NICOLAS ROLLAND
Art Historian, Nicolas Rolland worked for Christie’s and at Galerie Jacques Barrère, before establishing himself as a merchant in the field of the primitive arts, almost ten years ago. Passionate about the ancient cultures of sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania, he offers for sale works rigorously selected for their authenticity and their aesthetic qualities. Nicolas Rolland is a member of the Compagnie Nationale des Experts (CNE). Very involved in research, he co-wrote and directed the publication of several reference works:. As a curator and scientific consultant he took part in the creation of the Musée Spiritain des Arts Africains (Allex, France). He also curated several exhibitions as: “African collections of the Congregation of the holy spirit” (Paris 2017) and “Galerie Pigalle 1930, a look back at a mythical exhibition” (Paris, 2018) Mobile : +33 (0)6 19 89 80 32 Email : contact@nicolasrolland.fr Web : www.nicolasrolland.fr
INTERVIEW
Senoufo mask, Ivory Coast, wood, h : 27 cm, XIXth century or early XXth century, Nicolas Rolland archives, photo : Vincent Girier-Dufournier
WHEN WAS YOUR FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH TRIBAL ART? WAS IT IN A MUSEUM OR IN A GALLERY? WHAT TRIBAL ART OBJECT ATTRACTED YOU FIRST? When I was a child, my father would take me bargain hunting at the flea market on weekends. He was a magistrate – not at all involved in the art business in other words. He was however passionate about folk art and delighted in finding old objects whenever he had the time to look for them. One day he brought home a mask that he had bought from a small antiques dealer. It was a Dan mask from the Ivory Coast, and it had real age. I knew nothing about African art at the time, but to me it was a treasure. A window opened up onto a whole new world, which seemed both near and distant to me. Voyage accounts, the histories of the colonial empires, films and popular cultures had left me with an image of an Africa that was both familiar and fascinating. It took me some time to realize that that image was a deceptive construction, and that in order to truly understand the distant cultures of Africa and Oceania, I would first need to critically evaluate the views and discourses that the West had projected onto them. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE BEFORE YOU YOURSELF PURCHASED YOUR VERY FIRST PIECE? In spite of this precocious discovery, I did not envision a career in the art business until much later. I studied law, “because you can do anything with that” my father always said, and also art history, because that was what really interested me. While a student, I visited the Hotel Drouot sale rooms regularly, but I never allowed myself to buy anything. I lacked confidence in myself, and I was also short of money. One day however, I stumbled on a small ivory sculpture. The object intrigued me enormously and it was in my price range. I acquired it for only a few dozen Euros. I was simultaneously initiated into the auction experience, the feverish and exciting atmosphere that shakes everyone up a bit! The object I had purchased was a Loango ivory that had been manufactured in the 19th century on the Gabon or Congo coast. I researched my new piece and its historical context frenetically. In the process, I learned about the history of this Central African area – the ancient Kongo Kingdom, the relations between Africans and Europeans that were established in the 15th century, Christianization, the Triangular Trade routes, and then the rediscovery of these cultures at the time of 19th century European colonization. I finally decided that law didn’t interest me all that much, and that I wanted to make art my profession. HOW DID YOU BEGIN SELLING TRIBAL ART? ARE YOU A SELFTAUGHT DEALER OR DID YOU HAVE A MENTOR? WHICH DEALERS INSPIRED YOU EARLY ON?
Tsangui spoon, Gabon, wood, h : 21 cm, XIXth century or early XXth century, Nicolas Rolland archives, photo : Vincent Girier-Dufournier Baoule percussion instrument, Ivory Coast, wood, h : 28 cm, XIXth century, Nicolas Rolland archives, photo : Vincent Girier-Dufournier
When I had finished my studies, I was hired by Christie’s in Paris. My job there enabled me to work with a variety of specialized departments including the tribal art department. I learned the basics of the profession - about auctions, the market, but most importantly, I had the opportunity to see and handle the objects. At the same time, I had the feeling that it would not be in this very posh, but for me too highly formatted environment that I would really flourish. I wanted to see what it was like to be a dealer, and to discover the other part of the art market - that of the galleries. I had the good fortune then to be hired to be the director of Galerie Jacques Barrère, specialized in Asian art. Barrère had been active in the business since the 1960s, and over the decades, he had built a reputation for himself as a solid dealer and as having one of the best eyes in the world for ancient Asian sculpture. It was from him that I really learned the foundations of the profession: how to buy, evaluate, appraise, sell and make a gallery work. Simultaneously, I was cultivating my passion for African art. Barrère’s gallery was in the heart of SaintGermain-des-Prés neighborhood in Paris, which has also historically been the word’s capital for tribal art dealers. Their proximity made it possible for me to become acquainted with many of them. I saw them often, and I asked questions about pieces and prices. Over time, I came to be convinced that I would be happy working in this profession. DO YOU THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE INITIATED TO START COLLECTING? An interest in art often has a sociological basis. My own path, like that of many other dealers and collectors as well, attests to the fact that it is often easier to become interested in art when one has been sensitized to it by a family environment, and has had access to books, museums and exhibitions. This fact alone is in my estimation a sufficient reason for art history to be taught to all students in schools, regardless of their origin or background. It really amounts to a question of social justice. Collecting, which represents yet another stage in this process of coexistence with art, is a highly personal matter, and there can be many approaches and motivations for it. A psychoanalyst might be better equipped to explain it than I! Be that as it may, once the spark has been ignited in him, it is in a collector’s interest to study his subject assiduously if he wants to avoid blunders. He must undergo an apprenticeship. Reading and the acquisition of in-depth theoretical knowledge are of course essential, but physical knowledge of the objects themselves, their forms and their materials, is vital as well, and can only be had through direct contact with them. And this brings us to the dealer’s most important role: to provide the opportunity to see and touch objects from which the public has often been taught it must keep its distance. The gallery is the place where interaction is possible. In a museum setting, the visitor is on his own, standing alone in front of objects from which he is often separated by a pane of glass. In an auction house sale room, the clock is always ticking, and works against everyone. The expert is in a hurry to get the sale prepared as quickly as possible, and the collector has to make decisions under duress. In a gallery, there is time, an opportunity for an ongoing and meaningful exchange with its owner, and direct access to the pieces. These conditions are the most favorable for learning, and aren’t available anywhere else. THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF CASES OF FORGERIES IN THE TRIBAL ART MARKET. HOW DO DEALERS GIVE THEIR CLIENTS CONFIDENCE REGARDING WORKS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO TRACE?
