Olympia African & Middle Eastern Art | Wednesday 7th May 2025
MODERN & CONTEMPORARY
AFRICAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN ART
WEDNESDAY 7TH MAY 2025
MODERN & CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN ART
TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION: 25 Blythe Road, London W14 0PD
AUCTION: Wednesday 7th May 2025, 12pm, precisely
PUBLIC EXHIBITION: Thursday 1st May, 10am to 8.30pm Friday 2nd May, 10am to 5pm Monday 5th May, 12pm to 4pm Tuesday 6th May, 10am to 5pm
SALE NUMBER OA0157, CODE ZEBRA
ENQUIRIES:
Janet Rady, Head of Sale janet.rady@olympiaauctions.com Isobel Bambury, Assistant Cataloguer and Administrator isobel.bambury@olympiaauctions.com
+44 (0)20 7806 5541 pictures@olympiaauctions.com
ONLINE CATALOGUE AND LIVE INTERNET BIDDING AVAILABLE THROUGH: www.olympiaauctions.com www.the-saleroom.com www.invaluable.com www.drouotonline.com
This auction is conducted by Olympia Auctions in accordance with our Conditions of Business printed in the back of this catalogue.
NIGERIA
Property of a Private Collector, Isle of Wight 1
SODIQ ABIOLA (NIGERIAN B.1995)
LOST HERITAGE I
signed and dated SODIQ A.O / 25/5/18 centre right oil on canvas
152 x 91.5cm; 59 3/4 x 36in
158 x 98.5cm; 62 1/4 x 38 3/4in (framed)
A native of Isale Ijeun in Abeokuta, Ogun state. Sodiq Abiola was born in Lagos, and grew up in Mafoluku, Oshodi. As a child of the early 2000s, he lived the times which preceded the internet age in Nigeria.
His exposure to Supa Strikas comics began his love for recreating the comic characters. This immediately led to his early love for drawing human figures, specifically portraits. Nurtured by his secondary school teacher, Francis Kemonah, he went on on to study painting in the University of Lagos, graduating with a BA in Fine Art.
Influenced by past and present masters, Abiola’s works are culturally influenced, as he strives to tell the traditional stories that are less talked about. Pushing the narrative of cultural enlightenment. He has his paintings in numerous private collections, notably the OYASAF collection.
£400-600
Property of a Private Collector, Isle of Wight 2
SODIQ ABIOLA (NIGERIAN B.1995)
VANISHING RITUAL I
signed and dated SODIQ A.O / 15/10/20 lower centre
acrylic on canvas
212.5 x 152.5cm; 83 1/2 x 60in
217.8 x 156.5cm; 85 3/4 x 61 1/2in (framed)
The present work depicts a young boy who has graduated from his Mukana initiation. He wears a woven hat painted with ochre and charcoal and is covered in chalk to reflect Zambian tradition.
see note to lot 1
£500-700
Sodiq Abiola, courtesy of the artist
JOHN ALOGI (NIGERIAN B.1994) ROYALTY
signed and dated ALOGI / 22 lower right acrylic on canvas
90 x 90cm; 35 1/2 x 35 1/2in unframed
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
John Alogi’s art reflects his memories, inner emotions, history, and personal experiences, exploring the introspective journey of resilience, self-improvement, and self-awareness. He employs a “Jigsaw Puzzle” technique to convey these aspects with humour and familiarity. Each piece is a visual narrative, reflecting the trials and triumphs that shape our identities.
Alogi was born into a Lagos based family with a rich artistic background, where he was influenced at a young age by his sculptor grandfather, known as ALOGI, to pursue art from a young age. After completing his secondary education, Alogi joined an apprenticeship programme at Talents Art Kingdom under the tutelage of his first master, Oyebola Olayinka Jacob OJ, in 2012. Seeking to enhance his skills, he enrolled in a National Diploma programme in 2014 and in 2018 took a Higher Diploma specialising in painting at the Yaba College of Technology in Lagos. Driven by a desire for continuous growth, John then interned at Olokun Studio under the mentorship of Saheed Adelakun.
His paintings have been showcased in various group exhibitions in Nigeria, and he was honoured as one of ten finalists in the NEXT OF KIN series in Lagos in 2019. He was also announced as the winner of the ArtCloud competition in 2023.
Alogi’s artistic journey continues to evolve as he draws inspiration from his motivations, explores new techniques, and channels his creativity into captivating works of art.
‡ £800-1,200
“My art is a celebration of the human spirit. It invites viewers to find beauty in their struggles and triumphs, to recognize the strength within themselves, and to embark on the transformative journey of self-discovery. I hope that my work inspires others to reflect on their own paths and to embrace the resilience that lies within us all.”
John Alogi
John Alogi, courtesy of the artist
Property of a Private Collector, New Jersey
4
SAMUEL INALEGWU (NIGERIAN B.1994)
COMMUNAL BOND
signed and dated S.INALEGWU / 24 lower right; inscribed on the reverse acrylic and photocollage print on canvas 98.5 x 111cm; 38 3/4 x 43 3/4in unframed
Samuel Inalegwu delves into personal and communal stories and draws from his upbringing as an orphan, witnessing the plight of children facing similar circumstances due to recent unrest in Benue State, Nigeria. By incorporating photographs sourced from his family archive, he captures moments of joy and connection between children and their families. The detailed costumes and natural colour palettes, highlighted by his signature blue hues, aim to convey deep connections and reflections on societal experiences. Inalegwu’s art is designed to resonate with viewers, encouraging self-reflection and a deeper understanding of the issues he addresses in his vibrant, textured and thoughtful portraits.
Inalegwu draws from both African and Western influences to create vibrant textured portraits. He began his artistic practice after graduating with a Higher National Diploma in Fine and Applied Arts from Benue State Polytechnic.
Through his exploration of discarded materials and his commitment to recycling, Bara’s art captures the pulse of life in Northern Nigeria and beyond. His paintings, sculpture, and mixedmedia works respond to the times and seasons, framing his subjects within cycles of commerce, consumption and survival. Bara aims to reclaim narratives that often reduce individuals to symbols of poverty, instead portraying them as integral members of society with dignity and resilience.
Popularly known as @barasketchbook Toluwanimi Williams is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice bridges art and sustainability. While his Northern Nigerian identity and colourplay remain central to his practice, in recent times his work has evolved to reflect broader social, economic, and environmental realities. Bara is drawn to the human face and figure, not just for their literal narratives but for the deeper stories they suggest, navigating the space between reality and abstraction where faces become symbols and figures merge into landscapes of memory and emotion.
Bara has shown in international exhibitions, including at LouiSimone Guirandou Gallery in Abidjan, the Bishop Museum in Hawaii, and CFHILL in Stockholm. He further honed his craft during a residency at the African Artists Foundation in Lagos in 2020, expanding his practice into set design, photography, and digital illustration.
‡ £500-700
Bara Sketchbook, courtesy of the artist
Samuel Inalegu, courtesy of the artist
Property of a Private Collector, New Jersey
HENRY JAMES (NIGERIAN B.1996) NEW FASHION
signed and dated Henry James / 22 lower right; inscribed on the reverse fabric and acrylic on canvas
96 x 118cm; 37 3/4 x 46 1/2in unframed
Oriolowo Henry, popularly known as Henry James, is a highly skilled and prolific visual artist with a passion for painting. His love for art began in childhood, and he has dedicated his life to honing his craft and expressing himself through his work. Henry James holds a National Diploma in Fine Art from Lagos State Polytechnic and has further developed his skills through training at Abdulsalam Concept in Ikorodu, Lagos, Nigeria. He later went on to obtain his Higher National Diploma in Fine Art from Lagos State Polytechnic in Ikorodu. As a full-time practising studio artist, James has participated in numerous art competitions and exhibitions. In his art, he focuses primarily on human figures and the beauty of nature in the environment. He blends vibrant colours and fabrics to express and celebrate the richness of African culture and heritage.
Another impression of the work is in the Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University, Georgia
⊕ £400-600
Property of a Private Collector, New Jersey 8
TONI KABIR OSHIAME (NIGERIAN B.1968) SISTERHOOD
signed and dated OshiameToni 2023 lower left oil on canvas
121 x 136cm; 47 1/2 x 53 1/2in unframed
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
Born in Lagos, Oshiame began his artistic journey at a young age and pursued formal education in painting at the Federal Polytechnic Auchi, Edo State, where he graduated as the best student in his class in 1995. Beyond his studio practice, Oshiame has contributed significantly to the art community as an educator and mentor, having served as an Art Instructor at the Federal Science and Technical College in Abuja. He is also the founder and president of the Zervas Art Club Nigeria, a member of the Society of Nigerian Artists, and has gained several awards, including a certificate from the World Federation of Zervas Art Club,UNESCO for Arts and Letters.
Oshiame has dedicated several decades to his artistic career, crafting a distinctive style that blends traditional and modern influences, capturing the vibrant culture and resilience of Africa. The confident expressions of the sitters in the present work, use of light and shadow emphasise their unity and the deep bond they share.
His works have been shown in various solo and group exhibitions, from local to international platforms, including the Hour Glass Gallery in Lagos, the United Nations House in Abuja, and the Australian International Airport. He maintains a significant presence in both the Nigerian and global art communities.
‡ £800-1,200
Property of a Private Collector, New Jersey
SIMEON NWOKO (NIGERIAN B.1996)
OWONIBI
signed with initials and Nwoko Simeon lower left acrylic on canvas
120 x 149cm; 47 1/4 x 58 1/2in unframed
Simeon Nwoko is a Nigerian-born visual artist who uses his painting to represent optimism, remembrance, and loyalty to self resilience. His signature choice of yellow for his subjects symbolises his diverse background and the psychological benefits of the colour, including enhanced mental activity, communication, vision, confidence, clarity, hope, honour, joy, and loyalty. The yellow hue also recalls the song Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree, released in 1973 by Tony Orlando and Dawn, which later inspired the tradition of wearing yellow ribbons as a symbol of hope during hostage crises, as families await the return of a loved one.
Using various media including acrylic, charcoal, and oil paints, Nwoko captures the emotional depth of human experiences, aiming to create art that serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration for those in despair.
‡ £800-1,200
Simeon Nwoko, courtesy of the artist
Property of a Private Collector, New Jersey
SIDNEY
OSIOH (NIGERIAN B.1990)
THE CRUSHER (MAN LOVER) signed and dated Osioh R. Sidney Grace 2020 lower left charcoal and pastel on canvas 150 x 121cm; 59 x 47 1/2in unframed
Nigerian born, Sidney R. Osioh is a versatile artist known for his work in painting and stained glass. Utilising vibrant colours and intricate details to convey emotion and provoke thought, Osioh is known for his exploration of memory, cultural values and humans as embodiments of family and traditional teachings. His practice of emphasising one part of the body to represent the whole lends complexity and fluidity to his works. With his dynamic approach to storytelling and commitment to creative expression, Osioh continues to make a significant impact in the contemporary art world. He began his artistic career by enrolling for his National Diploma at Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic and thereafter proceeded to Auchi Polytechnic for his Higher National Diploma Degree, followed by a tutelage in stained glass with Mike Ikobi.
Osioh participated in the first edition of Next of Kin Art Exhibition by Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Lagos. He has gone on to exhibit and showcase his works on national and international platforms, including exhibitions, an art fair, and auctions in Nigeria, France, London, and USA including Art X Lagos (2018), Sogal Auction (2019), Artcurial (2022), Bonhams (2022), Art Heritage Auction (2023) and Hampel Fine Art Auctions (2023). His first solo exhibition, themed QUEERING IMPOSSIBILITIES (Man unbox your soul) was held at Moeshen Art Gallery Abuja, Nigeria in 2023.
‡ £700-900
Property of a Private Collector, London 11
ASIRU OLATUNDE (NIGERIAN 1918-1993)
NIGERIAN SCENES FROM EVERYDAY LIFE
each beaten copper
(i) 24 x 31.5cm; 9 1/2 x 12 1/2in
(ii) 16 x 29cm; 6 1/4 x 11 1/2in
(iii) 21 x 24cm; 8 1/4 x 9 1/2in all unframed
(3)
Executed circa 1960.
Provenance
Priscilla and Zbyszek Płocki
Exhibited
London, John Martin, Asiru Olatunde: Chasing Dreams, 2005
These are some of the earliest works produced by Asiru Olatunde; a Nigerian artist, blacksmith and painter, known as part of the creative community of the Oshogbo School of Art. His alumium panels are studies in texture and reflected light. The overall stippling pattern recalls the white painted dots found on some traditional wooden shrine figures. Olatunde’s subjects include narratives drawn from Yoruba oral tradition, Bible stories set in Nigerian settings and scenes from everyday life.
In 2005, John Martin exhibited Asiru Olatunde: Chasing Dreams, the first ever exhibition devoted to Olatunde’s work. Aiding in the organisation of the exhibition was Ulli Beier, founder of Black Orpheus magazine, art teacher and patron, was a great friend and collector of Olatunde’s works. Helping to found the Iwaliwahaus, an institution dedicated to African art and studies, he became friends with Olatunde after seeing him sitting in the blacksmiths across from his house. His talents were revealed to Beier after an intricate lion cut out of copper plate was found outside his house. Upon finding this treasure, Beier encouraged Olatunde to pursue his art. This encouragement bought Asiru immediate success after Beier sold his works to friends, and with this triumph Olatunde’s career took off, allowing an artist of extraordinary imagination and innovation to become one of the great modern artists of Nigeria.
