Portrait © Cerise Laby
CHARLES-WESLEY HOURDE Native of the art world, Charles-Wesley Hourdé launched his professional career by opening a stand at the Saint-Ouen flea market in 2005. It was in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, at the heart of the Parisian market for African and Oceanic arts, that he opened the following year a gallery dedicated to his area of expertise. He participated in many international art fairs, while regularly organizing exhibitions at the gallery. In 2010, Christie’s called him for his African and Oceanic art department. As Sales Director, he contributed to triple the department’s average annual turnover over a five-year period, helping to set many world records. In 2016, with this experience, he decided to become independent again and devoted himself to new, more personal projects. While remaining a consultant for several auction houses and private collectors, he opened a gallery in Saint-Germain-des-Prés (first on rue Mazarine, then on rue de Seine). He organized several important exhibitions, including: Passeurs de Rêves in 2016, L’Emprise des masques (2017) and this year Pigalle 1930 : retour sur une exposition mythique. As a fine connoisseur of the artworks and their history, the catalogues he publishes are richly illustrated and documented. Author of the most comprehensive study on the famous Japanese cabinetmaker Kichizô Inagaki, last year he co-directed a publication, intended to become a reference work, on the cornerstone exhibition of African and Oceanic art held at the Galerie Pigalle in 1930. 31 rue de Seine - 75006 Paris - France Tel : +33 (0)1 42 01 69 82 Email : info@charleswesleyhourde.com Web : www.charleswesleyhourde.com
INTERVIEW
Portrait at the age of 18 years old © Private archives
WHEN WAS YOUR FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH TRIBAL ART? I have always been surrounded by antiquities from faraway civilizations. My mother being an antique dealer, my father an art dealer and collector, our house was inhabited by artworks from Africa, Oceania, North America, Egypt, Greece, etc. I actually discovered these art forms unconsciously. On weekends we would visit museums and visit my father’s collector friends. For example, we used to visit on regular base Hubert Goldet, my godfather, who unfortunately left too early. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE BEFORE YOU YOURSELF PURCHASED YOUR VERY FIRST PIECE? I opened a stand in the Flea-market in 2005. For the occasion, with my business partner at the time, Alessandro Clemenza, we had set aside 400€ each to buy a beautiful piece for 800€! We finally acquired a very nice Bembe figure that we quickly sold to Marceau Rivière. Seeing me attached to this object and knowing its symbolic value, he was kind enough to sell it back to me a few years later. HOW DID YOU BEGIN SELLING TRIBAL ART? ARE YOU A SELFTAUGHT DEALER OR DID YOU HAVE A MENTOR? WHICH DEALERS INSPIRED YOU EARLY ON? My father obviously taught me a lot. But I also had the chance to quickly discover beautiful collections, first with him, then for Christie’s, the auction house for which I worked for 5 years. This last experience also brought me a lot. I learned a certain rigour in the work and discovered a passion for research. I also met most of the Parisian and Belgian merchants very early on. DO YOU THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE INITIATED TO START COLLECTING? I think collecting Tribal arts is a real challenge. There are many artworks on the market, some good, most of them fake. There is a very wide disparity in quality and price. It’s not always easy to find your way around. There are many criteria to consider. Origin, typology, rarity, patina, quality of sculpture, provenance, presence of old labels, restorations, etc. Being well surrounded is obviously an advantage. Otherwise, you have to spend a lot of time consulting good books (beware there are also bad ones!), visiting good museums, good galleries and good auction houses!