Snuffbox, France, wood, h : 9 cm, XIXth century, Nicolas Rolland archives, photo : Nicolas Rolland
The problem of fakes is unfortunately endemic in the art market and all of its areas, and not specific to tribal art. I believe that the best way to counter the gangrene of fraud is through the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge of forms, the development of the eye, and the sharing of information with the public. Dealers and experts have a pedagogic role to play, and need to be open with their knowledge. Most of all, they must adhere strictly to the rules that govern the profession. They must be intransigent with their so-called colleagues who fail to do so, and who, whether wittingly or unwittingly, betray the confidence that collectors place in them. A number of countries have specialist groups that guarantee the standards of their members. I myself am a member of the Compagnie Nationale des Experts (CNE), which in France is the group that includes the biggest number of experts in the arts of Africa, Oceania, Asia and the Americas. Each new member must be sponsored by existing member colleagues, and must thus be recognized for his knowledge and abilities, in addition to fulfilling the requirement of having ten years of experience in his field. Collectors would do well to pay more attention to guarantees of this kind, and to be wary of the self-proclaimed experts that abound nowadays, even in auction houses or on major web sites, where they are ready to say anything to make sales and often surround themselves with incompetent personnel. ARE WE SEEING A NEW GENERATION OF COLLECTORS EMERGING IN THE TRIBAL ART MARKET? While it is of course legitimate to be asking questions about the emergence of a new generation of collectors and the future of the market, I believe that the debate that consists of wondering whether the new ones will replace the old ones is flawed. Mindsets are not fixed when it comes to art. Artistic taste is a social phenomenon like any other, and it is influenced by events in an ever-changing and evolving world. There is no point in lamenting these changes, and it makes more sense to try to anticipate and understand them. During all of the 20th century the so-called “primitive” arts were associated with a certain idea of modernity. Their popular success in the West is the fruit of that association. Nowadays however, the connections have probably become somewhat less efficient. The world has changed and so has modernism. Is there anything wrong with that? The concept of primitivism itself is limited in its scope, and often acts as a kind of distorting magnifying glass vis-à-vis the cultures it pretends to validate. It is paradoxical to observe to what extent some players on the market still remain attached to this notion though, as if it represented the only way in which the public’s interest can be garnered. Learning to change our views of non-European cultures, to see them for what they are and not for what they say about us, appears to me to be a very positive development. Not to see this change, and to refuse to acknowledge it, is in my opinion tantamount to taking the risk of missing out on the collectors of the future. Afrique, à l’ombre des dieux. Collections africaines de la Congrégation du Saint-Esprit. Nicolas Rolland (dir.). Somogy éditions, 2017. PILAT award 2017.
DO YOU COLLECT ANYTHING YOURSELF OR DO YOU JUST ENJOY TURNING DEALS? My role as a dealer is above all to find quality artworks to offer my clients. To be a collector simultaneously would mean living with the temptation to keep certain objects for myself. I prefer to avoid this type of inner conflict. The objects I find are generally first and foremost for presentation in the gallery. Moreover, I do not really have an accumulator’s temperament.