£800-1,200
Property of a Private Collector, Germany
MURAINA OYELAMI (NIGERIAN B.1940)
UNTITLED (FAVOURITE THEME)
signed and dated MURAINA OYELAMI ‘95 lower right; titled Favourite Theme lower left oil on board
73 x 58cm; 28 3/4 x 23in
86 x 71cm; 34 x 28in (framed)
Chief Muraina Oyelami is a Nigerian painter, drummer and actor of Yoruba descent. His style is characterised by strong lines and a muted palette, juxtaposing subtle tones with demarcated geometric shapes usually depicting various scenes inspired by Yoruba culture. In the present work, Oyelami portrays daily life in Nigeria such as the sight of the pink-coloured Pelican bird (coined Ofú in Yoruba language), rural village structures rendered in vibrant colours, and portrayals of agricultural landscapes with yellow and bright green crops. Oil paintings such as this one embody Muraina’s shift from abstract representations of city life towards more structured and figurative compositions from the 1980s onwards, encompassing broader aspects of Yoruba life.
‡ £1,000-2,000
Property of a Private Collector, London
KINGSLEY OBASI (NIGERIAN B.1983)
UNTITLED
signed and dated 22 ObasiKingsley lower left acrylic on canvas
152 x 107cm; 59 3/4 x 42in unframed
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
Born in Abia State, Nigeria, Kingsley Obasi has developed a striking figurative style that has drawn recent international attention. The present work, created in 2020, draws inspiration from Dutch Old Master portraits. The subject, a Black man adorned in a lace-trimmed collar reminiscent of Rembrandt’s self-portraits, embodies Obasi’s active engagement with art history, and his reinterpretation of iconic compositions through a blend of abstraction and figuration. By repurposing visual tropes from Western painting, he questions the underlying power dynamics of traditional portraiture, reimagining whose stories are told within the canon.
After studying at Yaba College of Technology, Obasi worked as as an art teacher in Lagos before transitioning to full-time practice.
His work has been showcased at Signature African Art Gallery in London, including a solo exhibition in 2019 and a group show in 2021 titled One’s Guise. His work has also been shown at Fondation Gandur pour l’Art, Geneva.
Obasi’s portraits blend historical and contemporary influences, presenting an array of fictional, historical and popular figures and often exaggerating his subjects’ eyes, exposing the tension between outward appearances and inner realities.
£2,500-3,500
Property of a Private Collector, London
signed and dated ObasiKingsley / 2021 lower right acrylic on canvas
152 x 107 cm; 59 3/4 x 42in unframed
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner see note to lot 13
£2,500-3,500
KINGSLEY OBASI (NIGERIAN B.1983)
MADU
Property of a Private Collection, Isle of Wight 15
PRINCE OBASI (NIGERIAN B.1981)
POETIC SYMPHONIST II
signed and dated Prince Obasi / 19 lower right
acrylic on canvas
117 x 121cm; 46 x 47 1/2in
123 x 126.5cm; 48 1/2 x 49 3/4in (framed)
£300-500
Property of a Private Collection, Isle of Wight 16
PEARL ADEBISI (NIGERIAN B.1994)
(I) TITA RIRO LAA KOLA NO. 1; (II) TITA RIRO LAA KOLA NO. 2; (III) BEYOND ADOLESENCE
each signed PEARL / ADEBISI in the weave lower right each yarn on fabric
(i) 66.5 x 56cm; 26 x 22in
(ii) 69 x 51cm; 27 x 20in
(iii) 52 x 49cm; 20 1/2 x 19 1/4in all unframed (3)
£500-800
Property of a Private Collector, London 17
NICK GEORGE (BRITISH B.1982)
HIT EM UP
signed Nicholas lower right
acrylic, oil pastel, soft pastel and paper collage on paper
108 x 69cm; 42 1/2 x 27in
114 x 75.5cm; 44 3/4 x 29 3/4in (framed)
Executed in 2021.
Provenance
Chilli Art Projects, London
Acquired from the above by the present owner
⊕ £1,000-1,500
Property of a Private Collection, Isle of Wight 18
DAMILOLA OLUSEGUN (NIGERIAN B.1997)
DEJA VU 3
signed and dated DAMILOLA OLUSEGUN 21 lower right
charcoal and acrylic on canvas
183 x 140cm; 72 x 55in
187 x 144.5cm; 73 1/2 x 56 3/4in (framed)
£600-800
Property of a Private Collector, London 19
SAM JOSEPH NTIRO (TANZANIAN 1923-1993)
HARVESTING
signed SJ Ntiro lower right oil on canvas
35.5 x 46cm; 14 x 18in
50 x 60cm; 19 3/4 x 23 1/2in (framed)
Born in the Kilimajaro region in North West Tanzania in the village of Ndereny, Sam Joseph Ntiro is widely recognised as an icon of the Tanzanian artist landscape. He studied Art and Education at the Makerere College of the University of East Africa, before completing a post graduate degree at the Slade School of Fine Art in London. Ntiro was instrumental in the development of the Department of Music, Arts and Culture at the Univeristy of Dar es Salaam where he spent time as a lecturer. He served as East African High Commissioner of Saint James in London from the then-republic of the Tanganyika Territory, and was also Ambassador of Tanganyika to Ireland from 1961-1964. Then from 1967-1973 he served as Commissioner of Culture for the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, during which he extensively researched Fine Art and African studies at universities across America. An intelligent man, he spoke English, Swahili, Kimachame and Kimarangu fluently, and had a working knowledge of Runyoro, Luganda, French, German and Italian.
A highly accomplished artist, he was the first East African artist to have solo exhibitions held abroad, and the first African to hold a solo exhibition at a New York Gallery, in 1961 at the Merton Simpson Gallery. In 1960 he was the first African artist to have a work purchased by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His works often explore liberation and post-colonialist identity, and depict scenes of community labour and cooperation, and it is likely that the present work depicts a scene that is reflective of his childhood environment. With his figures depicted with very little facial detail and often with their backs turned to the viewer, his works could be said to be representations of Tanzania’s post-colonial self-image.
£3,000-5,000
Property of a Private Collector, London 20
HENDRICK LILANGA (TANZANIAN B.1974)
WATU WANAIMBA KWA FURAHA
signed H.lilanga lower right; inscribed on the reverse oil on canvas
60 x 60cm; 23 3/4 x 23 3/4in unframed
Lilanga was born in Tanzania’s largest city Dar es Salaam. From a young age his acclaimed artist grandfather, George Lilanga taught him how to paint and draw in the popular Tanzanian art style of the Tingatinga school of art. Lilanga’s works are heavily derived from this inherited style, which features colourful depictions of stereotypical and idealised imagery of Tanzania including its wildlife, landscapes, and people. Lilanga is also influenced by the Makonde woodcarvers (from which the Tingatinga style draws influence), along with his extended residences in Japan and South Korea.
£400-600
Property of a Private Collector, London 21
TINGATINGA SCHOOL (TANZANIAN 20TH CENTURY)
SAFARI ANIMALS
signed Akilyia lower right oil on canvas
80 x 57.5cm; 31 1/2 x 22 1/2in unframed
Provenance
Acquired from the Tingatinga Store, Dar Es Salaam by the present owner
£200-300
Property of a Private Collector, London 22
MOHAMED CHARINDA (TANZANIAN 1947-2021)
AFRICAN COURT ON HUMAN AND PEOPLE RIGHTS
signed CHARINDA lower left oil on canvas
80 x 100.5cm; 31 1/2 x 39 1/2in unframed
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner Charinda was born in Tanzania in the village of Nakupanya, Tunduru District, Ruvuma Region. In 1972, he moved to Dar es Salaam and from 1974 trained under the artist Hashim Mruta. He is one of the earliest and most recognised followers of the Tingatinga school of art, founded by Edward Saidi Tingatinga (1932-72).
Artists of the Tingatinga school commonly depict idealised nature and the people and culture of Tanzania in a colourful, naïve style, and he was one of the first artists to introduce different media and techniques to theit practice. For instance, he painted on canvas instead of board, which allowed tourists to carry them home easily, making the art more marketable.
Contrary to his fellow apprentices, Charinda’s subject matter focuses on Tanzanian history, often portraying politial issues such as warfare and the East African slave trade, folk tales and scenes of rural life. The present work is a comment on the treatment of people with Alabnism in Tanzania, who suffer from ritual killings and amputations and whose case has been taken up by the Human Rights Watch.
As a member of the Tingatinga Arts Cooperative Society, Charinda’s work has been exhibited in Switzerland and Paris at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Tresors de L’Islam en Afrique: De Tombouctou à Zanzibar. His work can also be found in the Brtish Museum, the Fondazione Imago Mundi and Indigo Arts in Philadelphia, USA.
£400-600
Property of a Private Collector, London 23
MOHAMED CHARINDA (TANZANIAN 1947-2021)
DEEP SEA METRO 1
signed BY. M. CHARINDA lower left oil on canvas
80 x 99.5cm; 31 1/2 x 39 1/4in unframed
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner see note to lot 22
£300-500
Property of a Private Collector, Germany 24
STEPHEN KAPPATA (ZAMBIAN B.1936)
THE ANNUAL KU-OMBOKA CEREMONY FOR WESTERN PROVINCE ENROUTE FROM LEALUI TO THE SUMMER CAPITAL LIMULUNGA
inscribed on the reverse acrylic on canvas
55 x 100cm; 21 3/4 x 39 1/2in unframed
Provenance
Sale, Auktionshaus Kendzia, Hamburg, 25 November 2023, lot 767
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner
The Litunga, loosely translating to keeper of the earth, is the king of the Lozi people of western Zambia. The current Litunga is Lubosi II. During the dry season, which spans from April to October, the king and his people reside at Lealui. Lealui or Lialui is located on the eastern end of the Baratose Floodplain about 14 km west of the town of Mongu and about 10 km east of the main channel of the Zambezi river on the Mongu-Kalabo Road. As the upper Zambezi flood waters encroach upon the compound the Litunga moves himself and his people to higher ground. Located on the edge of the floodplain, Limulunga is where the Litunga will stay for the remainder of the rainy season, starting in November and ending in March. This mass movement of people is known as the annual Ku-Omboka ceremony, which means to get out of water, celebrating the movement from Lealui to the summer capital of Limulunga and is considered one of the largest and most popular festivals in Zambia. The whole journey noramlly takes about 6-8 hours, with the king traveling on his own barge known as the Nalikwanda, painted black and white to mimic the Zambia’s coat of arms. Atop the king’s barge is a model of a black elephant as well as a fire to indicate to his people that the king is alive and well. The barge is large enough to carry all the king’s possessions and it is considered to be a great privilege to be one of the one hundred or so paddlers powering the barge. Each paddler wears a scarlet beret headdress with a piece of lion’s mane as well as a knee-length animal skin skirt. The return trip, although much less celebrated is known as the Kufuluhela.
‡ £300-500
Lot 28 (part lot)
CONTEMPORARY SAN ART FROM THE GHANZI DISTRICT/ KURU ART PROJECT (LOTS 25-30)
The Kuru Art Project – named after the Setswana word meaning to create or to establish – was launched in 1986 in Botswana’s Ghanzi District as part of a wider initiative to support the self-realisation of the Basarwa (San) communities in D’Kar. Situated on land donated by the Namibian Reformed Church, the mission settlement became the home of the Kuru Development Trust, which provided technical and managerial support for a range of community-based projects, including sewing, leatherwork, textile design, tanneries, and craft production. From this environment, the Kuru Art Project emerged, bringing together a growing group of painters, sculptors, and linocut printmakers. The project rapidly gained regional visibility, with exhibitions across Southern Africa and, by 1987, on tour in Europe. Today, San contemporary art stands as a unique and internationally recognised voice in Botswana’s cultural landscape.
The visual language developed through the Kuru Art Project is both distinctive and deeply resonant. These works are characterised by fluid lines, intuitive forms, and organic textures that echo the ancient rock art of Southern Africa – imagery often attributed to the ancestors of present-day San communities. Drawing inspiration from the natural environment, the compositions are animated by stylised depictions of wildlife, desert birds, and traditional material culture. Beadwork patterns, plant motifs, and the tactile surfaces of fur, seeds, and stone are abstracted into rhythmic designs, creating unified, visually striking artworks. The pieces convey an immediacy and clarity of expression that transcends academic categorisation, offering a direct and unmediated encounter with the artist’s perspective.
The current selection includes 13 linocut prints produced as part of the original 1986 initiative, offering insight into the early development of this remarkable and evolving artistic movement.