Spoon with legs Dan Ivory Coast H: 48 cm © Vincent Girier Dufournier
DID YOU TRAVEL IN AFRICA/OCEANIA? I went with my father to West Africa (Togo, Benin, Mali). For tourism, not professionally. Then later in French Polynesia (Tahiti, Marquesas islands) and Central (Mexico, Guatemala) and South America (Peru, Bolivia). 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? Our market is full of fake pieces. I also think that the forgery market, even though there are no official figures, represents a turnover comparable or even higher than that of authentic artworks. I have only one piece of advice to give. Trust serious merchants, who are members of an expert chamber and who participate in important art fairs. ARE WE SEEING A NEW GENERATION OF COLLECTORS EMERGING IN THE TRIBAL ART MARKET? There is indeed a young generation of collectors. What is interesting is that these new amateurs have a different relationship with their collection. They do not hesitate to share it on social networks and ask the community for advice. By the way, I would like to warn them that they should be wary of advice from “expert” collectors who are multiplying on the Internet... DO YOU COLLECT ANYTHING YOURSELF OR DO YOU JUST ENJOY TURNING DEALS? There are artworks to which I am particularly attached, such as the Bembe figure mentioned above. There are ensembles that I am trying to bring together for upcoming exhibitions, such as Guatemalan masks, or Toma objects. But most of the pieces I live with are destined to be sold at some point. I find this more honest with my customers. On the other hand, I enjoy living surrounded by these beautiful artworks. IS THERE ANY MATERIAL THAT YOU WON’T BUY OR SELL? ANYTHING THAT IS TABOO OR OFF LIMITS? I grew up with a Peruvian mummy in my bedroom. I’m immune. CAN YOU DISCUSS A FEW OF THE MAJOR HIGH PROFILE PIECES YOU’VE SOLD? Last year, I had the opportunity to exhibit at TEFAF art fair an exceptional ensemble of three statues from New Ireland: one Uli figure and two Malagans. All three had belonged to the Bremen Museum before being acquired by a German dealer. Although the museum’s archives were largely destroyed during the war, we were able to find the dates of collection and the names of the captains who collected them. The three pieces thus benefited from an incredible provenance, attested since the very beginning of the 20th century. Other pieces I am proud to have had in my hands include a very important Baga shoulder mask, the Dan spoon from the Josef Mueller collection, and an incredible asymmetric Dan mask.
Uli Figure New Ireland H: 139 cm © Vincent Girier Dufournier
Asymetric mask Dan Ivory Coast H: 20,5 cm © Vincent Girier Dufournier
Even if it is not an art object as such, I am also very proud of the publication we directed with Nicolas Rolland about the exhibition at the Galerie Pigalle in 1930. It took us three years of intense research and editorial work. This exciting but hard work has been rewarded twice, with the PILAT 2018 prize and the FILAF 2019 prize. WHAT ART FAIRS DO YOU CURRENTLY PARTICIPATE IN AND WHICH SEEM TO BE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL? I participated in many different fairs. But I currently exhibit at Parcours des Mondes, Paris Tribal and BRAFA. I prefer participating in few fairs in order to better prepare them. Finding good artworks has become difficult, and it is unthinkable for me to participate to a show to present second-rate objects or objects already exhibited at previous fairs. WHAT IS YOUR NEXT PROJECT/PUBLICATION ? I have many projects, even if most of them are confidential for the moment... In September, I will publish a book about the important collection of Josette and Jean-Claude Weill In Praise of the Human form, Arts of Africa, Oceania and America, 5 Contients edition. An original and coherent collection. This publication will reveal more than 120 sculptures that have long remained confidential, and will illustrate the Weills’ exquisite taste for expressive shapes and beautiful materials. Still in September, I will participate to the Parcours des Mondes. A selection of African and Oceanic artworks will be exhibited together with a set of drawings by three Zimbabwean artists, including Mischek Masamvu, the leading figure in the country’s today artistic scene. These works will be presented by 31 project, a new entity created in collaboration with Clémence Houdart. It is under the banner of 31 project that we will participate in AKAA (African Contemporary Art Fair) in November. We will organise a solo show of Georgina Maxim, a textile artist currently exhibiting at the Venice Biennale. DOES YOUR FAMILY SHARE YOUR PASSION OR IS IT YOUR PRIVATE UNIVERSE? DID YOU TRANSMIT YOUR ENTHUSIASM AND YOUR PASSION TO SOME FRIENDS? My wife was already a passionate lover of Tribal arts before we met. Even though I didn’t transmit the virus to her, I am delighted to be able to share this passion with her. I had some satisfaction last May when we visited the Barcelona Museum. Our two-and-a-half-year-old daughter pointed to a Senoufo « firespitter » mask and said, “Dad, we have the same at home! ». YOU’VE BEEN ON THE MARKET FOR A TIME NOW. DO YOU SEE AN EVOLUTION IN THE TRIBAL ART MARKET? The market has changed a lot in a very short period of time and continues to evolve. Even if more and more artworks reach and exceed €1 million, there are still many opportunities to acquire important pieces at reasonable prices. 