I only keep a few objects for myself, and when I do, they tend to be very unusual things, which don’t necessarily have much monetary value on the market, but rather attract my attention for any number of other reasons. WHAT ARE THE AESTHETIC ASPECTS THAT GUIDE YOUR CHOICES? The emotion one experiences faced with a work of art is not always easy to express in words. Ultimately, the choice I make to present a particular object to the public is the best way I know to demonstrate my sensibility without necessarily having to explain it. The objects speak for me. Still, if I had to summarize my taste, I would say that I am generally speaking fascinated by the way artists use their talent to invent forms that diverge from the strict imitation of nature, while still bringing an emotion, a word or an idea to life. This formal sensibility, which is also what gives an object its agency - its way of acting on the world, on things and on beings - is particularly present in the artworks we use the terms “primitive” or “tribal” to designate. It can however also be found in many other cultures and periods. If I felt a reaction to a mask from Gabon or a Sepik figure, why couldn’t I also be moved by a Spanish Roman Christ, an anthropomorphic tobacco container from the Jura Mountains in France, or a Brazilian ex-voto? I am very critical of the notions of “tribal” or “primitive” art that we have inherited from the past, and feel that we must now learn to detach ourselves from them. Every culture needs to be considered individually and as a unique entity, and there should be no compulsion to make it fit into a sui generis category whose federating or determining characteristics one would anyway be hard-pressed to find. While we can envision the establishment of all kinds of relationships between cultures, forms and functions, they shouldn’t have to be enclosed in some ad hoc reductionist classification. Our field’s horizons would be considerably broadened and enriched if we could achieve that goal. WHAT ART FAIRS DO YOU CURRENTLY PARTICIPATE IN AND WHICH SEEM TO BE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL? Fairs do represent excellent opportunities to meet collectors, but we mustn’t abandon our galleries, which ought to remain the focal point of our activities, because of them. I try to maintain a balance between the two. I participate in the Parcours des Mondes, the most important fair in our field, in Paris in September, and in the BRUNEAF show in Brussels in January. But I also regularly organize exhibitions in my gallery and try to get collectors to visit me there as much as possible. I make it a point to be presenting a selection of objects in a very wide price range at all times, and to always have quality works at affordable prices (under €5000) on hand. Collectors need to realize, or rediscover, the fact that very good buys and wonderful discoveries can be made in the galleries! Musée Spiritain des Arts Africains (MUSAA), Allex, France. Architecture : NeM architectes. Scientific consultant and curator : Nicolas Rolland. Photographie : Cyril Weiner. © NeM architectes 2018
DO YOU THINK A COLLECTOR FEELS MORE REASSURED WHEN HE BUYS AT AUCTIONS THAN FROM A DEALER? DO YOU THINK THAT AUCTION HOUSES ARE A THREAT FOR DEALERS, WHO WILL FIND MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO MAKE A LIVING? It is not the fact of being reassured that pushes collectors towards the auction
houses on such a large scale. From a strictly legal point of view, they in fact offer much fewer guarantees to their buyers than dealers do. The quality of the expertise they bring to the pieces they offer is also very variable! Nowadays however, we live in the “society of the spectacle” as theorist and philosopher Guy Debord had prophesied over fifty years ago. An auction is like a theater piece, and the production and staging throws the actors under the spotlights and into the view of a public that has come to see a show with no admission charge! It is undoubtedly an infatuation with this kind of social phenomenon that also explains the success of the most important international fairs, which people attend as much to see each other as to see artworks. Moreover, and in tandem with this phenomenon, it is certainly a fact that the two biggest players on the auction scene, Sotheby’s and Christie’s, have, over the years, succeeded in establishing themselves as real brands, and that they benefit greatly from the image of exclusivity and quality they have created for themselves. They have achieved this primarily through massive financial investments, coupled with formidable marketing campaigns. Galleries, which are generally small-scale operations with limited means, cannot compete on this turf. What can dealers do then? I think they must play their hands as best they can - to redouble their efforts to find quality objects, to educate collectors by focusing on what they do best (taking time, engaging in dialogs and imparting knowledge), to organize exhibitions, and to put special efforts into offering the quality service and material that time constraints and the pressure for very high profit margins so often prevent auction houses from providing. DO YOU THINK THAT THIS MARKET IS GOING TO BE MORE AND MORE STRUCTURED THANKS TO ALL THE NEW DOCUMENTATION COMING OUT AND ITS WIDER DIFFUSION? The fields of African and Oceanic art and those in general of the non-European cultures that the West began to recognize at the end of the 19th century, all suffered from a lack of research and knowledge for a long time. Our vision of these cultures was moreover constructed on a number of stereotypes and misunderstandings. Accurate knowledge is thankfully now more readily available than it has been in the past, and that knowledge is vital to a healthy and well-structured approach to the market. Research and writing are essential components of my activity. In recent years, I have published two works that have received several international awards. The first is devoted to the African collections of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Afrique, à l’ombre des dieux, Éditions Somogy, 2017), the history of which the public had previously been very poorly informed on. The second work, co-authored by my friend and colleague Charles-Wesley Hourdé, examines the seminal exhibition of African and Oceanic art that was held in Paris in 1930 (Galerie Pigalle: Afrique, Océanie. 1930. Une exposition mythique, Éditions Somogy, 2018), about which no in-depth study or account had ever been produced. Each of these books projects took years of my time to bring to fruition and it is my hope that they represent a substantial contribution to the knowledge we have of their subject matter, and that they nourish the perceptions and understanding of those who read them. WHAT IS YOUR NEXT PROJECT/PUBLICATION? I am working on several projects but it is still too early to be talking about them…
Galerie Pigalle : Afrique, Océanie. 1930. Une exposition mythique. Charles-Wesley Hourdé et Nicolas Rolland (dir.), 2018. PILAT award 2018, FILAF award 2018.