Property of a Private Collector, Brighton 25
QAEQHAO MOSES (BOTSWANIAN B.1973)
HUNGRY JACKAL EATING TORTOISES
signed, titled, numbered and dated 9/16 HUNGRY JACKAL EATING TORTOISES QAEQHAO MOSES 2000 in pencil lower margin linocut printed in colours on wove paper with margins 51 x 71cm; 20 x 28in (sheet) unframed
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
£400-500
Property of a Private Collector, Brighton 26
QWAA (BOTSWANIAN circa 1920-1990) AND THAMAE SETSHOGO (BOTSWANIAN circa 1970-2004)
(I) JACKALL, SPRINGHARE AND OSTRICH; (II) LION STALKING KUDU
(i) signed, titled, numbered and dated 10/55 JACKALL SPRINGHARE AND OSTRICH QWAA 1992 in pencil lower margin
(ii) signed, titled, numbered and dated 20/21 LION STALKING KUDU TAMAE. S 1999 in pencil lower margin
(i) lithograph printed in colours on wove paper with full margins
(ii) linocut printed in colours on wove paper with full margins
(i) 38 x 57cm; 15 x 22 1/2in
(ii) 49.5 x 50cm; 19 1/2 x 19 3/4in (sheet) both unframed
(2)
Provenance
Acquired from the artists by the present owner £450-650
Property of a Private Collector, Brighton 27
QMAO (BOTSWANIAN 1940-1995)
(I) TWO SNAKES AND A MAN; (II) OLD PEOPLE AND SPIDER
(i) signed, titled and numbered 39/50 TWO SNAKES WITH A MAN QMAO in pencil lower margin
(ii) signed, titled, numbered and dated 5/60 OLD PEOPLE AND SPIDER QMAO 1992 in pencil lower margin
(i) lithograph printed in colours on wove paper with full margins
(ii) lithograph on wove paper with full margins
(i) 44.5 x 57.5cm; 17 1/2 x 22 1/2in (sheet)
(ii) 56.5 x 76cm; 22 1/4 x 30in (sheet) both unframed
(2)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
£400-600
Property of a Private Collector, Brighton 28
QAEQHAO MOSES (BOTSWANIAN B.1973) AND THAMAE KAASHE (BOTSWANIAN B.1979)
(I) WILD CAT AND INSECTS; (II) KUDU WITH RIFLE; (III) GUINEA FOWL AND BEETLES; (IV) MAN HUNTING AN ELAND
(i) signed, titled and numbered 3/15 KUDU WITH RIFLE Q MOSES in pencil lower margin
(ii) signed, titled and numbered 4/9 MAN HUNTING AN ELAND
Thamaee Kaashe in pencil lower margin
(iii) signed, titled and numbered 5/11 WILD CAT AND INSECTS
Qaeqhao Moses in pencil lower margin
(iv) signed, titled twice in English and Setswana and numbered 5/9 GUINEA FOWL AND BEETLES Thamaee Kaashe in pencil lower margin each linocut printed in colours on wove paper with margins
(i) 24 x 22cm; 9 1/2 x 8 1/2in (sheet)
(ii) 24 x 28.5cm; 9 1/2 x 11 1/4in (sheet)
(iii) 21 x 21cm; 8 1/4 x 8 1/4in (sheet)
(iv) 24 x 28.5cm; 9 1/2 x 11 1/4in (sheet)
(4)
Provenance
Acquired from the artists by the present owner
£470-750
Property of a Private Collector, Brighton 29
QWAA (BOTSWANIAN circa 1920-1990) AND THAMAE KAASHE (BOTSWANIAN B.1979)
(I) HUNTER’S DREAM; (II) BIRDS AND ANIMALS
(i) signed, titled and numbered 4/10 BIRDS AND ANIMALS QWAA in pencil lower margin
(ii) signed, titled and numbered 14/18 Hunters Dream Thamae Kaashe in pencil lower margin
each linocut printed in colours on wove paper with full margins
(i) 32 x 40cm; 12 1/2 x 15 3/4in (sheet)
(ii) 51.5 x 56cm; 20 1/4 x 22in (sheet) both unframed
(2)
Provenance
Acquired from the artists by the present owner
£600-800
Property of a Private Collector, Brighton 30
DADA (BOTSWANIAN 1934-2008)
MOTHERS & BABIES UNDER EUPHORIA TREE signed DADA in pencil lower centre; numbered 43/50 in pencil lower right lithograph on paper
28.5 x 38cm; 11 1/4 x 15in
43 x 53.5cm; 17 x 21in (framed)
Executed in 1999.
There is another edition of this work in the Albuquerque City/County Government Building, New Mexico.
Provenance
Acquired from the artists by the present owner
£300-500
THE DINKSFÃSTAN PRIVATE COLLECTION (LOTS 31-38)
Introduction by the curator Sebastian Schwägele - Curator, The DinksFãStan Private Collection
Collecting a few bits of lovely art can be fun - curating a substantial inherited art collection is an entirely different story. We are all no more than mere custodians of art no matter how we wish to approach this idea. We have tried, with some difficulty over time, to limit the importance of the financial value of each art piece to be as fair as possible as beautiful art is just that – irrespective of the financial value.
One must look back nearly two centuries ago to unravel the passion and love that entwines what is the core base of The DinksFãStan Private Collection today. It all started with an epic and enchanting love story involving a Norwegian whaler who was temporarily stationed in Knysna, South Africa on a whaling boat and a young local Afrikaner maiden that caught his eye and fancy (we still refer to her lovingly as our own Knysna HULDRA).
Distraught at the potential loss of this love he bravely abandoned ship, literally by jumping overboard as the whaling ship was departing through the famous Knysna Heads and safely swimming back to the harbour itself - that was the start of a new life, a happy marriage, and a brood of children.
His second oldest daughter Mable Elfreda Olsen was my grandmother who eventually settled into her own new life on High Level Road, Sea Point in 1926, she in turn had two sons, one being my late father. And finally me – the end of the family line.
In 1990 it was decided to start a Family Trust to ensure preservation, and conservation and to cultivate artistic awareness, especially for what is known as “Cape Impressionism” as well as building a knowledgeable network with certain artists over decades who we had the great fortune to have come to know personally, such as David Botha, Conrad Theys, François Krige, Gregoir Boonzaier, Peter Clarke, Johannes Meintjes, Amos Langdown to name just a few.
The significance of South African art preservation with this personal interactive knowledge cannot be overstated especially as art is a living testament to human creativity, cultural evolution, and the shared experiences of humanity. Each hung painting is a story beyond just the visual image, there is the story of the artist as well. The same is said for sculptures.
My late mother always wished she could author a book of just stories against the wall, I think Sigmund Freud or Carl Jung would have had a field day analysing this had they been alive.
Like many collectors, our collective family have simply enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the art community. We genuinely love and value the pieces that have been acquired during the generations of this founding selection even though we desire to live with all this art and appreciate it regularly, the collection has grown substantially to over 300 bespoke pieces and there has had to be some sensible restructuring on how to move forward after immersing ourselves in the beauty and expression of these creative works.
In 2000 my spouse and I made a conscientious decision to guide the collection in a way that would honour our mothers, namely Maria da Encarnação Fã and Aldeth Olive “Dinks” Strutt (née Penwarden) and try as best as possible to emphasise the historical importance of regularly unfairly overlooked female artists especially in the South African male-dominated historical context as a conscious effort to protect their echoes of South African history. Names such as Amy Beatrice Hazel, Nell Kaye, Laura Rautenbach, Lady Anne Lindsay Barnard, Noria Mabasa (née Luvhimbi), Rosa Hope, Barbara Pike, Dorothy Kay, Cynthia Zukas (OBE), Allina Ndebele (née Khumalo) and Frida Blumbenberg are just some to be justifiably mentioned.
Slowly moving away from stalwart male artworks within the collection by the likes of Walter Whall Battiss, Moses Kottler, Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef, Frans Oerder, Marthinus De Jongh, Hugo Naude and Jan Ernst Abraham Volschenk has been a complex task.
One should never forget that all white South African artists have their genetic origin from Europe, most “incorporated” into the annuls of history as South African artists when in fact the most famous ones we refer to as South African were not even born there. Historically, 99% were men (for “convenient” and highly inaccurate historical purposes).
As custodians of art in any form or value, we all play a pivotal role in the protection, curation, and promotion of artworks and collections. We have a responsibility to ensure that these artistic expressions remain intact for future generationsa role extending beyond mere preservation.
Making South African art accessible as well as fostering an understanding of its historical and cultural context is incredibly important for us. South African art is undoubtedly an exquisite tapestry woven with the threads of culture, history, and human expression, holds a profound significance in our collection narrative.
Be it the intrinsic or inherent value of South African art, pertaining to its symbolic quality, the social value of art or
the assumed commercial value The DinksFãStan Private Collection recommend considering all art to be worth what it is worth to the viewer - irrespective of financial cost. Sometimes sentimental value is priceless, be it an artwork with a small investment cost or a large financial cost - it is to the viewer, owner, or custodian. Enjoy the beauty of what you have acquired irrespective of price or assumed fiscal value. Love your art as much as the artist loved creating it.
Moses Kottler self portrait (lot 38)
Jan Ernst Abraham Volschenk (lot 34)
Jacob Hendrik Pierneef (lot 31)
Maureen Quin (lot 35)
Jean Doyle (lots 32-33)
Hugo Naude (lot 36)
Andrew Cooper (lot 37)
SOUTH AFRICA
Property of a Private Collector, Cambridge 31
JACOB HENDRIK PIERNEEF (SOUTH AFRICAN 1886-1957)
SAN ROCK ART
signed and dated J. H. Pierneef / Feb 1927 and indistinctly inscribed lower right gouache over pencil on paper
45 x 63cm; 17 3/4 x 24 3/4in
70.5 x 86.5cm; 27 3/4 x 34in (framed)
Provenance
Marita Pierneef-Bailey Private Collection
Sale, Stephan Welz and Co, CapeTown, 17 July 2023, lot 1041
The DinksFãStan Private Collection (acquired at the above sale)
“Truly
national art has to be born of your own surroundings and your own soil”
Jacob Hendrik Pierneef
Influenced by ancient forms of Rock Art of the South African and Botswanian bushmen (The San), found in caves and on rock shelters, Jacob Hendrik Pierneef draws on these paintings in the present work. Depicting a group of hunters striking a large boar, his figures echo the half-human half-animal hybrids, believed to be medicine men or healers involved in a healing dance, which permeate this original visual language of Rock Art.
Pierneef was interested in the formal aspects of prehistoric art, such as the economy of line, the decorative simplification and the accurate grasp of formal relationships without shadows or colour modelling, which he saw in the illustrations in the books he had at his disposal during his time as library assistant at the State Library, Pretoria from 1909-1918.
Instinctively, he realised that these principles were also applicable to the representation of the South African landscape. The harsh sunlight of the Transvaal imbued the landscape with a similar silhouette-like flat character. However, since Pierneef had never himself visited any prehistoric art shelter to see Rock Art first-hand, he believed that the illustrations of San paintings in the books were accurate renderings of the art of the San and indeed this work is a direct copy of Carl Peters’ drawing of a rock art painting reproduced in his book The Eldorado of the Ancients (1902: 391). Little did he realise however that these copyists had applied their own artistic licence. He soon abandoned these experiments, and it was left to the younger Walter Battiss (1906-1982) to develop the potential at a later stage.
The only other known strikingly similar example adorns the walls of the assembly hall in Ficksburg High School in the Free State, painted in 1922. Pierneef, born on the Highveld, is South Africa’s iconic landscape painter and is generally considered to be one of the best of the old South African masters. During the first half of the twentieth century, he developed a unique aesthetic that generations of South Africans recognise. He was prolific, working in oils, gouache, watercolour, casein, and producing influential linocuts and etchings. Pierneef’s work, known for its beauty and experimentation, has been examined by art historians and critics, often in socio-political contexts. Pierneef’s work can be seen worldwide in many private, corporate and public collections, including the Africana Museum, Durban Art Gallery, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, Pierneef Museum and the Pretoria Art Gallery. In 1933, he was commissioned to do seven murals for South Africa House, the South African embassy on Trafalgar Square, London. A work which he completed in 1934.
£5,000-7,000
JEAN DOYLE (SOUTH AFRICAN B.1930)
SEATED PREGNANT LADY
bronze
34 x 16 x 35 1/2cm; 13 1/2 x 6 1/4 x 14in (including base)
Provenance
The DinksFãStan Private Collection (acquired from the artist)
Jean Doyle is known for her investigations into the character of woman and her ability to capture movement and vitality in the static medium of bronze. Her figures often appear to be in mid-motion, their poses dynamic and fluid, suggesting a story just about to unfold. This sense of liveliness is achieved through meticulous attention to detail and a deep understanding of the human form. Her bronzes transcend mere aesthetics to engage in a dialogue about the human condition and the role of women in society. Each piece she creates is imbued with an emotional depth that speaks to the viewer on a personal level, inviting introspection and empathy.
Jean is affiliated with the South African Institute of Foundrymen, and has held several solo exhibitions, as well as participated in various group exhibitions. These include the Florence Biennale, Salzburg World Art and Antique Fair, Gent Art Fair and Amsterdam Whitney International Fine Art, New York. Her most recent exhibitions include Capital Culture, London and Melrose Arch, Johannesburg.