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 can be said that some collectors who are not self-confident must be reassured by buying from big auction houses. They think that their purchases are “guaranteed”. However, it should be noted that international auction houses do not commit themselves in any way, neither the company nor the sales managers. While professional dealers, as well as independent experts working for a local auction house, are liable in the event of disputes and this for a long time. In my opinion, there are no rules. You can do good deals at auction, like very bad ones (overpay for an item, or acquire a problematic item - restored or fake for example, even in good houses). It is necessary to learn how to decipher, to be accompanied. I therefore believe that art dealers will continue to exist even if their activity will evolve over time. CAN YOU IMAGINE DOING ANYTHING ELSE FOR A LIVING? IS THIS A BUSINESS YOU RETIRE FROM? Yes, being a professional collector. WHAT ARE FOR YOU THE TWO OR THREE GREATEST EXHIBITIONS AND WHICH BOOKS DO YOU CHECK MOST OFTEN? I am nostalgic. I like old books. A section of my library is dedicated to these old papers. I leaf through them often. African Negro Art, Galerie Pigalle of course, even if the cover is more interesting than the internal pages, and also the old auction catalogues, that of George de Miré’s collection, or that of the Breton and Eluard collections.
Shoulder mask Baga Guinea H: 120 cm © Vincent Girier Dufournier
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
DOGON FIGURE
01 Ritual figure Dogon Mali wood, sacrificial patina Height: 36 cm Provenance: private collection (70’s) Price: 3.000 euros
Object presented by: Renaud Vanuxem M.: +33 6 07 11 50 60 E.: rvanuxem@yahoo.fr
DOGON FIGURE
02 Figure Dogon Mali Wood Height: 16,5 cm Provenance: Old collection Pierre Harter Sale Ricqles 21 June 1995 Private collection, France Price: 2.200 euros
Object presented by: Pablo Touchaleaume M.: +33 (0)6 89 90 75 70 E.: pablo.touchaleaume@hotmail.fr
DOGON FIGURE
03 Figure Dogon Mali Wood Height: 24 cm Price: 1.800 euros
Object presented by: Pablo Touchaleaume M.: +33 (0)6 89 90 75 70 E.: pablo.touchaleaume@hotmail.fr
BAMBARA TYIWARA
04 Tyiwara (Ci Wara) headdress Bambara Mali Carved wood Early 20th Century Height: 105 cm Provenance: Ex collection Sako Diane, USA Ex collection Pace Gallery, New York (inv. #53-1558) Ex collection GvR family, Brussels Ex collection David Serra, Barcelona Price on request
The majority of Bamana (Bambara) people are subsistence farmers. As stated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, local oral traditions credit a mythical being named Tyiwara or Ci Wara- a divine being half mortal and half animal - with the introduction of agriculture to the Bamana. These headdresses, also called Ci Wara, are carved to honor that original mythical being. Ci Wara masquerade performances begin outside the village in the fields and gradually travel to the village center. Women also play an integral part during the masquerading ceremonies by singing songs of praise for Ci Wara and the hard-working farmers. On this superb, large headdress, the juxtaposition of negative and positive space and two-dimensional sculptural design is superb.
Object presented by: Julien Flak M.: +33 6 84 52 81 36 E.: contact@galerieflak.com
DOGON STAFF
05 Yo domolo staff Bombu-toro style Dogon Mali Wood 19th Century or before Heigth: 37 cm Provenance: Private Collection, France. Price: 5.500 euros
Object presented by: David Serra T.: +34 (0) 667525597 E.: galeria@davidserra.es
SAHARA SLAB OF SALT
06 Solid slab of Salt Sahara Desert, Taudenni salt mines, Mali Salt, got hide 20th Century Height: 106 cm Price: 4.500 euros
Object presented by: Julien Flak M.: +33 6 84 52 81 36 E.: contact@galerieflak.com
In the distant past, oceans covered the Sahara region. Oceans eventually dried up, leaving vast expanses of salt behind. Because salt is essential for health and survival, this resource has always been highly valuable and intensely traded throughout the world. Such salt slabs were carried across the desert by Tuareg caravans. A camel could carry between four and six slabs of salt across the desert. The main marketplace for salt in the Sahara region was Mopti in Mali. In modern-day Mali, trucks tend to replace the camel caravans; therefore such salt slabs are meant to disappear in the very near future, the whole process of production/transportation/trade getting increasingly mechanized.