CAN YOU IMAGINE DOING ANYTHING ELSE FOR A LIVING? I often ask myself that question, but I’m still waiting to find the answer! THE LAST QUESTION: IF THE HOUSE WAS ON FIRE, WHAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING YOU WOULD SAVE? Aside from my wife and daughter - which are not things of course - I would have to say my computer’s external hard drive! It has years of work, archives and research on it…
SALE
TAS is a group of international dealers widely acknowledge for their expertise, which since June 2011 sells tribal art through a website. TAS Membership is by invitation only and reserved exclusively to experts in their field and who participate in major tribal art events and fairs. Pieces are published and changed at the beginning of every month. The objects are presented from different angles with a full description and corresponding dealer’s contact information. In order to guarantee the quality of pieces available on the site, objects are systematically validated by a pool of experts from the best specialized companies in the field. Collectors are therefore encouraged to decide and buy with complete confidence. In addition to this, Tribal Art Society proposes a seven day full money back return scheme should the buyer not feel totally satisfied with his purchase. This website is regularly updated with press articles, interviews and news of each of its members in order to keep amateurs well-informed and further contribute to their understanding and appreciation of tribal art More on: www.tribalartsociety.com
BAMANA MASK
01 Ntomo mask Bamana Mali, Segou region Wood Early 20th Century Height: 54 cm Provenance: Private Collection, Spain. Price: SOLD
Object presented by: David Serra T.: +34 (0) 667525597 E.: galeria@davidserra.es
BAMANA FIGURE
02 Female figure Bamana Mali Iron Height: 19 cm Price: 4.000 euros
Object presented by: Olivier Castellano M.: +33 6 11 21 25 22 E.: info@oliviercastellano.com
DOGON HORSE RIDER
03 Horse rider Dogon Mali iron Height: 11 cm Price: 3.000 euros
Object presented by: Olivier Castellano M.: +33 6 11 21 25 22 E.: info@oliviercastellano.com
MANO PASSPORT MASK
04 Passport Mask, ma-go Mano Liberia Early 20th Century Height: 7 cm Provenance: Collected in Eastern Liberia by Franco Monti, in the 1950’s Price on request
Object presented by: Bruce Frank M.: +1 917 733 9589 E.: bfrank212@aol.com
This is a classic example of a Mano miniature mask called a passport mask. Although ‘passport’ could be considered a misnomer; there is some truth to this description; but mostly these masks were for personal protection. This example has a beautiful surface; almost chestnut brown in color with a lustrous sheen. The traditional Mano features are present; downcast eyes; a medial ridge on the forehead and downcast mouth. The quality, pedigree and age make for a fine passport mask, in excellent condition.
LOBI HEAD
05 Head Lobi Burkina Faso Wood Height : 41 cm Provenance : Franco Monti Price on request
Object presented by: Joaquin Pecci T.: + 32 477 43 94 12 E.: joaquin.pecci@skynet.be
MOSSI FIGURES
06 Pair of figures Mossi Burkina Faso Height : 22,5 cm and 27,5 cm Provenance : private collection (France) Price : 3.200 euros
Object presented by: Nicolas Rolland M.: +33 (0)6 19 89 80 32 E.: contact@nicolasrolland.fr
LOKHO BRACELET
07 Bracelet or anklet Lokho Burkina Faso 16th – 19th Century Copper alley Diam.: 11 cm Provenance: Private Collection, Spain. Publications and exhibitions: Imaginaire Tribal 2019. David Serra-Fine Tribal Art, Barcelona. Parcours des Mondes, Paris. Price on request Similar bracelet or anklet: Wilfried, G. Les Lokho, Les artisans du voltaïque précoce et leurs productions du 16e au 19e siècle. Eschweiler, Mai 2019, p. 152, 154.
Object presented by: David Serra T.: +34 (0) 667525597 E.: galeria@davidserra.es
GAN BRACELET
08 Bracelet Gan Burkina Faso Iron Height: 10 cm Price: SOLD
Object presented by: Renaud Vanuxem M.: +33 6 07 11 50 60 E.: rvanuxem@yahoo.fr
LOBI FIGURE
09 Figure Lobi Burkina Faso Iron Height.: 17 cm Price: 1.200 euros
Object presented by: Renaud Vanuxem M.: +33 6 07 11 50 60 E.: rvanuxem@yahoo.fr
BIRIFOR AMULET
10 Amulet Birifor Burkina Faso Iron Height.: 7 cm Price: SOLD
Object presented by: Renaud Vanuxem M.: +33 6 07 11 50 60 E.: rvanuxem@yahoo.fr
BAULE HEDDLE PULLEY
11 Heddle pulley Baoule Ivory Coast Wood Height : 22 cm Provenance : private collection (France) Price : SOLD €
Object presented by: Nicolas Rolland M.: +33 (0)6 19 89 80 32 E.: contact@nicolasrolland.fr
BETE MASK
12 Mask Bété-Gouro Ivory Coast Wood, nails Height : 32,5 cm Provenance: Pierre Vérité (Paris), private collection (France), acquired from the above in the 1970’s Exposition: « Gouro, sculpteurs de génie », Galerie Charles-Wesley Hourdé, 2016, n°14 Publication: catalogue d’exposition « Gouro, sculpteurs de génie », Galerie Charles-Wesley Hourdé, 2016, n°14 pp. 36-37 Price : 9.500 euros€
Object presented by: Nicolas Rolland M.: +33 (0)6 19 89 80 32 E.: contact@nicolasrolland.fr
BAOULE FIGURE
13 Figure Baoule Ivory Coast Wood Height: 33 cm Published in: “Côte d’Ivoire, premiers regards sur la sculpture 1850 - 1935”, Galerie Schoffel - De Fabry 2012 N°60. Price: 8.000 euros