Her public and corporate commissions include the statue Just Nuisance in Jubilee Square Simonstown, a bust of the founder of Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, as well as memorial sculptures to many corporate chairmen. Jean has recently completed one of Angola’s National Monuments. Her work can be found in private collections all over the world. In 2013, Jean Doyle was awarded the CEO Magazines Lifetime Achiever Award in the category of Art for South Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government.
£750-1,000
Property of a Private Collector, Cambridge
33
JEAN DOYLE (SOUTH AFRICAN B.1930)
FEMALE NUDE
bronze
50 x 16 x 12cm; 19 3/4 x 6 1/4 x 4 3/4in (including base)
Provenance
The DinksFãStan Private Collection (acquired from the artist) see note to lot 32
£750-1,000
Property of a Private Collector, Cambridge
34
JAN ERNST ABRAHAM VOLSCHENK (SOUTH AFRICAN 1853-1936)
THE SCHAAP POST (RIVERSDALE)
signed and dated J.Volschenk 1911 lower left, inscribed on the reverse oil on canvas
38 x 82cm; 15 x 32 1/4in
54.5 x 98.5cm; 21 1/2 x 38 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
The DinksFãStan Private Collection (acquired from the artist)
Jan Ernst Abraham Volschenk is noted for his majestic landscapes of the Langeberg Range in the Western Cape Province, of which the present work is a perfect example.
Born of Dutch parents on the farm Melkhoutskraal, Volschenk started painting as a child and was largely self-taught. James Reitz, the Government Land Surveyor, saw some of his drawings and suggested that his brother Gysbert, a Riversdale lawyer, take an interest. He eventually joined the firm of Reitz & Versfeld as a bookkeeper. At 51 years of age he gave up his office job and devoted all his time to painting. He was inspired by his home district around Riversdale and the Langeberg where he became a master of the subtle colours and tones of the Karoo mountains.
£4,500-6,000
“My works are sculptures first and foremost, the result of deep emotional responses to the world around me. They are not illustrative, conveying their message to the viewer in a subtler way. My sculptures are triggered by human relationships and predicaments, and they find expression through the human figure.”
Maureen Quin
Property of a Private Collector, Cambridge 35
MAUREEN QUIN (SOUTH AFRICAN B.1934)
RISING MAN
signed, titled, inscribed, numbered and dated “RISING MAN” / 1990 BRONZE 1/6 / QUIN in pen on the underside of the base bronze
20 x 46 x 18cm; 8 x 18 1/4 x 7in (excluding base)
24 x 50 x 23.5cm; 9 1/2 x 19 3/4 x 9 1/4in (including base)
Provenance
The DinksFãStan Private Collection (acquired from the artist)
Sold with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the artist
Although numbered out of six, only one edition of this cast exists as the mould was destroyed.
Quin’s Rising Man is caught in the moment before ascent – poised, gathering strength, ready to stand and meet the world. Infusing form with energy and tension, it strikes a poised, self-referencing counterbalance. Rising Man is more than a figure; it is a statement of transformation, resilience, and emergence.
The sculptor attended the School of Fine Arts in Durban from 1952 to 1955 and was subsequently granted a bursary to study at Goldsmith College of Art in London. Her sculptures are passionate, emotional responses to social issues and the world around her. Working in a variety of materials from wood to fibreglass to bronze, she has regularly exhibited in group and solo shows since 1962.
Quin has won many awards for her contribution to sculpture in South Africa. Her works are found in the collections of many of the country’s universities and in institutions such as the Pretoria Art Museum, Rupert Museum, and Standard Bank.
£3,000-4,000
Property of a Private Collector, Cambridge 36
HUGO NAUDE (SOUTH AFRICAN 1869-1941)
A FIGURE WALKING IN SAND DUNES
signed Hugo Naude lower left oil on board
28 x 38.5cm; 11 x 15 1/4in
46 x 56.5cm; 18 x 22 1/4in (framed)
Provenance
Private Collection (acquired from the artist)
Thence by descent to The DinksFãStan Private Collection
Hugo Naudé is a quintessential South African impressionist and is one of South Africa’s pioneer artists and is largely regarded as the country’s first professional artist.
As evidenced in the present work, Naudé painted en plein air with bold hues below, and clear blue skies above, capturing the landscapes he encountered with great confidence and a unique freshness never-before-seen in his home country. This artistic movement came to be known as Cape Impressionism, represented by several renowned South African Cape painters who developed a style unique to South Africa.
Author of the definitive text on South African art, Esmé Berman describes how his work developed from a more academic style in his portraits, where “tone was all important, brushstrokes were masked and plastic volumes smoothly modelled by means of gentle transitions from light to dark”, to a looser style with more individualised brushwork, freer composition, sun-drenched colour and a focus on “the natural abundance of the verdant countryside around him” (Berman, 1983).
Naudé was born and raised on his family’s farm, Aan de Doorns, in Worcester, Western Cape – an area whose dramatic landscape inspired much of his output throughout his life.
In 1889 he travelled to London where he trained at the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art, and the following year he continued his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich. Whilst in Europe, Naudé spent a year in Fontainebleau where he lived and worked amongst the Barbizon School of painters. Just as the French group inspired the likes of Monet in his explorations of Impressionism, they also inspired Naudé to create his own Cape Impressionist style – one which was adopted by generations of artists who followed him, including Gregoire Boonzaier, Pierneef, and Ruth Prowse.
Although he travelled extensively in Southern Africa on painting expeditions, he lived in Worcester in the Western Cape for almost all his life, and his house and garden became a community art centre after his death.
His work is included in the collections of the Iziko South African National Gallery in Cape Town, the Pretoria Art Museum, the Johannesburg Art Gallery, the William Humphreys Gallery in Kimberley, the Albany Museum in Grahamstown, and the Durban Art Gallery among others. Esmé Berman, Art & Artists of South Africa, Cape Town, 1983, p.304
£4,000-6,000
Property of a Private Collector, Cambridge
37
ANDREW COOPER (SOUTH AFRICAN B.1967)
CAPE TOWN LANDSCAPE (SIGNAL HILL AND 12 APOSTLES)
signed Cooper lower right oil on canvas
156 x 75.5cm; 61 1/2 x 29 3/4in
183 x 103cm; 72 x 40 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
The DinksFãStan Private Collection (acquired from the artist)
The work of Cape Town born self-taught artist, Andrew Cooper employs a blend of semi-realism and mysticism. Preferring to work from photographs and memory on large scale landscapes and seascapes, he allows the viewer to experience the grandeur and depth of the scene. The bold use of colour, capturing the subtle nuances of light, depth of perspective and generous scale are all hallmarks of his paintings imbued, with a mood and atmosphere of his own. Through the rendering of fine detail, rich colour and expansive scale, the viewer is transported into the scene itself. Cooper is deeply inspired by the landscape of his country and his paintings transport the viewer through the vast and vibrant scenery, from mountains to winelands, of the Western Cape.
Cooper’s work has been exhibited throughout South Africa and the 2004 International Art Expo in New York City, as well as in the United Kingdom and Germany.
£2,500-3,500
MOSES KOTTLER (SOUTH AFRICAN 1892-1977)
CASSIE
incised Kottler on the reverse bronze
32 1/2 x 19 1/2 x 19 1/2cm; 12 3/4 x 7 3/4 x 7 3/4in (including base)
Executed in 1936.
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by D C Boonzaier in 1936
Moses Kohan
Diane Lidchi (thence by descent from the above)
The DinksFãStan Private Collection (acquired from the above in 1998)
The present work is an elegant example of Moses Kottler’s skill in capturing the subtleties of human form and emotion. The sculptor was born in Joniskis, Lithuania. His parents moved to South Africa when he was young with a wave of Jewish emigration to the country, but Kottler was sent to the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem to study art and later at the Munich Art Academy. The city a hub for avant-garde Modernism, Kottler was greatly influenced by the Blaue Reiter group which included Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee. From Germany, he travelled to Paris and mixed with sculptors Jacques Lipchitz and Henri Epstein. In 1915 Kottler moved to South Africa to join his family in Oudtshoorn and a year later moved to Cape Town, where he met cartoonist and art collector D. C. Boonzaier, who had a huge influence on his artistic career. After 1924 Kottler decided to pursue sculpture rather than painting. He soon became well known, both in South Africa and abroad, for his ability to render his figures with both classical refinement and expressionist vulnerability.
£1,800-2,500
Property of a Private Collector, London
39
KOFI ANTUBAM (GHANAIAN 1922-1964) MOTHER AND CHILD
signed and dated Kofi Antubam / 1950 lower right
pastel on paper
57.5cm x 40.5cm; 22 1/2 x 16in
76 x 61cm; 30 x 24in (framed)
£1,000-1,500
LARRY OTOO (GHANAIAN B.1956) HORN SQUAD
signed L.OTOO lower right
acrylic on canvas
148.5 x 93cm; 58 1/2 x 36 1/2in unframed
Painted in 2018.
Provenance
Acquired from the artist’s studio
‡ £500-800
Property from an Important Private Collection, UK
41
FAMAKAN MAGASSA (MALIAN B.1997)
SOIF DE POUVOIR
signed and dated N.F. Magassa / 21 lower right acrylic, oil pastel and paper towel on canvas 117 x 107cm; 46 x 42 1/4in unframed
Provenance
Albertz Benda, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Exhibited
New York, Albertz Benda, Famakan Magassa: Soifs, 2022
Soifs includes a body of work centering on anthropomorphic motifs that interrogate loneliness, addiction and friendship, inspired by the aesthetics and spiritual significance of traditional dancers from Mali, Kôrêdugaw (or Kourédougas), connected to spiritual and shamanistic initiations. Soifs articulates the polymorphic nature of being thirsty – from the intimate to the more public and institutional.
Famakan Magassa, courtesy of the artist
Famakan Magassa received his BFA in 2018 from Conservatoire Arts et Metiers Multimedia Balla Fasséke Kouyaté in Bamako, Mali. The artist exhibited for the first time in 2019 with several institutional shows, including presentations at L’Institut Français du Mali, Bamako; La Fondation La Maison de l’Artiste in Assinie, Côte d’Ivoire; and Les Magasins Généraux, BETC, Paris. In 2020, he was included in L’exposition collective Jeunes Talents at the residence of the Ambassador to the European Union, Bamako, Mali and was one of the 2020 Laureates of the Cité Internationale des Arts Residency in Paris, France.
Magassa was awarded the Norval Sovereign African Art Prize in 2023 and presented his first solo institutional exhibition, Famakan Magassa: Witness of My Time at the Norval Foundation in Cape Town. He has shown internationally in Paris, London, Miami, Ghana and Vienna, and his work has been featured by Artsy, Hyperallergic, Artnet, The Observer, L’Oeuil, Dyptyk and ArtsMagazine
£3,000-5,000
Property from an Important Private Collection, UK
42
FAMAKAN MAGASSA (MALIAN B.1997)
SOIF DE SOLITUDE
signed and dated NF Magassa 21 lower right acrylic on canvas
151.5 x 129cm; 59 1/2 x 50 3/4in unframed
Provenance
Albertz Benda, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Exhibited
New York, Albertz Benda, Famakan Magassa: Soifs, 2022 see note to lot 41
£4,000-6,000
Property from an Important Private Collection, UK
FAMAKAN MAGASSA (MALIAN B.1997)
SOIF DE TENDRESSE
signed and dated MF Magassa / 21 lower right
acrylic on canvas
80 x 66cm; 31 1/2 x 26in unframed
Provenance
Albertz Benda, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Exhibited
New York, Albertz Benda, Famakan Magassa: Soifs, 2022 see note to lot 41
£1,000-2,000
PROPERTY FROM THE ZULFICAR FAMILY COLLECTION
We are proud to be offering a selection of lots from the Zulficar Family Collection.
The head of the family, Youssef Zulficar Pasha (1886-1965) was the son of Ali Pasha Zulficar, former governor of Cairo, and came from an aristocratic family of Caucasian origin who had arrived in Egypt with the Viceroy Muhammad Ali Pasha at the turn of the nineteenth century.
Zulficar Pasha was the first Egyptian Ambassador to Iran (1939-42) and subsequently became a judge and vice president of the Alexandria Mixed Courts. One of the most well-regarded noble families in Egypt – through both marriage and blood relationships – the Zulficars forged a pre-eminent place in the history of Egyptian art and culture. Notably, his great-grandson recalls that Zulficar Pasha was a prolific collector of Islamic art including Persian ceramics and carpets which he had acquired during his time in Iran.
Zulficar Pasha’s interest in art solidified with his marriage to Zeinab Said, daughter of former Prime Minister Muhammad Sa’id Pasha, and sister of Egypt’s most celebrated artist and Alexandrian judge Mahmoud Saïd (1897-1964).
Zulficar Pasha had three children: Safinaz, Said and Sherif. Safinaz (b.1921) was married to King Farouk I, changing her name at his behest to Queen Farida. After her divorce from the King in 1948, Queen Farida became an acclaimed artist in her own right.
