of the European avant-garde in the early 20th Century, and examples from this very small corpus entered some of the most influential collections of the era. It has an estimate of $1,000,000 to 1,500,000. It was passed at $850,000.
Chokwe female 20

Lot 20, Female statue, Chokwe, Angola, 13 3/4 inches high
Lot 20 is a wooden Chokwe female statue from Angola.  The catalogue entry is 14 pages long.  It has an estimate of $1,500,000 to $2,500,000.  It sold for $1,812,500.

Ancestor 24
Lot 24, Doreh ancestor figure, Manokwari, West Papua, Indonesia, 12 1/8 inches high
Lot 24 is a much more attractive figure than Lot 20.  It is a Doreh ancestor figure, Manokwari, from West Papua, Indonesia.  It is 12 1/8 inches high and has been widely published and exhibited.  It has an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000.  It sold for $56,250.

Prow 44

Lot 44, "Canoe Prow Figure, New Georgia, Solomon Islands, 7 1/2 inches high
Lot 44 is an excellent canoe prow figure from New Georgia in the Solomon Islands.  It is 7 1/2 inches high and is from the estate of Lynda Cunningham.  It has a modest estimate of $3,000 to $5,000.  It sold for $23,750.
Kanak 39


Lot 39, Kanak figure, New Caledonia, 25 5/8 inches
Lot 39 is a Kanak figure from New Caledonia that is 25 5/8 inches high. It is from the estate of Lynda Cunningham.  It has an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000.  It sold for $137,500.


Raven mask 8

Lot 8, "Kwakwaka'wakw Raven Mask, British Columbia, Canada, attributed to Willie Seaweed (circa 1873-1967), 48 inches long
Lot 8 is an impressive Kwakwaka'wakw raven mask from British Columia that is 48 inches long.  It is attributed to Willie Seaweed (circa 1873-1967).  It is from the estate of Elaine Lustig Cohen and was once with Jay Leff of Uniontown, Pennsylvania.  It was exhibited at the Carnegie Institute in 1959-60. 

The catalogue entry notes that is one of a group of three or four "traditional associates of Harmatsa dancers and their empowering spirit Baxbakwalanuksiwey, the Cannibal at the North End of the World."  The lot has an estimate of $120,000 to $180,000.  It sold for $336,500.

Songye mask 116

Lot 116, Songye mask, Republic of the Congo, 12 inches high
Lot 116 is a nice Songye mask from the Republic of the Congo.  It is 12 inches high.  It has an estimate of $15,000 to $25,000.  It sold for $20,000.


Benin twin 17

Lot 17, Edo brass pendant, Benin Kingdom, Nigeria, 5 inches high
Lot 17 is an Edo brass pendant of two dignitaries from the Benin Kingdom in Nigeria.  It is 5 inches high.  It has an modest estimate of $5,000 to $7,000.  It sold for $20,000.

Malagan mask 15

Lot 15, "Mask for Malagan, New Ireland," 13 3/8 inches high

Lot 15 is an impressive mask for Malagan from New Ireland.  It is 13 3/8 inches high.  It was once with John Klejman in New York.  It has an estimate of $7,000 to $10,000.  It sold for $32,500.

Sepik 34

Lot 34, Mask, Bungain, East Sepik Province, Papua, New Guinea, 16 inches high

Lot 34 is a Bungain mask from the East Sepik Province in Papua, New Guinea.  It is 16 inches high and was once with Charles Ratton of Paris.  It has an estimate of $150,000 to $200,000.  It sold for $175,000.

Senufo 95    Senufu back 95

Lot 95, Senufo Bird Figure, Cote d'Ivoire, 46 inches high

Lot 95 is a large and handsome Senufo bird figure from the Cote d'Ivoire.  It is 46 inches high.  It was once with Gaston de Havenon and Baron Freddy Rolin and has been exhibited at the Museum of African Art in Washington in 1972 and the Center for African Art in New York in 1988.  It has an estimate of $70,000 to $100,000.  It sold for $106,500.