Object presented by: Olivier Castellano M.: +33 6 11 21 25 22 E.: info@oliviercastellano.com
SENUFO AXE
14 Ceremonial axe Senufo Ivory Coast 18th – 19th Century Copper alley Heigth: 48 cm Provenance: Private Collection, France. Price: 2.200 euros Similar ceremonial axe: - Goldwater, R. Senufo. The Museum of Primitive Art, New York, 1964, nº171, p.167
Object presented by: David Serra T.: +34 (0) 667525597 E.: galeria@davidserra.es
KULANGO AMULET
15 Amulet Kulango Ivory Coast Bronze Height.: 3,8 cm Price: SOLD
Object presented by: Renaud Vanuxem M.: +33 6 07 11 50 60 E.: rvanuxem@yahoo.fr
SENUFO AMULET
16 Amulet Early Senufo Ivory Coast Bronze Height.: 4,5 cm Price: SOLD
Object presented by: Renaud Vanuxem M.: +33 6 07 11 50 60 E.: rvanuxem@yahoo.fr
SENUFO AMULET
17 Amulet Senufo Ivory Coast Iron Height: 120cm Price: 800 euros
Object presented by: Renaud Vanuxem M.: +33 6 07 11 50 60 E.: rvanuxem@yahoo.fr
AKAN HEAD
18 Head Akan Ghana Terra cotta Height : 21 cm Provenance : private collection (France) Price : SOLD
Object presented by: Nicolas Rolland M.: +33 (0)6 19 89 80 32 E.: contact@nicolasrolland.fr
FON SCEPTER
19 Makpo scepter Fon Benin Wood and brass End 19th - Early 20th Century Height: 56 cm Price on request
Object presented by: Dori Rootenberg M.: +1 646 251 8528 E.: dori@jacarandatribal.com
Royal scepters (makpo) were one of the more iconic forms in the art traditions of the Fon, located in what is now Benin. They were one of the seven symbols of authority of the Fon monarch, who was not allowed to go out in public without it. Makpo had ceremonial uses and were also rods of command, carried by messengers to certify the authenticity of their messages. Identified by their distinctive, right-angled form, many featured an elaborately forged metal tip, often zoomorphic and usually designed after the monarch’s personal symbol. The makpo presented here is remarkably streamlined in terms of design. Opting for an elegant essentialism that focuses almost entirely on its hallmark silhouette, it is embellished only with a brass knob at the rear, attached by a strip that closely hugs the sinuous contour of the crook.
IGBO FIGURE
20 Figure Igbo Nigeria Terra cotta Height : 23 cm Provenance : Alain Javelaud (France), Galerie Bernard Dulon (Paris) Price : 3.500 eurosâ‚Ź
Object presented by: Nicolas Rolland M.: +33 (0)6 19 89 80 32 E.: contact@nicolasrolland.fr
YORUBA FIGURES
21 Twin Figures Yoruba Egba-Abeokuta region, Nigeria Late 19th- early 20th Century Height: Both figures are 26 cm Provenance: Gert Stoll, Munich acquired before 1965 Loed Van bussel Collection, Amsterdam Price on request
Object presented by: Bruce Frank M.: +1 917 733 9589 E.: bfrank212@aol.com
When a twin dies in Yoruba-land, an ‘Ibeji’ is carved for the mother and it is cared for as if it is the actual child. This pair is exceptional not only in their aesthetic quality; but they exhibit a lifetime of use and care. Carved from very hardwood, this pair with ornate coiffures have slowly developed a warm and soft patina from decades of washing, feeding, and clothing with cam wood. On special occasions Ibeji are given necklaces made from old trade beads, shells and other materials; this example has several attractive necklaces and beaded belt decorations that are still intact.
IGBO ALTAR PIECE
22 Altar piece Igbo Nigeria Wood and fibers Height: 20 cm Provenance: Old Austrian collection Published in Sacrifice Joaquin Pecci 2011 Price: 1.800 euros
Object presented by: Joaquin Pecci T.: + 32 477 43 94 12 E.: joaquin.pecci@skynet.be
BAMILEKE WHISTLE
23 Whistle Bamileke Cameroon Wood Height : 27 cm Provenance: Belgian private collection Price: 2.700 euros
Object presented by: Joaquin Pecci T.: + 32 477 43 94 12 E.: joaquin.pecci@skynet.be
PENDE MASK
24 Mask Pende D.R. of Congo Wood and raffia Height : 40 cm Provenance: Private belgian collection Price: 2.800 euros
Object presented by: Joaquin Pecci T.: + 32 477 43 94 12 E.: joaquin.pecci@skynet.be
KUBA HORN
25 Drinking horn Kuba D.R. of Congo Wood and metal Width: 33 cm Provenance: Pierre Dartevelle, Brussels Taylor Dale, Santa Fe Price on request
Object presented by: Dori Rootenberg M.: +1 646 251 8528 E.: dori@jacarandatribal.com
Palm wine horns were objects of high status among Kuba. As icons of kingly largesse they were accordingly decorative, laboriously carved in low relief with patterns of studs, concentric rings, zigzags, and other geometric motifs. Their sharply angled buffalo horn shape was emblematic of the power of their owners who often carried them suspended from the belt. According to Pierre Dartevelle, the bearer of the horn offered here would have been identified as a tax collector, and would be given water when he arrived in the village. Its dark surface, worn smooth with use, is decorated with incised concentric rings and zoomorphic motifs composed in a looser manner than many examples of its kind. A slimilar Kuba horn is illustrated in Leopoldville-Liège, Liège Kinshasa. Les collections africaines de l’université de Lièges, 2007, pp.85,87.