Zulficar Pasha’s elder son, Said Zulficar (b.1924) was the President of the Cotton Bourse in Alexandria and subsequently worked in finance. Like his father, he was also an art collector, choosing to focus on major modernist Egyptian artists such as Mahmoud Saïd, Hamed Nada, Seif and Adham Wanly. Said and his family donated the family villa (which included works by Mahmoud Saïd) to the Egyptian government in the late 1980s before the former moved to Montreal where he died in 2016.
The long tradition of art collecting in the Zulficar family continues to this day, the present collection descending from Said Zulficar’s himself. In this sale, we are delighted to include works by Adham and Seif Wanly, Samir Rafi, Ahmad Osman, Mounir Fahim and Esmat Dawestashy and Fouad Tag. see lots 44-46, 57-58, 60-65, 80-81, 85-86
Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria 44
SAMIR RAFI (EGYPTIAN 1926-2004)
UNTITLED
signed and dated S.RAFI / 1950 lower left pen and ink, soft pastel and pencil on paper collage 27 x 37cm; 10 1/2 x 14 1/2in 49 x 61cm; 19 1/3 x 24in (framed)
Egyptian artist Samir Rafi was praised by the late art critic Aimé Azar for having an aesthetic style and technique uniquely his own, one which he fully conceived after experimenting with the themes of Egyptian Surrealism in the late 1940s.
As a member of the Contemporary Art Group, an artist collective founded in 1946, Rafi would adapt his interest in Egyptian vernacular culture to his bright, expressive art style of painting and drawing.
⊕ ‡ £1,500-2,500
Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria 45
SAMIR RAFI (EGYPTIAN 1926-2004)
UNTITLED
signed and dated S.RAFI 10-11-76 lower right oil on wood mounted on board
12 x 50cm; 4 3/4 x 19 3/4in
25.5 x 64.5cm; 10 x 25 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Mohamed Said (acquired from the son of the artist) Acquired from the above by the present owner see note to lot 44
⊕ ‡ £2,000-3,000
Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria
46
UNTITLED
signed with initials, numbered and dated 25-9-92 II lower right
pen and ink, soft pastel and pencil on paper
42 x 29.5cm; 16 1/2 x 11 3/4in
72 x 57cm; 28 1/4 x 22 1/2in (framed)
see note to lot 44
⊕ ‡ £2,500-4,500
SAMIR RAFI (EGYPTIAN 1926-2004)
KHALDA HAMOUDA (EGYPTIAN B.1953) I AM HAPPY
signed and dated Khlada Hamouda / 2005 lower right oil on canvas stretched on board
60 x 81cm; 23 1/2 x 31 3/4in
70.2 x 91.2cm; 27 1/2 x 36in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist
“Art unites people around the globe, and art shows that we all human beings on earth feel the same kind of happiness and suffer the same type of pain.”
Khalda Hamouda
Daughter to artists Ezzeldin Hamouda and Zeinab Abdel Hamid, Khalda Hamouda was born in Cairo and her artistic journey commenced soon after, at the age of six, where she experimented with drawing with pastels on paper. Despite this early interest in creativity, when it came to choosing a career Khalda’s parents steered her away from an education in Fine Arts and instead suggested an education as either a doctor or an engineer. In 1977, Khalda graduated from Cairo University with a degree in High Power Electrical Engineering. Later that year, she accompanied her parents on their touring exhibition and during their time in Washington D.C. she painted her first oil-on-canvas landscape. However, her career as an artist started in 2006. Until this point she upheld a successful career as an engineer at The Arab Contractors Company in Cairo, but an early retirement led her to making the decision to follow in her parents footsteps, and dedicate the rest of her life to making art. Participating in a few group exhibitions in Cairo and Alexandria, Khalda had her first solo exhibition at El Dai Art Gallery in Cairo in March 2021. She focuses on making oil and mixed media paintings on canvas and board and believes in the power of art.
‡ £1,000-2,000
Khalda Hamouda, courtesy of the artist
INNOCENCE
signed and dated Khalda Hamouda / 2010 lower right oil on canvas stretched on board 92 x 73cm; 36 1/4 x 28 3/4in 108 x 89cm; 42 x 35in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist see note to lot 47
‡ £3,000-4,000
KHALDA HAMOUDA (EGYPTIAN B.1953)
Property from a Private Collection, Jeddah 49
INJI EFFLATOUN (EGYPTIAN 1924-1989)
UNTITLED (CAMELS WITH LOADING CARTS)
signed and dated I. Efflatoun ‘81 lower right watercolour and pen and ink on heavy paper
40.5 x 65cm; 16 1/2 x 26 1/4in 55 x 79cm; 21 3/4 x 31 1/4in (framed)
Provenance
El3am Danial Art Gallery, Cairo
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Inji Efflatoun was born into a wealthy francophone family in Cairo. Her career as an artist was heavily intertwined with her career as an activist, with strong anti-imperialist, and feminist beliefs.
Efflatoun received a Catholic education throughout her childhood, studying at Collège du Sacré Coeur and Lyceé. She learned about the Arte et Liberté (“Art and Freedom”) movement when studying under Kamel el-Telmissany, one of the primary representatives of Egyptian surrealism. Efflatoun not only asserted her political stance through her work but also through intense militant activity.
She was one of the first women to study at the University of Cairo in 1945. There, she created the Ligue des jeunes femmes de universities et de instituts (“League of young women in universities and institutes”). The league represented left-wing anti-colonial politics, fighting for gender equality. Along with her artwork, Efflatoun has also published three books calling for the end of the patriarchy and colonialism: 80 Million Women With Us (1948); We, The Egyptian Women (1950); and Peace and Evacuation (1951).
Efflatoun was imprisoned from 1959-1963 which greatly impacted her painting style. During this period, her work focused on showing the realities of prison. However, once she left, she came to a more mature style, depicting predominately nature.
Now known as Efflatoun’s “white light period,” these works have vibrant colors, joyful compositions, and delicate brushstrokes. Both Siwa Oasis II and Untitled (Camels With Loading Carts) are examples of this newfound delicacy that Efflatoun used after being released from prison. The compositions highlight the natural Egyptian landscape, using a much lighter application technique and medium than her works from previous decades.
‡ £3,000-5,000
Property of a Private Collector, Dubai
50
INJI EFFLATOUN (EGYPTIAN 1924-1989)
SIWA OASIS II
with the artist’s estate stamp in English and Arabic lower right
watercolour and pencil on paper
28.5 x 40cm; 11 1/4 x 15 3/4in
40.5 x 52.5cm; 16 x 20 3/4in (framed)
Executed circa 1960.
Provenance
Safar Khan Gallery, Cairo
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Exhibited
Cairo, Safar Khan Gallery, Remembering Inji, 16 April-21 May 2024
see note to lot 49
£2,000-3,000
Property of a Private Collector, Alexandria
51
ABDEL WAHAB MORSI (EGYPTIAN 1931-2021)
CAT
signed Abdel Wahab Morsi in Arabic and dated 1965 lower centre oil on board
43.5 x 49.5cm; 17 1/4 x 19 1/2in
51 x 61cm; 20 x 24in (framed)
Abdel Wahab Morsi was born in Al Sharkeia, Egypt. In 1957, he graduated with a BA from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Zamalek, Cairo. In 1971, he left Egypt to further his studies at the University of San Fernando in Spain, with a focus on engraving. It was in the same year that he was awarded second prize in the 3rd international triennial in Barcelona. Morsi’s work has been exhibited extensively, including solo exhibitions at the Egyptian Cultural Centre in Belgium in 1982, Modern Art Gallery in Geneva in 1971, and the Museum of Modern Art in Cairo. He has also participated in group exhibitions including the Alexandria Biennial and the Venice Biennial in 1976. His work can be found in various important private collections in Egypt and beyond, and is part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in Cairo, The Jordanian National Museum and the Royal Museum in Spain among others.
‡ £800-1,200
Property of a Private Collector, Alexandria
KAIRO LUMUMBA (BRITISH-EGYPTIAN B.1993)
ABSTRACT COMPOSITION
signed and dated 2024 / KAIRO lower left acrylic on canvas
75 x 55cm; 29 1/2 x 21 3/4in unframed
Provenance
Acquired from the studio of the artist by the present owner
⊕ ‡ £2,000-3,000
Property of a Private Collector, Alexandria
MOHAMMED HASSAN MAHMOUD AL-QABBANI (EGYPTIAN 1938-2005)
BEFITTING DRESS (WOMAN IN FRONT OF CITADEL OF QAITBAY)
signed Qubbany in English and Arabic and dated 2001 lower right oil on canvas board
96 x 76cm; 37 3/4in x 30in
115.5 x 95.5cm; 45 1/2 x 37 1/2in (framed)
‡ £4,000-6,000
Citadel of Qaitbay, Alexadria
Property of a Private Collector, Alexandria
CHILDREN AND STATUE
signed Qubbany in English and Arabic and dated 2001 lower right oil on canvas board
95.5 x 76cm; 37 1/2in x 30in
115.5 x 95cm; 45 1/2 x 37 1/2in (framed)
‡ £4,000-6,000
MOHAMMED HASSAN MAHMOUD AL-QABBANI (EGYPTIAN 1938-2005)
Property of a Private Collector, Alexandria
55
SEIF WANLY (EGYPTIAN 1906-1979) DANCERS
signed Seif lower right oil on board
33.5 x 48cm; 13 1/4 x 19in
36 x 50.5cm; 14 1/4 x 20in (framed)
Born in Alexandria, Seif Wanly was raised in a French-speaking Turkish aristocratic family and was privately tutored in his family house. Seif Wanly and his brother, Adham (see lot 59), started developing an interest in painting and art. They attended Italian painter Ottorino Becchi’s new studio in Alexandria, Egypt. Becchi introduced them to avant-garde movements like Futurism and Cubism; these two techniques formed the basis from which Wanly developed his personal style defined by angular lines, bright shades and colourful geometric shapes.
Becchi left Egypt and the Wanly brothers set up their own studio in Alexandria in the 1940s, in collaboration with filmmaker Mohammed Bayoumid. Their studio is frequently credited with bringing attention to the art of the region.
The brothers travelled extensively after the Second World War, particularly during the 1950s to France, Italy and Spain, where they sketched and painted scenes of ballet, opera, theatre performances and landscapes. In 1957, he travelled to Nubia to create a collection of paintings and drawings depicting life in Upper Egypt. This project was initiated by the government to document the culture and conditions of the area before the relocation necessary for the construction of the Aswan High Dam. During this project Seif Wanly worked with other well-known artists of their generation, including Tahia Halim and Hussein Bikar.
The Wanly brothers were close both in life and work and, after Adham died in 1959, Seif’s grief was reflected heavily in his art. The brothers were pioneers in introducing modern pictorial trends to Alexandria, depicting international subjects, and moving away from the folklorist style of their contemporaries.
Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria 57
SEIF WANLY (EGYPTIAN 1906-1979)
PROFILE OF A WOMAN
signed Seif upper left oil on paper
28 x 23cm; 11 x 9in
44 x 37.5cm; 17 1/3 x 14 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from Ehsan Mokhtar (the artist’s wife) see note to lot 55
⊕ ‡ £3,000-5,000
Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria
58
SEIF WANLY (EGYPTIAN 1906-1979)
STILL LIFE WITH FRUIT
signed Seif lower right oil on leather
39.5 x 39.5cm; 15 1/2 x 15 1/2in
53 x 53cm; 20 3/4 x 20 3/4in (framed)
see note to lot 55
⊕ ‡ £5,000-7,000
Property of a Private Collector, Dubai 59
ADHAM WANLY (EGYPTIAN 1908-1959)
THE HARLEQUIN
signed Wanly lower right pen and ink over pencil on paper laid on card
13.5 x 11.5cm; 5 1/4 x 4 1/2in
30.5 x 27.5cm; 12 x 10 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Zamalek Art Gallery, Cairo
Ubuntu Gallery, Cairo
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Exhibited
Cairo, Ubuntu Gallery, The Collectors Eye VII, 2020
Born into an affluent aristocratic family in Alexandria, Wanly received a private education alongside his siblings, including studying oil painting with his brother, Seif, under Italian painter Arturo Zanieri (1870-1955) (see note to lot 55). Wanly and his brother joined the studio of Italian painter Ottorino Bicchi (1878-1949) after it opened in Alexandria in 1929 to continue their painting studies. When Bicchi closed his studio in 1935, Wanly and his brother along with painter Ahmad Fahmi and filmmaker Mohammed Bayoumi opened their own studio in Alexandria. After travelling extensively throughout Europe, Wanly and his brother were appointed as professors at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Alexandria in 1957. Wanly’s early works drew influence from his studies under Bicchi, who was close to the Italian macchiaioli artistic group, which was influenced by the French Impressionist movement and the Ecole de Barbizon. Adham was later influenced by modern pictorial trends, such as Cubism and Fauvism. He developed a passion for performing arts and theatre characters, reflected in the work shown here.
£800-1,200
Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria 60
ADHAM WANLY (EGYPTIAN 1908-1959)
STUDY FOR READING THE NEWSPAPERS IN NUBIA
pen and ink and pencil on paper
9.5 x 13cm; 3 3/4in x 5 1/4in
19 x 24cm; 7 1/2 x 9 1/2in (framed)
see note to lot 59
Another preliminary sketch of Reading the Newspapers in Nubia, from the Dr Mohamed Farsi Collection, was sold in these rooms on 25th October 2023, lot 10.