LOBI FIGURE
07 Standing Figure Lobi Burkina Faso 19th - Early 20th Century Height: 86 cm Provenance: Helmut Zake, Heidelberg, acquired in the 1970’s Price on request
Object presented by: Bruce Frank M.: +1 917 733 9589 E.: bfrank212@aol.com
DAN MASK
08 Deangle Mask Dan Ivory Coast Wood, metal Height: 24 cm Provenance: Sydney and Gae Berman, New York, acquired in the 1970s - 1980s Price: 6.000 euros
Object presented by: Charles-Wesley Hourdé T.: +33 (0)1 42 01 69 82 E.: info@charleswesleyhourde.com
Appearing during initiation rites to bring food to novices, the deangle mask embodies “the ideal beauty of Dan people” (Neyt, Trésors de Côte d’Ivoire, 2014, p. 44). Its appealing physiognomy, gracefully combining a stylized treatment of lines and charming sensibility of shapes, confers it an universal esthetic impact. Outlined by a range of fine engraved grooves, the perfect oval of the present mask offers subtly contrasted volumes, embellished by its dark, shiny patina. Its material alterations and the presence of several sets of fixation holes (revealing the existence of many successive coiffures adapted to the mask) attest to its antiquity and prolonged use.
BAOULE FIGURE
09 ritual figure BaoulĂŠ Ivory coast wood.Beads Height: 27 cm Provennance: French private collection Price: SOLD
Object presented by: Renaud Vanuxem M.: +33 6 07 11 50 60 E.: rvanuxem@yahoo.fr
BAULE FIGURE
10 Figure Baule Ivory Coast Wood Height.: 25 cm Provenance: Private collection, France Published in one of the first issue of “Art d’Afrique Noire” Price on request
Object presented by: Pablo Touchaleaume M.: +33 (0)6 89 90 75 70 E.: pablo.touchaleaume@hotmail.fr
ATTIE FIGURE
11 Figure Attie Ivory Coast Wood Height.: 28 cm Provenance: Old collection J.P. Delcourt, 1980 Private collection, France Price on request
Object presented by: Pablo Touchaleaume M.: +33 (0)6 89 90 75 70 E.: pablo.touchaleaume@hotmail.fr
DAN SPOON
12 Ceremonial spoon Dan Ivory coast. Wood Height: 43,5 cm Provenance: Private collection (60’s) Price: SOLD
Object presented by: Renaud Vanuxem M.: +33 6 07 11 50 60 E.: rvanuxem@yahoo.fr
BAOULE KNIFE
13 Knife Baoule Ivory coast Wood.Metal.Shells.Leather Height: 43 cm Price: 1.000 euros
Object presented by: Renaud Vanuxem M.: +33 6 07 11 50 60 E.: rvanuxem@yahoo.fr
AKAN GOLDWEIGHT
14 Goldweight Akan Ivory Coast 19th - Early 20th Century Length: 5 cm Provenance: Ernst Anspach, New York, acquired in the 1960’s Price on request
Object presented by: Bruce Frank M.: +1 917 733 9589 E.: bfrank212@aol.com
ASHANTI DOLL
15 Fertility doll Ashanti. Ghana wood.Beads Height: 27 cm Price: 2.800 euros
Object presented by: Renaud Vanuxem M.: +33 6 07 11 50 60 E.: rvanuxem@yahoo.fr
ASHANTI COMB
16 Comb Ashanti Ghana 19th - Early 20th Century Wood Height: 28 cm Provenance: Gustave Schindler, New York William Ziff, New York Published in : “African Art in American Collections”, 1989, pg. 547, fig. 1476. Price on request
Object presented by: Bruce Frank M.: +1 917 733 9589 E.: bfrank212@aol.com
IDOMA MASK
17 Mask Idoma Nigeria Wood Height.: 27 cm Price: 3.500 euros
Object presented by: Pablo Touchaleaume M.: +33 (0)6 89 90 75 70 E.: pablo.touchaleaume@hotmail.fr
TSOGHO GONG
18 Gong Tsogho Gabon Height.: 41 cm Provenance: Yann Ferrandin, Paris Private collection, France Price: 4.500 euros
Object presented by: Pablo Touchaleaume M.: +33 (0)6 89 90 75 70 E.: pablo.touchaleaume@hotmail.fr
TSANGI MASK
19 Duma mask Tsangi people Gabon Early 20th Century. Light wood. with white pigments (kaolin) and black pigments (burned by fire) Height: 35 cm Provenance: Old French collection Price: 3.800 euros
Object presented by: Laurent Dodier M.: + 33 6 08 22 68 15 E.: laurentdodier@wanadoo.fr
This mask represents an idealized woman’s face, wearing a scarification in a thin horizontal band going from one ear to another and passing under the nose, fleshy lips, and eyes halfclosed, split. Which gives this face an impression of harmony imbued with serenity. The high hairstyle with side mats recalls the traditional hairstyles worn by the women of this region at the beginning of the 20th century. This type of mask, used during mourning ceremonies, evokes the soul of a young girl. White in Gabonese beliefs is the color of reincarnation. Also, the first Westerners arrived in these regions were they taken for ghosts. The dancer concealed by a loose suit was often mounted on stilts.