RUNGU MASK
26 Mask Rungu D.R. of Congo Wood, pigments, raphia and old collection number Length 31,5 cm Provennance: Collected by the Passionist Fathers of Wezembeek-Oppem (collection number 245) Private collection Switzerland Price on request
Object presented by: Patrik, Katrin et Theodor Fröhlich M.: + 41 44 242 89 00 E.: patrikfroehlich@swissonline.ch
This impressive mask from the Rungu people – neighbors to the Tabwa – is very rare work of art of considerable age. From the same artist three other masks are known, all of them in museum collections. These are: - A mask collected together with this example by the Passionist Fathers of Wezembeek-Oppem (see: African Arts, Volume 41, Number 2, p. 44-45) - A mask in the collection of the Royal Museum for Central Africa Tervuren. The Tervuren mask was acquired by the museum in 1957 from the distinguished collection of Denise and Jacques Schwob. See: EO.1957.8.2 - A mask in the collection of the Museum für Völkerkunde Berlin, (see: Koloss, Kings of Africa. Art and Authority in Central Africa, n° 162)
SONGYE AXE
27 Axe Songye Democratic Republic of the Congo Metal, hide and wood Early 20th Century Height: 44 cm Provenance: Ex collection Pierre Loos, Brussels Price: 1.500 euros
Object presented by: Julien Flak M.: +33 6 84 52 81 36 E.: contact@galerieflak.com
As stated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, axes were employed as symbols of royal power throughout present-day southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo and northern Angola. Elaborate versions of this functional tool were created as royal scepters that were potent symbols of civilization and cultural achievement. They represented the body of esoteric skills and knowledge associated with ironworking, an activity rich in practical as well as supernatural significance. Indigenous rulers often traced their ancestry back to culture heroes credited with the discovery of ironworking, and these metal implements reinforced those dynastic connections and suggested the leaders’ control over potent processes of creation and transformation. The wooden handles of royal axes were often highly decorated, covered with exquisitely carved motifs or encased in precious metals or animal hides. The numerous faces that appear on both sides of the axe head may be miniature depictions of Kifwebe masks, a type of face mask danced by members of the bwadi bwa kifwebe society. This association was charged with enforcing and expanding the political and supernatural strength of the ruling class, and was intimately linked to displays of chiefly power. This fine Songye axe previously belonged to Pierre Loos in Brussels.
UBANGI FIGURE
28 Ngbaka anthropomorphic figure Ubangi Democratic Republic of the Congo Carved wood Early 20th Century Provenance: Jo de Buck, Brussels Height: 37 cm Price: 3.800 euros
Object presented by: Julien Flak M.: +33 6 84 52 81 36 E.: contact@galerieflak.com
This figure is a classical example of ancient Ubangi art. These carved figures were used for curing, protection and divination purposes. This large figure stands 37 cm tall and has a profound sculptural quality. The face with stylized features and the geometric, almost cubistic construction convey an intense sense of power and poetry.
KONGO FIGURE
29 Figure mintadi Kongo R.D. of Congo Stone Height : 26 cm Provenance: French private collection Price : 1.500 euros â‚Ź
Object presented by: Nicolas Rolland M.: +33 (0)6 19 89 80 32 E.: contact@nicolasrolland.fr
ZULU BEER POT
30 Ukhamba beer pot Zulu South Africa Ceramic Mid 20th Century Height: 20,3 cm Provenance: Bill Simmons, New York Price on request
Object presented by: Dori Rootenberg M.: +1 646 251 8528 E.: dori@jacarandatribal.com
Horizontal ranks of pointed amasumpa nodes cover almost the entire surface of this Zulu beer pot, or ukhamba, to dramatic sculptural effect. Usually deployed in low relief, here the clustered motifs push boldly beyond the decorative or utulitarian with a prominence that nearly abstracts the form. This beautiful vessel was made by Hlenge Langa and owned by Beki Ndlovu, a traditional herbalist (nyanga)
PYU GOLD RING
31 Ring Pyu Kingdom Burma Gold N°19 / U 59 /US 8,75 /o 18,75 mm Price: 5.000 euros
Object presented by: Cedric Le Dauphin M.: +33 6 07 82 95 08 E.: c.ledauphin@gmail.com
From Burma, this high carat gold ring is set up with a cleaved diamond cabochon. Dating from the first centuries this ring comes from the Pyu kingdom around the Irrawaddy River in Burma. It is very rare to find rings in that region and from that period, which would be adorned with diamond and even rarer when of that size (6 x 12 mm).