The painting is currently in the collection of the Seif and Adham Wanly Museum, Alexandria, directed by Dr Mona Ahyad.
‡ £500-800
Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria 61
ADHAM WANLY (EGYPTIAN 1908-1959)
THEATRE SCENE
signed and dated Wanly 54 lower right oil pastel on paper
5.5 x 11cm; 2 x 4 1/3in
17.5 x 23cm; 6 3/4 x 9in (framed) see note to lot 59
‡ £700-900
62
ADHAM & SEIF WANLY
(EGYPTIAN 1908-1959 & 1906-1979)
THIRTY-SIX SKETCHES AND ONE SKETCHBOOK
DEPICTING FIGURE STUDIES
sketchbook signed and dated Wanly / 16-10 / 58 on the cover
pencil, pastel, pen and ink and watercolour on paper
7 x 14cm; 2 3/4 x 5 1/2in (smallest)
26 x 17cm; 10 1/4 x 6 3/4in (largest) (37)
see notes to lots 55 & 59
£700-900
63
ADHAM & SEIF WANLY
(EGYPTIAN 1908-1959 & 1906-1979)
THIRTY-SEVEN SKETCHES AND ONE SKETCHBOOK
DEPICTING FIGURE STUDIES
pencil, pastel, pen and ink on paper
16 x 11.5cm; 6 1/4 x 4 1/2in (smallest)
25 x 17cm; 9 3/4 x 6 3/4in (largest) (37)
see notes to lots 55 & 59
‡
£700-900
Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria 64
AHMAD OSMAN (EGYPTIAN 1907-1970)
HEAD OF A WOMAN
signed A.OSMAN in English and Arabic and dated 1969 lower right charcoal on paper
53.5 x 47cm; 21 x 18 1/2in
57 x 50cm; 22 1/2 x 19 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Collection of the artist’s framer (gifted from the artist) Acquired from the above by the present owner
‡ £1,000-1,500
Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria 65
MOUNIR FAHIM (EGYPTIAN 1935-1983)
FEMALE FIGURE
signed Mounir lower left oil on canvas
37.5 x 47.5cm; 14 3/4 x 18 3/4in
53 x 43cm; 20 3/4 x 17in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
‡ £2,500-3,500
GEORGE BAHGOURY (EGYPTIAN/FRENCH B.1932)
OUM KALTHOUM
signed Bahgoury in Arabic lower left oil on canvas
118 x 96cm; 46 1/2 x 37 3/4in
145 x 123.5cm; 57 x 48 3/4in (framed)
Exhibited
Cairo, Picasso East Gallery, Bahgoury and Caricature Artists, 8-30 October 2023
Egyptian French artist George Bahgoury’s portrait of Oum Kalthoum strikes a masterful balance between subject and identity with the transcendental qualities of art and music. Bahgoury began his artistic career as a political cartoonist in 1953 and his work gained popularity when published in Sabah Al Khair and Rose El Youssef. After studying at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Zamalek in 1955, where he was taught by Hussein Bikar, and subsequently at the Academy of Fine Arts in Paris in 1970, he turned to painting full-time rather than commercial cartoons. However, his roots in caricature portraiture and unfounded ability to render the essential character of his sitters through powerful exaggeration continued to influence his figural painting throughout his artistic career. Based on iconic photographs of the singer, Bahgoury’s portrait sculpts Kalthoum with sinuous curves, bold colour and sharp edges to create a painting which suspends her in a perpetual moment in time. Known by her contemporaries as the ‘star of the east’, she is renowned as one of the greatest icons of 20th Century Egyptian classical music. Born at the turn of the 20th century in the Tamay El Zahayra village she began performing with her Imam father, where she would wear a boy’s coat and black Bedouin headdress to protect her identity as a woman performing religious songs was considered taboo. Despite this, she was discovered and invited to Cairo in the 1920s by oudist Zakariyya Ahmad to pursue her musical career where she quickly gained fame and notoriety in the city’s artistic circles for her unique improvisational style and powerful performances often lasting five hours. She employed a traditional style of classical Arabic singing consisting of repeated lines embellished with subtle changes in emotive emphasis and intensity to captivate her audiences and elicit a state of euphoria known as tarab. From 1934, Kalthoum broadcasted a live concert on the first Thursday of each month which attracted listeners almost religiously across the Middle East for almost forty years. Despite her music being temporarily banned after the revolution of 1952 due to its association with the old regime, her popularity transcended the politics of the age to represent the possibilities of artistic unity across the Pan-Arab world.
Bahgoury emphasises Kalthoum’s closed eyes and stretched mouth to elicit the monumental range of her vocal performances which, along with the rich blues and reds, captures the emotional charge that moved her audiences to tarab. Her prominent jewellery embraces her femininity, reminding the audience of her freedom to express herself away from the male disguise she wore to protect herself during the performances with her father in her youth. Through exaggerating her features using a whimsical caricatural mode of expression, Bahgoury balances a refinement of the individual appearance of the sitter with the temperament of her soul, one which was – and continues to be – shared and enjoyed by millions through her music.
‡ £25,000-30,000
“No one can describe the extent of my pride when I went to Paris, stood in the middle of Europe, and raised my voice in the name of Egypt.”
Oum Kalthoum
Photograph of Oum Kalthoum
GUIRGUIS LOTFY (EGYPTIAN B.1955)
KINDLY
signed Guirguis Lotfy in Arabic and dated 2020 lower right egg tempera on board
122 x 81.5cm; 48 x 32in
150 x 110cm; 59 x 43 1/4in (framed)
Graduating from the Alexandria Faculty of Fine Arts with a masters in Coptic painting in 1980, Guirguis Lotfy was influenced by the Neo-Coptic artistic revival of the mid-late twentieth century. Under the influence of Pope Cyril VI who encouraged the importance of learning from Coptic arts, Neo-Coptic revivalists sought to employ the traditional iconographies from early Egypt, Byzantine and Greco-Roman Christian art in modern religious painting. The movement was pioneered by iconographer, scholar and theologist Isaac Fanous who chaired the Institute of Coptic Studies in Cairo and helped to promote the city as an integral centre of Coptic art.
Lotfy employs the traditions of Coptic art in his own unique reinterpretations. His stylised figures have large heads and eyes and small mouths which signified a devotion to prayer and spiritual relationship to God in Coptic iconography. Flat planes of gold and ultramarine rendered using the ancient painting medium egg tempera combined with patterns and symbols to emulate mosaic transport the viewer to the aesthetics of the past. In doing so, his works embody a distinct spiritual dimension, as Coptic art was used to communicate Christian stories and doctrine to largely illiterate audiences. However, unlike Neo-Coptic revivalists, Lotfy applies this visual language to a secular context. His icons are not saints but local characters, assembled in familiar settings amongst animals and everyday objects, to form striking images capturing the essence of contemporary Egyptian life. His use of Coptic iconography and traditional media enliven the antiquated, diverse and spiritual history of Egypt to create a new symbolic visual language for the richness of the quotidian.
‡ £12,000-14,000
MOHAMED FAHMY (GANZEER) (EGYPTIAN B.1982)
HANDS UP SERIES (A,B,C)
each signed Ganzeer in English and Arabic and dated 2019 lower right each screenprint, acrylic and spray paint on paper each 55.88 x 76.2cm; 22 x 30in all unframed (3)
Executed in 2018-2019.
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
Ganzeer is a New York based graphic designer working under the pseudonym Ganzeer, or ‘bicycle chain’ in English, to express his belief that artists can propel ideas and drive change.
The artist first exhibited in 2007, and since has held a variety of art residencies in the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, and Jordan. In 2011, he began to create political street art in Cairo during the Arab Spring. His bold and provocative murals made during that period called out oppression and violence against the Egyptian people. His art continues to bear witness to the social and political upheaval of our time.
Ganzeer has exhibited widely and his work has been shown in various institutions, including The Brooklyn Museum, New York; The Palace of the Arts, Cairo, Egypt; the Greek State Museum, Thessaloniki, Greece; the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
‡ £400-600
BARRY IVERSON (AMERICAN B.1956)
FOUNDRY BOY
signed, titled, numbered and dated Foundry Boy 1989 1/10 Barry Iverson in pencil lower margin
hand-coloured gelatin silver print
36 x 28cm; 14 1/4 x 11in
unframed
Provenance
Studio of the artist
Sold with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the artist
‡ £500-800
70
BARRY IVERSON (AMERICAN B.1956)
PYRAMIDS AND TRAILER
signed, titled, numbered and dated in pencil Pyramids and Trailer 1981 1/10 Barry Iverson lower margin
hand-coloured archival pigment print
39.5 x 39cm; 15 1/2 x 15 1/4in unframed
Executed in 1981 and printed in 2023.
Provenance
Studio of the artist
Sold with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the artist
‡ £600-900
AHMED CHIHA (EGYPTIAN B.1945)
UNTITLED
signed and dated A.Chiha / 2019 lower left oil, sand and chalk on board
121.5 x 121.5cm; 50 x 50in
138 x 138cm; 54 1/2 x 54 1/2in (framed)
Juxtaposing figurative motifs with more abstract compositions, Chiha’s oeuvre draws on his personal vision of his ancestral background along with its inherent mysticism, fusing the artist’s personal fascination with gardening and horticulture in his works. His visual language includes hybrid and zoomorphic forms as well as geometric shapes such as the ones featuring in the present work. Through a distinctive combination of abstraction and symbolism, Chiha’s work captures the complexities of memory, identity, and cultural heritage, solidifying his legacy as a pivotal figure in contemporary Middle Eastern art.
Born in Cairo, Ahmed Chiha is a prominent figure in the Egyptian and international art world, as well as a current member of the Formative Artists Association and the Group of Artists and Writers. With over fifty solo and group exhibitions across the world including the Venice Biennale of 2019, he is a recipient of the State Appreciation Award in the Arts by the city of Los Angeles and is represented by the Picasso Art Gallery in Cairo, one of the oldest and most established spaces in the Egyptian capital.
London, Leighton House Museum, Rose Issa Projects: Chant Avedissian: Icons of the Nile, 1995
The master of Egyptian Pop Art, Chant Avedissian fuses commercial popular culture and traditional arts in his iconic commentaries on the world around him. Avedissian was born in Cairo to an Armenian refugee family. After studying abroad at the School of Art and Design in Montreal and applied arts at the National Higher School of Decorative Arts in Paris, the artist begun a career in costume and textiles. However, in 1991, a friend commissioned him to create a portrait of renowned Egyptian singer Oum Kalthoum (see note to lot 66). This inspired his Icons of the Nile series, which sought to capture the culture, romance and glamour of mid-twentieth century cosmopolitan Egypt through portraits of influential Egyptian figures.
The present subject depicts Lebanese Egyptian soprano singer and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Majida El Roumi Baradhy (born 1956). Her father was a Melkite Christian from Tyre, South Lebanon and her mother Egyptian; her father’s family had moved to Haifa, Israel in 1921 where the El Roumi home had been established as an artistic hub. Majida was exposed to the cultural scene of the Middle East from her
“I connect his work to Egyptian popular culture, the same way that Warhol is American popular culture. He wanted to communicate something, and it wasn’t about nostalgia or politics. It was about how artists manage to overcome tensions in order to be creative.”
Rose Issa
youth and at 14, appeared on Télé Liban where she performed songs for Umm Kulthum. Majida released her first single in 1975 Am Behlamak (I’m dreaming of you, Lebanon) in collaboration with the Lebanese poet Said Akl. Released the same year at the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War, the song’s nostalgic and patriotic themes struck a chord with the nation. She has performed internationally at L’Olympia, Paris, where in 1998 her show was sponsored by the Lebanese First Lady Mona Herawi; at a sold-out show at the Royal Albert Hall in 1995 and at the opening of the Damascus Opera House in 2004.
Alongside her music, Majida is also famed for her participation in international affairs and commitment to the welfare of Lebanese people. In 2001, she was appointed a Goodwill ambassador for the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization and has participated in numerous round-table discussions on the role of FAO ambassadors in combatting world hunger. She also attended the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia in 2012 for discussions regarding poverty in Beirut. Avedissian’s portrait of Majida - who confidentially looks out at the viewer, pointing purposefully upwards in a gesture of conviction and faith - captures and immortalises her status both as a performer and philanthropist.
Sourced from popular magazine imagery, Avedissian combined his stencils with a cultural and historical traditional visual language including Ottoman patterns and hieroglyphics alongside local imagery including bus tickets and birds and worked exclusively in local materials such as Egyptian corrugated cardboard. Avedissian’s devotion to handicraft, tradition and everyday experience in his artistic depictions of the cult of celebrity and the media-age sets his works distinctly apart from the aesthetics of mass-production which characterised American Pop Art.