MAYANGA FIGURE
20 Figure Mayanga Democratic Republic of the Congo Wood Height: 31,5 cm Provenance: Hannah Salathé, Basel / Seltisberg Private Collection, Switzerland Stand by Kichizô Inagaki (18761951) Price: 8.000 euros
Object presented by: Charles-Wesley Hourdé T.: +33 (0)1 42 01 69 82 E.: info@charleswesleyhourde.com
With its elongated bust, stressed by its posture - hands on the hips, legs dynamically bent - the body of this male figure recalls the general aspect of some Mayanga statuettes. Meanwhile, the triangular face, with lowered eyebrow arch and a sagittal crest adorning the coiffure, evokes the aesthetic from Occidental Bembe. As it gathers in stylized lines several cultural influences, this statue embodies the artistic vitality of the Kongo area, augmented accordingly with exchanges between populations. Created by the cabinetmaker Kichizô Inagaki, the stand of this piece attests to its presence on the French art market of the first half of the 20th century. As it used to belong to Hannah Salathé, a sculptress member of the “Kreis 48” and also student of Germaine Richier, this piece probably caught her eye by the modernity of its shapes and the hieratism of its pose.
KONGO FIGURE
21 Figure Kongo D.R. of Congo Ivory Late 19th - Early 20th Century Height: 19,5 cm Price on request
Object presented by: Lucas Ratton M.: +33 1 46 33 06 24 E.: contact@lucasratton.com
BEMBE ANCESTOR
22 Ancestor Bembe D.R. of Congo 20th Century. Wood, with a shiny patina Height: 38 cm Povenance: Old French collection Price: 4.800 euros
Object presented by: Laurent Dodier M.: + 33 6 08 22 68 15 E.: laurentdodier@wanadoo.fr
Statuette representing a male ancestor, both hands on the belly. The face is triangular, the eyes are globular and the cap looks like a hat. This hairstyle represents a headdress worn by the highest ranking members of Bwami society.