SUMATRA KRISS HANDLE
32 Kriss handle Sumatra North, Indonesia 19th Century Elephant molar Height : 8,2 cm Price: 1.800 euros Also known under “Java Deman� (fevering man), this type of handle comes from the northern part of the Sumatra Island. A rare example of this type of handle. Note that the orange colour comes from the time the material spent in the orange clay before being found and sculpted into this final form.
Object presented by: Cedric Le Dauphin M.: +33 6 07 82 95 08 E.: c.ledauphin@gmail.com
SEPIK DISH
33 Anthropomorphic pigment dish Lower Sepik, Papua New Guinea Carved wood and pigments Early 20th Century Height: 12 cm Provenance: Ex private collection, Australia, reportedly acquired from Elizabeth Pryce, Sydney Ex collection Pierre Mondoloni, France Price: 1.900 euros
Object presented by: Julien Flak M.: +33 6 84 52 81 36 E.: contact@galerieflak.com
PAPUAN “MARUPAI”
34 Marupai charm Papuan Gulf, Papua New Guinea Carved coconut and pigments 20th Century Length: 10 cm Price: 800 euros€
Object presented by: Julien Flak M.: +33 6 84 52 81 36 E.: contact@galerieflak.com
Marupai were hunting or personal spiritual charms. They served a variety of functions (protection, sorcery, divination and much more). As stated by Richard Aldridge (2012), Gulf of Papua art is essentially religious in nature. The faces on marupai represent mythical heroes. Not all these ancestral heroes are human with many being able to take the forms of crocodiles, lizards, birds, pigs and even natural phenomena such as whirlpools, they should nevertheless all be considered deities.
ABORIGINAL SHIELD
35 Shield Aborigene North eastern Queensland, Australia 19th Century Rainforest painted softwood Height: 118,7 cm Provenance: Collected by a British naval officer, early 19th century James T. Hooper, Arundel Price on request
Object presented by: Patrick & Ondine Mestdagh M.: +32 475 467 315 E.: pm@patrickmestdagh.com
MAORI “KOTIATE�
36 Kotiate weapon Maori New Zealand Early 19th century. whalebone Height.: 31 cm Price on request prized weapon on the battlefield and favored by chiefs during speech making
Object presented by: Patrick & Ondine Mestdagh M.: +32 475 467 315 E.: pm@patrickmestdagh.com
KANAK CLUB
37 Club Kanak New Caledonia Wood Height.: 79 cm Provenance: Old French colonial collection Price: SOLD
Object presented by: Renaud Vanuxem M.: +33 6 07 11 50 60 E.: rvanuxem@yahoo.fr
ADMIRALTY SPATULA
38 Lime Spatula Admiralty Islands 19th-early 20th Century Total height: 34,3 cm Figure’s height: 10,2 cm Provenance: Private Italian Collection Price on request
Object presented by: Bruce Frank M.: +1 917 733 9589 E.: bfrank212@aol.com
Spatulas for the application of Lime can be found all over Oceania. This example is from the Admiralty Islands; figurative sculpture from this area is difficult to acquire. This example consists of a finely carved ancestor with elaborate headdress. There is great attention to detail; such as a delineated scapula, and arms that are carved away from the body. The patina is rich and deep from generations of use and handling. In excellent condition.
CEREMONIAL SPEAR
39 Ceremonial spear Admiralty Islands Bismarck Archipelago 19th Century Wood, plant fibers and pigments, parinarium resin, obsidian. Height: 214,5 cm Provenance: Galerie AJP Meyer, Paris. Price: 2.300 euros
Object presented by: Laurent Dodier M.: + 33 6 08 22 68 15 E.: laurentdodier@wanadoo.fr
The two points of the lance, in obsidian are inserted in an interweaving of vegetable fibers. They surmount a perforated handle decorated with geometric motifs.
CEREMONIAL SPEAR
40 Ceremonial spear Admiralty Islands Bismarck Archipelago 19th Century Wood, plant fibers and pigments, parinarium resin, obsidian. Height: 178 cm Provenance: Marie Pierre Dutoya, Paris Price: 1.800 euros
Object presented by: Laurent Dodier M.: + 33 6 08 22 68 15 E.: laurentdodier@wanadoo.fr
The tip of the spear, obsidian is inserted in an interweaving of plant fibers. It overcomes a handle decorated with a crocodile head.
ADMIRALTY SPEAR
41 Ceremonial spear Admiralty Islands Bismarck Archipelago 19th Century Wood, plant fibers and pigments, parinarium resin, obsidian. Height: 217 cm Provenance: Galerie AJP Meyer, Paris. Price: 2.300 euros
Object presented by: Laurent Dodier M.: + 33 6 08 22 68 15 E.: laurentdodier@wanadoo.fr
The tip of the spear, obsidian is inserted in an interweaving of plant fibers. It overcomes a handle decorated with geometric patterns.