£4,000-6,000
Property from a Private Collection, Hampstead 73
CHANT AVEDISSIAN
(EGYPTIAN 1951-2018)
UNTITLED (I) & (II)
(i) signed Chant lower centre (ii) signed Chant lower right each gouache and stencil on paper each 7.5 x 21cm; 3 x 8 1/4in each 21 x 33.5cm; 8 1/4 x 13 1/4in (framed) (2)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner see note to lot 72
£500-800
Property from a Private Collection, Hampstead 74
CHANT AVEDISSIAN
(EGYPTIAN 1951-2018)
UNTITLED (I-III)
(i) & (ii) signed Chant lower right
(iii) signed and dated Chant / 1980 lower right (i) & (ii) gouache and stencil on paper
(iii) black and white photographic print on fibre-based paper
(i) & (ii) 30 x 40cm; 11 3/4 x 15 3/4in (iii) 26 x 38cm; 10 1/4 x 15in (iii) 36.5 x 49.5cm; 14 1/2 x 19 1/2in (sheet) (3)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner see note to lot 72
£1,000-1,500
Property of a Private Collector, New York 75
ANIA SOLIMAN (EGYPTIAN/POLISH/AMERICAN B.1970)
UNTITLED
acrylic, brush and ink and coloured pencil on paper
57 x 76cm; 22 1/2 x 30in
unframed
Provenance
Sale, 16 Beaver Group, New York, Alwan Benefit Auction, 3 June 2004
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner
Ania Soliman is an Egyptian/Polish/American artist who grew up in Baghdad and is currently based between Paris and New York. Her multidisciplinary practice spans large-scale drawings, paintings, text, performance, video and installation, often incorporating AI-generated imagery and archival materials. Soliman’s work explores cultural translation, the digital unconscious, and the tension between organic and technological forms. Soliman is able to transform her works into visually charged layered work through intricate proccess such as tracing, colouring, dripping, spraying and embellishing. She has exhibited internationally at venues such as Misk Art Institute, Riyadh (2024), Castello di Rivoli (2023, 2018), Kunsthaus Bregenz (2020), The Drawing Center in New York (2010, 2020), and the Whitney Biennial (2010), the 14 Istanbul Biennial (2015), the Museum der Kulturen in Basel (2014), among other venues. She attended Harvard College and Columbia University before participating in the Whitney independent Study Program. In 2010, she was awarded the Laurenz-Haus residency in Basel, Switzerland.
Soliman’s installation at Art Dubai 2025 explores the intersection of technology, nature, and memory. Titled Kahrabaa’, Arabic for ‘electricity’, the work was created during Beirut’s ongoing energy crisis, and reflects the deep connections between ecology, diaspora, and power systems.
⊕ ‡ £1,000-1,500
Property of a Private Collector, London
76
MOSTAFA ABDEL MOITY (EGYPTIAN B.1938)
ABSTRACT DEPICTION OF THE EARTH
signed and dated M.A.MOITY 07 in Arabic and English lower left oil on board
50 x 100cm; 19 3/4 x 39 1/4in
51 x 101cm; 20 x 39 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Zamalek Art Gallery, Egypt
Dr Mohammed Said Farsi
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2013
£7,000-9,000
EL HUSSEIN FAWZI (EGYPTIAN 1905-1996)
STILL LIFE
signed El Hussein Fawzi in Arabic lower left oil on board
84.5 x 58cm; 33 1/4 x 23in
104 x 78cm; 41 x 30 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Dr Mohammed Said Farsi
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2013
Literature
Dr. Sobhy Al Sharouny, A Museum in a Book: Selections From Dr Mohammed Said Farsi’s Art Collection, Cairo, 1998, no. 11/35, pp. 146, 148, illustrated
£8,000-12,000
Property from an Important Private Collection, London 78
MOHAMMAD NAGHI (EGYPTIAN 1888-1956)
DUCKS ON THE SHORE
signed Naghi in English lower right watercolour on paper
22 x 28.5cm; 8 3/4 x 11 1/4in
41 x 52cm; 16 x 20 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Dr Mohammed Said Farsi
Thence by descent to the present owner
Literature
Dr. Sobhy Al Sharouny, A Museum in a Book: Selections From Dr Mohammed Said Farsi’s Art Collection, Cairo, 1998, no. 18 / 30, pp. 36 and 41 (illustrated)
£1,000-1,500
Property from an Important Private Collection, London
79
MOHAMMAD NAGHI (EGYPTIAN 1888-1956)
THE CHESS PLAYER
oil on paper laid on board
46 x 30cm; 18 x 11 3/4in
50 x 34cm; 19 3/4 x 13 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Dr Mohammed Said Farsi
Thence by descent to the present owner
Literature
Dr. Sobhy Al Sharouny, A Museum in a Book: Selections From Dr Mohammed Said Farsi’s Art Collection, Cairo, 1998, no. 27 /30, pp. 37, 45, illustrated
£1,500-2,500
Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria
80
ESMAT DAWESTASHY (EGYPTIAN B.1943)
UNTITLED
signed Dawestashy in Arabic and dated 87-4-24 lower right
pen and ink and colour pencil on paper
27.5 x 39.5cm; 11 x 15 1/2in
54 x 61cm; 21 1/2 x 21in (framed)
Sold with a Certificate of Authenticity
‡ £700-900
Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria
81
ESMAT DAWESTASHY (EGYPTIAN B.1943)
UNTITLED
signed Dawestashy in Arabic and dated 21-2-1980
lower right pen and ink on paper
34.5 x 24.5cm; 13 1/2 x 9 3/4in
57 x 47.5cm; 22 1/2 x 18 3/4in (framed)
Sold with a Certificate of Authenticity
‡ £700-900
Property from an Important Private Collection, London
82
RAGHEB AYAD (EGYPTIAN 1892-1982)
A VIEW OF WADI EL NATROUN MONASTERIES
signed and dated in English R.AYAD / c.1965 lower left pen and indian ink on paper
34 x 49cm; 13 1/4 x 19 1/4in
56 x 74cm; 22 x 29in (framed)
Provenance
Dr Mohammed Said Farsi
Thence by descent to the present owner
Literature
Dr. Sobhy Al Sharouny, A Museum in a Book: Selections From Dr Mohammed Said Farsi’s Art Collection, Cairo, 1998, no. 22 / 44, pp. 74, 84, illustrated
Ragheb Ayad is celebrated as one of Egypt’s most independent and bold of the First Generation of artists. He is particularly remembered for his spontaneous style of painting, which borders on caricature. A talented draughtsman, he chose to depict scenes of popular culture with raw emotion and honesty, including the fellaheen and their daily domestic village life, as well as desert monasteries and monks.
After training in Cairo and Rome, where he studied with fellow Egyptian artist Youssef Kamel, he returned to Cairo in 1930 to commence an illustrious career as a teacher and curator at many renowned institutions in addition to serving on many government committees. Appointed Department Head at the Higher School of Fine Arts in 1942, he was chosen to organise the Coptic Museum in Old Cairo and subsequently became the Curator of the Cairo Modern Museum from 1950 to 1955.
During his liftetime, Ragheb Ayad held over 40 exhibitions in Egypt and abroad and his works are held in private Egyptian and international collections, as well as institutions such as the Modern Egyptian Museum, Cairo; the Agricultural Museum in Dokki and the Museum of Fine Arts, Alexandria. Additionally, his murals adorn the walls of churches, hotels and former palaces in Egypt.
£600-800
Property from a Private Collection, West Sussex
83
KAMEL MOUSTAFA (EGYPTIAN 1917-1982)
A MAN DISPLAYING ART ON RAILINGS
signed K. Moustafa lower left oil on board
19 x 29cm; 7 1/2 x 11 1/2in
28 x 37.5cm; 11 x 14 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Dr Mohammed Said Farsi
Sale, Charterhouse Auctions, Sherborne, 21 April 2017, lot 224
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner
Kamel Moustafa’s works depict subjects of Egyptian customs and life in Alexandria in the Impressionist style. His art continues to be widely popular and appreciated by many prominent collectors. After studying painting in Egypt under Youssef Kamel, Ahmed Sabri and Mohammad Naghi, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Academy of Fine Art in Rome. During his career he participated in several exhibitions and entered paintings in the Mediterranean Biennial, Alexandria, and the Venice Biennale.
£300-500
Property of a Private Collector, Alexandria 84
KAMEL MOUSTAFA (EGYPTIAN 1917-1982)
A TOWER IN A RURAL AREA
signed K. Moustafa lower right oil on panel
17.5 x 25cm; 6 3/4 x 9 3/4in
33.5 x 41.2cm; 13 x 16 1/4in (framed)
Literature
Dr. Sobhy Al Sharouny, A Museum in a Book: Selections From Dr Mohammed Said Farsi’s Art Collection, Cairo, 1998, no. 35 / 36, pp. 226, 232, illustrated
see note to lot 83
£250-350
Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria 85
FOUAD TAG (EGYPTIAN 1933-2023)
RURAL SCENES
each signed Fouad Tag lower left each oil on board each 30 x 40cm; 11 3/4 x 15 3/4in both unframed (2)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner ‡ £300-500
from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria
FOUAD TAG
(EGYPTIAN 1933-2023)
BOAT SCENES (I & II)
each signed Fouad Tag lower right each oil on board each 22.5 x 28.5cm; 9 x 11 1/4in each 42 x 48cm; 16 1/2 x 19in (framed) (2)
‡ £400-600
Property of a Private Collector, London 87
HOSNI EL BANANI (EGYPTIAN 1912-1989)
THE NILE THROUGH THE TREES signed H.BANANI lower left oil on canvas
60 x 54cm; 23 1/2 x 21 1/4in
90 x 85cm; 35 1/2 x 33 1/2in (framed)
Hosni El Banani’s works are distinguished by their detail, the strength of contrast between colours and thickness of impasto. In Nile Beyond the Trees, El Banani uses subtle modelling of colour and light to bring the bucolic Egyptian landscape to life.
Born in Egypt, Hosni El Banani graduated from the Higher School of Fine Arts, where he studied under the artist Youssef Kamel and received the National Certificate of Art Teaching in 1937, and the Diploma of the Academy in Rome in 1940. Known for his Impressionist style paintings that capture movement and light in an Egyptian milieu, El Banani is considered to be the successor of Youssef Kamel and the two artists maintained a close relationship throughout their lifetimes. The Egyptian landscape serves as the greatest inspiration for both El Banani and Kamel. Both drew on the same subjects: the Egyptian alley, the village, people’s interaction with nature and with rural architecture, and the congregation of cattle at village markets, and boats and boatmen.
El Banani participated in various local and international exhibitions, including the Spring Exhibition of Alumni of Faculties of Fine Art in 1985, the Art in Arab World Exhibition in 1985, the Venice Biennale, the UNESCO Exhibition in Beirut and the Acquisition Exhibition in 2000. He was honoured with medals and certificates of merit for murals, and in 1938, was granted The International Award and the honorary prize at the Landscape Exhibition in Washington.
£2,000-3,000
Property from a Private Collection, London
IBRAHIM GHAZALA (EGYPTIAN B.1960)
(I) TOWER (II) PARISH BY THE PYRAMID
each signed Ghazala in English and Arabic lower left; (i) dated 2005 lower left; (ii) dated 2007 lower left each pastel and pen and ink on paper
(i) 95.5 x 66cm; 371/2 x 26in
(ii) 57 x 78cm; 22 1/2 x 30 3/4in
(i) 127 x 96cm; 50 x 37 3/4in (framed)
(ii) 82 x 102cm; 32 1/4 x 40in (framed) (2)
Provenance
Dr Mohammed Said Farsi
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2013
£600-1,000
89
RAFA AL NASIRI (IRAQI 1940-2013)
UNTITLED
signed, numbered and dated 18/30 Nasiri 89 in pencil lower margin etching on paper with margins
59 x 51.5cm; 23 1/4 x 20 1/4in
79 x 85cm; 31 x 33 1/2in (framed)
£800-1,200
90
HANI MUTHIR (IRAQI 1955-2022)
UNTITLED (ABSTRACT COMPOSITION)
signed and dated Hani 01 and stamped lower right oil on paper
39 x 28.5cm; 15 1/3 x 11 1/4in unframed
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner see note to lot 91
£800-1,200
Rafa Al Nasiri, copyright May Muzaffar, courtesy of Jehan Saleh
“I avoid interpreting my art. I can explain or justify any other work, sometimes with a single word, however I find myself completely unable to hold on to a specific and clear idea that can be used to explain anything that relates to my painting, even the basic agreed measures, such as colours, shapes, lines, symbols or expressions.”
Hani Muthir
HANI MUTHIR (IRAQI 1955-2022)
KITAB AL-SIRR
(KITAB AL-TAWASIN, BY Al-HALLAJ)
signed Hani in English and Arabic and numbered 6/10 lower left; stamped lower centre book with lithographic plates, in 18 parts book 56 x 43.5 x 4cm; 22 x 17 1/4 x 1.5in each lithograph 42 x 29.5cm; 16 1/2 x 11 1/2in (18)
Executed in 1998-1999.
