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Art of Africa, Oceania and the Americas

 
Sotheby's New York

10 AM, May 14, 2018


Sale 9856


Veracruz 142

Lot 142, Priestess, Veracrus, Nopiloa Late Classic, 15 1/4 inches high, AD 550-950

By Carter B. Horsley

The May 14, 2018 auction of the Art of Africa, Oceania and the Americas at Sotheby's New York is highlighted by a very impressive Veracruz stone statue of a priestess, a great Ulúa marble bowl with effigy handles, a breathraking Mayan warrior figure, a surreal Colima vessel with the body of an antler and the head of a human, a stately Baule male figure, a frightening Mambila figure,

Late 142 is the Veracruz priestess, Nopiloa Late Classic, circa AD 550-950.  It is 15 1/4 inches high and was once in the collection of Jack Tanzer of New York.  It was on exhibited at the Detroit Institute of the Arts from 1985 to 2003.


The catalogue entry notes that this lot is "perhaps the finest example of the Nopiloa figural tradition," adding that "she exudes youthful and confident beauty, and wears elaborate and refined clothing of her status."  She wears a broad turban and a very elaborate tunic.

It has an estimate of $150,000 to $200,000.  It sold for $225,000 including the buyer's premium.

The sale total was $3,402,000 with only 64 percent of the 89 offered lots selling.



Lot 146

Lot 146, marble bowl with effigy handles, Ulúa, Late Classuic, circa AD 550-950, 12 1/2 inches in diameter


Lot 146 is the Ulúa marble bowl with effigy handles, Late Classic, circa AT 550-950.  It is 12 1/2 inches in diameter.  It was included in the Olmec, Maya, Teotuacan. Aztec: Pre-Columbian Art of Mesoamerica show at Smith College in 1986, the One the Edge of the Maya World: Stone Vases from the Ulua Valley show at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston in 1992 and at the Princeton University Art Museum fomr 1982-5 and from 2000-2004.  It has an estimate of $170,000 to $200,000.  It sold for $187,500.

Mayan 145

Lot 145, Mayan warrior, Jaina, Late Classic, circa AD 550-950, 11 3/4 inches high

Lot 145 is a wondrous Mayan warrior figure , 11 3/4 inches, Jaina, Late Classic, circa AD 550-950. 

The catalogue entry provides the following commentary:

"Finely modeled and ornately adorned, this warrior proudly brandishes his weapon with an air of martial noblesse."

The weapon is a long wooded club with "multiple obsidian blades.

The lot has an estimate of $150,000 to $250,000.  It failed to sell.



Colima  136

Lot 136, Effigy vessel of an Antler, Cormala style, Colima, Protoclassic, circa 100 B.C.-AD 250, 10 1/2 inches high

Lot 136 is a surrealistic effigy vessle in the form of an antler with a human head.  It is Cormala style, Colima, circa 100 BC-AD 250.  It is 10 1/2 inches high.

It has an estimate of $30,000 to $40,000.  It sold for $32,500.



Baule  166

Lot 166, "Male figure," Baule, Cote d'Ivoire, 41 inches high

Lot 166 is a stately Baule figure of a man from the Ivory Coast,  It is 41 inches high. It was once owned by Maurice Vlaminck, the artist, Marceau Riviere and the Gallerie Ratton-Hourdé of Paris.  It has an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000.  It sold for $187,500.


Mambila Figure 172

Lot 172, Mambila figure, Cameroon, 17 1/2 inches high

Lot 172 is a very strong Mambila figure from Cameroon that is 17 1/2 inches high.  It is property from the collection of Martin and Roberta Lerner, who acquired in 2006 from Pace Primitive in New York.  It has an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000.  It failed to sell.

Lot 175

Lot 175, Yaka power figure, Democratic Republic on the Congo, 12 7/8 inches high

Another work from the Lerner collection is Lot 175, a very good Yaka power figure from the Republic of the Congo.  It is 12 7/8 inches high and was onced owned by Armand Arman.  It was exhibited that the Museum for African Art in New York in 1997.  It is distinguished, not by its large, upturned nose and nailed hat, but its 8 "babies," or small wooden figures attached by rawhide and with some beads dangling about her legs.  Though we can't hear their whining and yelping and whooping, their presence adds a wonderful liveliness.  The lot has an estimate of $25,000 to $35,000.  It failed to sell.

Lot 134

Lot 134, a Teotihuacan standing figure from the Guerrero Region, lustrous dark green veined serpentine, 13 3/8 inches high, Late Pre-classic/Early Classic, circa AD  200-400

Lot 134 is a bold Teotihuacan figure from the Guerrro Region, Late Preclassic/Early Classic, circa AD 200-400.  It is sculpted out of lustrous dark green veined serpentine.  It is 13 3/8 inches high and has been widely published. 

The catalogue notes that Teotihuacan "became one of the largest cities in the world by the 6th Century" and "was the most important city in ancient Mesoamerica at the time, extending its influence and power into the contemporanous Maya world to the south."

It has an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000.  It sold for $137,500.


Sepik  116

Lot 116, "Spirit Figure, Inyai-Ewa, Karawari River, Middle Sepik, Papua New Guinea, 41 3/4  inches high

Lot 116 is a fine Inyai-Ewa wooden spirit figure from the Karawari River, Middle Sepik, Papua New Guinea.  It is 41 3/4 inches high.  It has an estimate of $50,000 to $60,000.  It sold for $62,500.

190

Lot 162, Aardvark Marionette heads, Bamana, the tallest 12 3/4 inches high

Lot 162 is a fine group of 7 Bamana aardvark marionette heads.  The tallest is 12 3/4 inches high.  The handsome group has a very modest estimate of $10,000 to $15,000.  It was once with Pace Primitive and Ancient Art in New York.  It failed to sell.


Yoruba  190

Lot 190,Yoruba Altar Emblem for Oko, Nigeria, 63 inches high

Lot 190 is an impressive sword-form metal stave and its spectacular and extremely colorful beaded sheath with four pairs of "arms" protruding from the sides that almost puts most totem poles to shame.  (Lot 132 in this auction is a fine traditional totem pole from Southwest Alaska that is 87 inches tall, was once in the collection of Debbie Reynolds, the actress, and sold within its estimate for $275,000.)  This lot was once with Pace Primitive and Ancient Art in New York.  It has a very modest estimate of $10,000 to $15,000.  It failed to sell!


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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