Mayan serpent 68

Lot 68, Maya stone sculpture of a serpent, Terminal Classic, circa 850-950 A.D., 15 5/8 inches high

Lot 68 is a superb Mayan stone sculpture of a serpent, Terminal Classic, circa 850-950 A.D.  It is 15 5/8 inches high.  It was included in the "Before Cortes: Sculpture of Middle America" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1970 and 1971.  It has an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000.  It failed to sell.

Aztec 69

Lot 69, "Aztec Stone Figure of the Goddess Chicomecoatl," Postclassic, circa 1300-1521 A.D., 16 7/8 inches high
Lot 69 is a very good Aztec stone figure of the goddess Chicomecoatl.  It is Postclassic, circa 1300-1521 A.D. and is 16 7/8 inches high.  It has an estimate of $150,000 to $200,000.  It sold for $187,500.


Bamikean animal from Cameroon

Lot 86, Bamileke animal, Cameroon, 24 3/4 inches long

Lot 86 is a large and very imposing wooden Bamileke animal from Cameroon. It is 24 3/4 inches long. It has an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000.  It sold for $27,500.

See The City Review article on the Evolution of Form: African & Oceanic Art at the Genesis of Modernism at Christie's New York May 12, 2016
See The City Review article on the Spring 2016 Tribal Arts Auction at Sotheby's New York
See The City Review article on the Fall 2015 Tribal Arts auction at Sotheby's New York

See The City Review article on the Fall 2014 Tribal Arts auction at Sotheby's New York


See The City Review article on the Spring 2014 auction of Vol. 2 of the Allan Stone Collection of African and Oceanic Art at Sotheby's New York

See The City Review article on the Spring 2014 article on the African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian art auction at Sotheby's New York

See The City Review article on the Fall 2013 article on the African and Pre-Columbian Auction of Allan Stone's Collection at Sotheby's New York

See The City Review article on the Spring 2013 article on the African, Oceanic & Pre-Columbian auction at Sotheby's New York

See The City Review article on the Spring 2012 article on the African, Oceanic & Pre-Columbian auction at Sotheby's New York
See The City Review article on the Spring 2012 article on Masterpieces of African Art from the collection of the late Werner Muensterberger at Sotheby's New York

See The City Review article on the Spring 2012 Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas auction at Christie's New York

See The City Review article on the Spring 2009 auction of African and Oceanic Art from the Renee and Chaim Gross Foundation at Sotheby's

See The City Review article on the Fall 2008 African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian art auction at Christie's
See The City Review article on the Fall 2008 African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbia art auction at Sotheby's
See The City Review article on Spring 2008 African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art auction at Sotheby's
See The City Review article on Spring 2007 African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art auction at Sotheby's
See The City Review article on the Saul and Marsha Stanoff Collection of African, Oceanic, Pre-Columbian and Indian Art auction at Sotheby's May 17, 2007
See The City Review Article on the William Brill Collection of African Art at Sotheby's November 17, 2006
See The City Review article on the Fall 2006 African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian art auction at Sotheby's
See The City Review article on the Fall 2005 African & Oceanic art auction at Sotheby's
See The City Review article on the Spring 2005 African & Oceanic Art auction at Sotheby's
See The City Review article on the Fall 2004 African & Oceanic Art auction at Sotheby's
See The City Review article on the Spring 2004 African & Oceanic Art auction at Sotheby's
See The City Review article on the Fall 2003 Tribal Art auction at Sotheby's
See The City Review article on the Spring 2003 Tribal Art auction at Sotheby's
See The City Review article on the Fall 2002 Tribal Art auction at Sotheby's
See The City Review article on the Spring 2002 Tribal Art auction at Sotheby's
See The City Review article on the Fall 2001 African & Oceanic Art auction at Sotheby's
See The City Review article on the Spring 2000 African and Oceanic Art auction at Sotheby's
See The City Review article on the Fall 1999 African and Oceanic Art auction at Sotheby's
See The City Review article on the Spring 1999 African and Oceanic Art auction at Sotheby's
See The City Review article on the Fall 1998 Sotheby's African and Oceanic Art auction
See The City Review article on the Spring 1998 Sotheby's African and Oceanic Art auction

 



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