SOLOMON FIGUREHEAD
42 Nguzunguzu canoe prow figurehead Solomon Islands Carved wood, pigments and abalone Late 19th Century Height: 23 cm Provenance: Reportedly ex collection Barnard Castle, decommissioned from the Bowes Museum, part of the George Brown collection, a prominent collector based in the Solomon Islands in 1902 Ex private collection, Oxford, United Kingdom Ex private collection, Sydney, Australia Price on request
Object presented by: Julien Flak M.: +33 6 84 52 81 36 E.: contact@galerieflak.com
As stated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, canoes in the western Solomon Islands, essential to transportation, fishing and warfare were formerly lavishly adorned. The centerpiece of the prow was a distinctive figurehead, known variously as a nguzunguzu, musumusu or toto isu. Attached at the waterline so that it dipped in the sea as the canoe rode the waves, the figurehead reportedly served as a supernatural protector ensuring safe passage and a successful expedition. The images on the figureheads are typically busts depicted with large heads and circular ear ornaments and small arms with the hands raised to the chin or clasping a smaller head or bird. The jutting jaws of the images were reportedly attributes of spirits and the figureheads are sometimes said to depict, or alternatively, afford protection from dangerous sea spirits known as kesoko.
BUKA PADDLE
43 Ceremonial paddle Buka Solomon Islands wood and pigments Height.: 172 cm Price: 4.500 euros
Object presented by: Renaud Vanuxem M.: +33 6 07 11 50 60 E.: rvanuxem@yahoo.fr
FIJI DISH
44 Ceremonial priests oil dish ni waiwai Fiji Islands 18th Century Wood Height.: 44 cm Provenance: Private New Zealand collection Price on request
Object presented by: Patrick & Ondine Mestdagh M.: +32 475 467 315 E.: pm@patrickmestdagh.com
INUPIAQ FINGER MASK
45 Finger mask with janiform faces Carved wood and feathers Inupiaq Eskimo Alaska Early 20th century Height: 6,5 cm Provenance: Ex collection Brant Mackley, Santa Fe Price: 2.800 euros
Object presented by: Julien Flak M.: +33 6 84 52 81 36 E.: contact@galerieflak.com
Eskimo culture is characterized by a wide variety of cultural forms, and complex art. The Subarctic region inhabited by the Yup’ik and Inupiat peoples is well supplied with land and sea resources allowing for much time that could be devoted to a full ceremonial life. After freezeup in the winter, performance cycles were undertaken that were important to maintaining proper human, animal, and spirit-world interactions. Performed inside the qasaiq (communal men’s house) during festivals, masked dances took place to give a tangible form to the world of helping spirits and supernatural entities. They were also presented to tell particular stories. Often used by shamans to facilitate communication and movement between worlds (those of the humans and animals, of the living and the dead), masks usually were discarded after use. Finger masks were used to further articulate the important hand movements. According to Dorothy Jean Ray, Alfred A. Blaker, see Eskimo Masks: Art and Ceremony, 1967: “Inuit masks, which are typically characterized by an abstract and surrealistic aesthetic, should not be considered as ‘carvings existing in and of themselves, but as part of an integrated complex of story, song, and dance in religious and secular activities. The art of the mask is concerned with a religious tradition derived from the spirits and created for them by the shaman. The mask was worn by the shaman when diagnosing the cause of a particular misfortune, such as poor hunting or a crisis in the weather (…). Because dances were performed in order to influence the animal’s spirit and therefore its subsequent behavior, it was important not only to make the masks beautiful and exciting, but to select the best dancers to wear them.”
FRENCH CANE
46 Walking cane French folk art France wood, iron and beads Height.: 93 cm Price: 1.200 euros
Object presented by: Renaud Vanuxem M.: +33 6 07 11 50 60 E.: rvanuxem@yahoo.fr
THULE AMULETS
47 Whale figures / shamanic or hunter’s amulets Thule Culture, Ancient Eskimo Alaska Marine Ivory 12th-16th Century Length: 3 cm and 3.2 cm Prices : 1,800 euros each
Object presented by: Julien Flak M.: +33 6 84 52 81 36 E.: contact@galerieflak.com
According to William Fitzhugh, from the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution and Bryan Just from the Princeton University Art Museum, these animal figurines from Alaska were sometimes used in fertility ceremonies, or for calling upon the “masters” of game animals. Other ethnographic parallels recorded in the early 20th century demonstrate that figurines could be used as personal “assistants” and “spiritual helpers” to capture prey or as “guardians” to safeguard humankind from those physical and spiritual dangers encountered in the landscape. The literature also describes other functions: protecting against disease, serving as birthing amulets, and acting as general household guardians and deities.
CURTIS’ PHOTOGRAVURE
48 Finger mask with janiform faces Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952) Eagle dancer, San Ildefonso, 1925 Original photogravure The North American Indian, volume XVII: The Tewa - The Zuñi – pl. 54 Dimensions of the image: 14 x 19 cm Plate: 17 x 23 cm excluding frame With the frame: 34 x 40.5 cm Price: 1,700 euros
Object presented by: Julien Flak M.: +33 6 84 52 81 36 E.: contact@galerieflak.com
Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952) is one of America’s finest photographers and ethnologists. He devoted 30 years of his life photographing and documenting over eighty Native American nations, crisscrossing the United States from the Mexican border to northern Alaska. With the support of President Theodore Roosevelt and John Pierpont (JP) Morgan, he completed his project in 1930. His work, entitled The North American Indian, consisted of 20 volumes, each containing 75 hand-pressed photogravures and 300 pages of text. This image is the rare photographic record of a kachina dance in San Ildefonso, a Tewa-speaking Pueblo at the foot of Black Mesa, north of Santa Fe in New Mexico.