KUSU FIGURE
23 Figure Kusu D.R. of Congo Wood Height.: 28 cm Provenance: Private collection, Belgium Private collection, France Price: 3.800 euros
Object presented by: Pablo Touchaleaume M.: +33 (0)6 89 90 75 70 E.: pablo.touchaleaume@hotmail.fr
BENALULUA FIGURE
24 Figure Benalulua D.R of Congo Wood Height.: 17 cm Price on request
Object presented by: Pablo Touchaleaume M.: +33 (0)6 89 90 75 70 E.: pablo.touchaleaume@hotmail.fr
PENDE CUP
25 Janus cup Pende D.R. of Congo Wood Height.: 25 cm Provenance: Old collection of a Belgian colonial administrator Private collection, France Price: 1.000 euros
Object presented by: Pablo Touchaleaume M.: +33 (0)6 89 90 75 70 E.: pablo.touchaleaume@hotmail.fr
HOLO FIGURE
26 Figure Holo D.R of Congo Wood Height.: 34 cm Provenance: Pierre Dartevelle, Brussels Collection privĂŠe, Belgium Price: 6.500 euros
Object presented by: Pablo Touchaleaume M.: +33 (0)6 89 90 75 70 E.: pablo.touchaleaume@hotmail.fr
KUSU FIGURE
27 Figure Kusu D.R. of Congo Wood Height.: 41 cm Price: 2.800 euros
Object presented by: Pablo Touchaleaume M.: +33 (0)6 89 90 75 70 E.: pablo.touchaleaume@hotmail.fr
LUBA NECKREST
28 Neckrest Luba D.R. of Congo Wood Height: 15 cm Provenance: Patrick Didier Claes Price: 2.500 euros
Object presented by: Joaquin Pecci T.: + 32 477 43 94 12 E.: joaquin.pecci@skynet.be
KUBA NECKREST
29 Neckrest Kuba D.R. of Congo Wood Length : 28 cm Price: 2.200 euros
Object presented by: Joaquin Pecci T.: + 32 477 43 94 12 E.: joaquin.pecci@skynet.be
LEGA NECKREST
30 Neckrest Lega D.R. of Congo wood Length: 13 cm Price: 1.800 euros
Object presented by: Joaquin Pecci T.: + 32 477 43 94 12 E.: joaquin.pecci@skynet.be
TSONGA THRONE
31 Prestige throne Tsonga Republic of South Africa Wood Late 19th - early 20th Century Heigth: 24,5 cm Diam.: 16 cm Provenance: Jeremy Sabine Collection, Cape Town. Private Collection, United Kingdom. Price: 2.600 euros
Object presented by: David Serra T.: +34 (0) 667525597 E.: galeria@davidserra.es
ZULU PLATTER
32 Meat Platter Zulu South Africa Wood, pokerwork First half of 20th Century Length : 53 cm Provenance : Ex Dave Roberts, South Africa; Noble Endicott, New York Price on request
Object presented by: Jacaranda gallery Dori Rootenberg M.: +1 646 251 8528 E.: dori@jacarandatribal.com
In South Africa, most ceremonies and rites were accompanied by a much-anticipated feast of grilled meat, shared by the assembled company from large platters. These platters were carved by men and were objects of both culinary function and careful aesthetic design. When not in use they would be hung as objects of display, with their undersides becoming the primary artistic focus. This platter, which features two large, ovular plates and a pair of small, detached circular dishes for condiments, presents a beautiful sense of geometric composition from both front and back. Distribution of light and dark is found in dramatic contrast on either side, the back side being highlighted with four small rectangles of light wood marking the platter’s feet.
MAKONDE MASK
33 Mask Makonde Tanzania Wood and hairs Late 19th Century Height: 24 cm Provenance: Formerly in a German collection Price on request
Object presented by: Lucas Ratton M.: +33 1 46 33 06 24 E.: contact@lucasratton.com
MADAGASCAR CUP
34 Cup Madagascar Circa 1900 Wood with light patina Diam.: 25 cm Price: 650 euros
Object presented by: Laurent Dodier M.: + 33 6 08 22 68 15 E.: laurentdodier@wanadoo.fr
Cup resting on a square base, the two handles represent heads of birds.
SHAN KNIFE
35 knife Shan. Burma Ivory.european blade Height: 27,5 cm Price: 1.000 euros
Object presented by: Renaud Vanuxem M.: +33 6 07 11 50 60 E.: rvanuxem@yahoo.fr
JAVANESE GOLD RING
36 Beautiful high carat gold ring with a deep red garnet Java, Indonesia 9-12 th Century from pre-Majapahit era . 9g / Size US8,75/ Ø 18,75 mm N°19 Price: 2.200 euros
Object presented by: Cédric Le Dauphin M.: +33 6 07 82 95 08 E.: c.ledauphin@gmail.com
DAYAK FIGURE
37 Archaic figure Dayak Borneo Wood Height: 77 cm Price: SOLD
Object presented by: Renaud Vanuxem M.: +33 6 07 11 50 60 E.: rvanuxem@yahoo.fr
ELEMA “MARUPAI”
38 Charm or Marupai Elema people Papuan Gulf Late 19th - Early 20th Century Coconut shell, lime Length.: 11 cm Price on request
Object presented by: Joe Loux M.: +1 505 695 6626 E.: joe@joeloux.com
FIJI CLUB
39 Gatawaka club Fiji islands Polynesia Wood 19th Century Heigth: 100 cm Provenance: Old collection, Great Britain. Private collection, Spain Price: 2.900 euros
Object presented by: David Serra T.: +34 (0) 667525597 E.: galeria@davidserra.es
SOLOMON “TEVAU”
40 Tevau feather currency Nendo Island, Santa Cruz Solomon Islands Hibiscus fiber, feathers (Myzomela cardinalis), seeds (Coix lacryma-jobi), shell Early 20th Century Length: 78 cm Height (excluding base): 49 cm Published in : « Les enclaves polynésiennes », Voyageurs et Curieux, 2018 Price on request
Object presented by: Julien Flak M.: +33 6 84 52 81 36 E.: contact@galerieflak.com
These red-feather money rolls from the Santa Cruz Islands constitute one of the Pacific’s most spectacular and graphic forms of currency. Once uncoiled, this money roll called tevau is roughly 30 ft. (9 meters) long. A multitude of rectangular plates covered with feathers are overlapped and affixed to a fiber armature. The feathers are those of the Myzomelia cardinalis, a scarlet bird that feeds on honey. Feather money was used in Santa Cruz as a form of currency for settling important obligations. Tevau were also given as payment on the occasion of a wedding as bride price.
SAMOA CANOE MODEL
41 Paopao outrigger canoe model Samoa Islands, Polynesia Carved wood, fiber 19th Century Length: 62 cm - width: 22 cm Provenance: Collected by Elizabeth Moore (18621920) Ex London Missionary Society, Samoa Mission by 1891 Ex collection Michel Thieme, Amsterdam Price: 2.800 euros
Object presented by: Julien Flak M.: +33 6 84 52 81 36 E.: contact@galerieflak.com
As stated by the Te Papa Tongarewa Museum in New Zealand, Paopao are used for fishing and food gathering around the edges of lagoons and estuaries, and for travelling short distances between coastal villages. Most are small in size and carry only one or two people. They are light and easy to carry to the water or stow away on shore. This delicate canoe model was collected in the late 19th century by Elisabeth Moore, member of the Samoa Mission for the LMS (London Missionary Society).
THULE AMULET
42 Bowhead whale figure (hunter’s amulet) Alaska Thule Culture Ancient Eskimo Marine Ivory Prior to the 17th Century Height: 5 cm Provenance: Excavated near Shishmaref, Alaska Ex collection Jeffrey R. Myers, New York Ex collection Craig Finch circa 2015 Ex collection Dr J.S. ‘Tim’ Gordon, London Price: 6.000 euros
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.
INUIT NET FLOAT
43 Net float in the form of a Seal Inuit people Bering Sea, Alaska Late 19th Century Length.: 16 cm Price on request
Object presented by: Joe Loux M.: +1 505 695 6626 E.: joe@joeloux.com
“KACHINA” DOLL
44 Kachina doll Hakto Katsina (Wood-carrying Kachina spirit) Hopi Arizona, USA Carved cottonwood and natural pigments Circa 1910-1920 Height: 25 cm Price: 4.500 euros
Object presented by: Julien Flak M.: +33 6 84 52 81 36 E.: contact@galerieflak.com
Kachina dolls (or katsinam) represent spirits or gods from the pantheon of the Pueblo peoples in the American Southwest. Given to children, kachina dolls constituted a pedagogical tool allowing them to familiarize themselves with the spiritual world and perpetuating knowledge of the founding myths on which their society was based. Hakto is a diminutive of the Zuni name Yamuhakto, which means “carrying wood on his head.” In Hopi, this kachina spirit appears in the Mixed Dance.
CHANCAY COMB
45 Comb Chancay Peru 1100 - 1400 A.D. Wood Height: 11 cm Provenance: Private Collection, Belgium Price: 3.500 euros
Object presented by: Charles-Wesley HourdĂŠ T.: +33 (0)1 42 01 69 82 E.: info@charleswesleyhourde.com
This wooden Chancay comb is topped with a little dog, sculpted with bare fangs. Simple yet elegant, it highlights the Pre-Columbian Peruvian taste for zoomorphic patterns, which can be found on the most modest objects.