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
Born in Iraq, Hani Muthir is a deeply global artist whose work reflects a personal and spiritual journey shaped by displacement, cultural dialogue, and a lifelong pursuit of artistic freedom. After moving to London in 1990 to escape the censorship of Saddam Hussein’s regime, Muthir developed a singular visual language informed by his engagement with Sufism, international travel, and cross-cultural influences.
In this compelling cycle of works, Muthir meditates on themes of spiritual unity and transcendence, echoing the legacy of the medieval Sufi mystic Al-Hallaj, whose ecstatic writings on divine love and unity continue to inspire generations. His interest in the epic can be traced back to the influence of his teacher and painter Shakir Hassan al Said, who according to Muthir “was a leading member of the Baghdad Group of modern art, founded in 1951, who envisioned a renaissance - creating a distinctive Iraqi movement that would reforge the links that separated artists from the age of al-Hallaj”. Muthir’s compositions for the Al-Tawasin (a work whose various sections contain different Sufi ‘teachings’ or ‘Ta-Sins’) blend the figurative with the abstract in giving voice to the text, channelling their mystical heritage through his deeply symbolic palette which draws particularly on his recurring use of black and red – colours that struck him during his time in Japan, and which are used to evoke both presence and absence, intensity and introspection.
Illustrations of books and epics are a constant dimension of Muthir’s work. Upon settling in England in 1990, Muthir chose the narrative of the ancient Mesopotamian King Gilgamesh as the subject of his first exhibition in London, designing a visual cycle which conveyed the enduring actuality of the story’s philosophical messages. “The visual has one language, and it is a small world”, Muthir once claimed, and his practice seeks to convey a message of universality, asserting that even in the face of political silence, art remains a necessary act of expression. “We have to say something… we cannot all just wait to be controlled. We cannot see something, and feel something, and not express ourselves the way we know best.”
Muthir’s works feature in private collections across Japan, Germany, Spain, England, Mexico, Colombia, Syria, Lebanon, and Argentina, speaking to the global resonance of his artistic voice.
£2,500-3,500
Property of a Lady, Berkshire 92
“The figures I paint have so many things in common with me… I draw myself with everything that exists inside: the sadness, the misery, the shocking things I have faced, the isolation, and the feeling of not belonging to this world.”
Sabhan Adam
Property of a Lady, Berkshire 93
SABHAN ADAM (SYRIAN B.1972)
UNTITLED
signed and dated 2008
acrylic, sand, fabric and sequin on canvas
206 x 65cm; 81 x 25 1/2in unframed
Provenance
Hadba Nizar Kabbani (acquired from the artist)
Thence by descent to the present owner
Syrian-born Sabhan Adam is a self-taught artist who creates works in relative isolation from the art world. A prolific painter, Adam has exhibited at institutions such as the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence, the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris and the Venice Biennale. His work has been acquired by the British Museum, Jalanbo Collection, Barjeel Art Foundation, the Hassan Smith Collection and many other private collections.
His Orwellian figures challenge notions of beauty and the heinous, exploring motifs of imaginery misshapen creatures often clothed in glamourous, highly coloured attire against plain backgrounds. Demonstrating the pain, fear and phobia which afflicts society, these distorted and monstrous figures equally hold a complex set of personal emotions based on Adam’s own psychology.
£1,500-2,500
MOHAMAD OMRAN (SYRIAN B.1979)
UNTITLED
signed, inscribed and dated MOHAMAD AMRAN, SYRIA/ C..O-2005 in Arabic and English on the reverse
brush and ink on paper
80 x 37.5cm; 31 1/2 x 14 3/4in
84.5 x 42cm; 33 1/4 x 16 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Hadba Nizar Kabbani (acquired from the artist)
Thence by descent to the present owner
£700-900
Property of a Lady, Berkshire 94
NAZIR NABAA (SYRIAN 1938-2016) RED
acrylic and plaster on canvas
130 x 130cm; 51 1/4 x 51 1/4in
140.5 x 140.5cm; 55 1/2 x 55 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Hadba Nizar Kabbani (acquired from the artist)
Thence by descent to the present owner
“Beyond artistic exploration, I search for the soul”
A rare shift away from Nazir Nabaa’s figurative works, the present work is a display of unwavering colour and texture. Built on a plaster foundation, the painting alludes to a structure or wall, bleeding with an abstract fusion of red hues. The colour pervasive is in the artist’s work and escalates alongside his shift towards socio-political tensions in the Middle East as subject matter. Like many 20th Century artists before him who have used abstract modes of representation to express the inexpressable and paradoxical, the work balances a feeling of expansion through its engulfing colour and large scale with the obstruction of its physical surface.
Nabaa was born in Damascus and studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo, graduating in 1965. His extensive body of work spans a variety of subjects, from portrayals of Arab women to abstracted portraiture, still lifes, and politically-charged posters. Fascinated by texture and detail, his paintings reflect a commitment to artistic research developed whilst at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris (from which he graduated in 1974). He was later a professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Damascus, receiving the National Garter in 2006.
Deeply influenced by the Palestinian crisis, the Lebanese Civil War, and the American invasion of Iraq, Nabaa’s work has been showcased in major institutions, including the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, and he was honored with the Judges Panel Award at the Biennials of Alexandria and Cairo. Today, his paintings are held in esteemed collections such as the Jalanbo Collection, Barjeel Art Foundation, and Dalloul Art Foundation.
£6,000-8,000
Nazir Nabaa
HAMMOUD CHANTOUT (SYRIAN B.1956)
LE SOIR
signed Chantout twice and dated 2022 (crossed through) and 2020 lower left; signed Chantout in English and Arabic, dated 2022 (crossed through) and 2020 and inscribed on the reverse mixed media on canvas
114 x 146cm; 45 x 57 1/2in unframed
Provenance
Studio of the artist
Hammoud Chantout studied at the University of Fine Arts in Damascus until 1980, before pursuing his artistic training in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, earning top honours in 1984.
A prominent figure in the contemporary Syrian art scene, Chantout’s works have graced solo and group exhibitions worldwide, earning him a revered place in private collections and prestigious institutions such as the Ministry of Culture and the National Museum in Syria.
The artist’s style is defined by heavily textured mixed media canvases that seamlessly blend abstract approaches with figurative subject matter, creating compositions that are both delicate and mysterious. He employs a variety of media, including acrylic, oil, collage elements, and textured materials, to achieve his signature layered and otherworldly aesthetic. This versatile use of media adds depth and a tactile quality to his works, inviting viewers to engage with the intricate details of each piece.
£4,000-6,000
HAMMOUD CHANTOUT (SYRIAN B.1956)
L’ATTENTE
signed and dated Chantout 2018 lower right; signed and dated Chantout 2018 and inscribed on the reverse mixed media on linen canvas
135 x 140cm; 53 1/4 x 55in unframed
Provenance
Studio of the artist see note to lot 95
£5,000-8,000
Property of a Lady, Berkshire 97
FATEH MOUDARRES (SYRIAN 1922-1999)
UNTITLED
signed and dated F. moudarres/Damascus/1980 in English and Arabic on the reverse oil on canvas
49 x 39cm; 19 1/4 x 15 1/4in
62.5 x 52.5cm; 24 1/2 x 20 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Hadba Nizar Kabbani (acquired from the artist)
Thence by descent to the present owner
“Despite
its power, I use red with kindness, and I often soften it with strokes of black or gold to overpower its strength…”
Fateh Moudarres
A seminal figure in Syrian art, Fateh Moudarres is a pioneer of modern painting in his country, integrating elements of Assyrian art with Christian iconography and European modernism. Born in Aleppo, Moudarres studied at the Accademia delle Belle Arti in Rome and later at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris (1972) where he was deeply influenced by Christian symbolism as well as Surrealism and abstraction. The presence of totemic figures in compositions such as this one are reminiscent of Assyrian statuary and ancient Sumerian and Islamic art.
Moudarres’ flattened figures, muted palette, and dreamlike abstraction have featured in some of the foremost international exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale, the São Paulo Biennale, the New York International Art Fair and Contemporary Arab Art Exhibition in Paris. Towards the end of his career, Moudarres moved to Syria where he was a lecturer at the University of Damascus until his death. In 2019, the artist was the subject of the major retrospective Fateh al-Moudarres: Colour, Extensity and Sense held in the Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha.
£4,000-6,000
Property of a Lady, Berkshire 98
FATEH MOUDARRES (SYRIAN 1922-1999)
UNTITLED
signed and dated F. Moudarres/Damascus/1988 in English and Arabic on the reverse oil on canvas
75 x 55cm; 29 1/2 x 21 1/4in unframed
Provenance
Hadba Nizar Kabbani (acquired from the artist)
Thence by descent to the present owner see note to lot 97
£6,000-8,000
MARWAN
(SYRIAN/GERMAN 1934-2016)
UNTITLED
signed marwan upper right; signed and dated marwan 2007 on the reverse watercolour on paper
28.5 x 21cm; 11 1/4 x 8 1/4in unframed
Provenance
Hadba Nizar Kabbani (acquired from the artist)
Thence by descent to the present owner
The late Syrian-German artist Marwan Kassab-Bachi, known by his first name Marwan, has been attracting attention from German and Middle Eastern institutions for many years, who were drawn to his expressive figurative paintings, etchings, and works on paper.
Internationally, his work was featured in the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017 in Christine Marcel’s The Pavilion of Joys and Fears, as well as the exhibition of the Sharjah based Barjeel Foundation’s collection at the Whitechapel Art Gallery in London in 2016. His career has been the subject of solo exhibitions at the Mosaic Rooms in London in 2015, and the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art, Portugal in 2014 (curated by Catherine David). He has two works in Tate Modern’s collection as well as featuring in the collections of the British Museum, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago and the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh.
Born in Damascus into a wealthy family, Marwan studied Arabic literature at Damascus University from 1955 to 1957. Already an amateur painter he, like many of his contemporaries, was curious to explore European literary and artistic culture. In 1957 he travelled to Paris with the purpose of engaging with the existentialist intelligentsia of the city, but almost by chance, ended up instead in Berlin. Here he studied painting under Hann Trier at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste. His fellow students at the time were Georg Baselitz and Eugen Schönebeck and for a few years, these three painters were close friends and experimenters. Together they liberated their painting from the tragedy of the post war period and instead rediscovered the potency of the human figure. It was this obsession with the human figure which was to last throughout the rest of Marwan’s life.
From the early 70s his focus shifted and narrowed into depicting more intimate human heads – his inner self-portrait. In 1973 Marwan achieved his life-long ambition and lived for a year in Paris on a scholarship from the Cité des Arts. It was at this time that his distinctive splashily deconstructed style also emerged. Still engaged almost exclusively with figuration, his obsession with self-portrait heads became augmented in the 1980s with a marionette he was given, which became his trusted model.
The complexity behind these later compositions is exemplified by the artist’s technique. He applies layer after layer with great patience and intensitywhich acts metaphorically to highlight the multi-layered human psyche. Simultaneously portraying proximity and distance, as one moves closer to the image, it gradually blurs, morphing into a shimmering radiant field of colour that offers an exemplary insight into the inner workings of Marwan’s mind. Oscillating between ‘Orient’ and ‘Occident’, political and spiritual, his deeply personal focus on the human figure for him became a way of expressing the dramatic depth of life and consequently a universal message for all humanity.
⊕ £1,000-1,500
Property of a Lady, Berkshire
100
ISMAIL FATTAH (SYRIAN 1934-2004)
UNTITLED
signed and dated Ismail Fattah 2002 in English and Arabic and numbered 14/60 in pencil lower margin lithograph on Arches paper with full margins
38.5 x 30cm; 15 1/4 x 11 3/4in
65.5 x 50.5cm; 25 3/4 x 19 3/4in (visible sheet)
Provenance
Hadba Nizar Kabbani (acquired from the artist) Thence by descent to the present owner
£800-1,200
Property of a Lady, Berkshire 101
ISMAIL FATTAH (SYRIAN 1934-2004)
UNTITLED (COUPLE)
signed and dated Ismail 1999 lower left screenprint and watercolour on paper
66 x 49.5cm; 26 x 19 1/2in
70.5 x 60.5cm; 27 3/4 x 23 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Hadba Nizar Kabbani (acquired from the artist)
Thence by descent to the present owner
£1,500-2,500
Property from a Private Collection, London
ABU SUBHI AL TINAWI (SYRIAN 1888-1973)
ABLA & SHEIBOUB
signed in Arabic lower centre
mixed media on canvas mounted to board
60 x 69cm; 24 x 27 1/4in
64.5 x 72.5cm; 25 3/4 x 28 1/2in (framed)
Executed circa 1950.
Provenance
Collection of a Diplomat, Dubai
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Born in Damascus, Abu Subhi Al Tinawi is one of the most well-known Syrian folk artists of his time. Originally named Muhammad Harb, it was when he opened his shop in Damascus that he began signing all of his artworks Abu Subhi Al Tinawi.
Hailing from a family of reverse glass-painters and tapestry artisans, Al Tinawi made his own paint by combining natural pigments with Arabic gum. He became known for reverse glass painting, a technique which originated in Europe and was popularised in Central and Eastern Asia in the 17th century. Continuing his work on glass and other media, such as metallic paper or cloth, he used bright colours and simple representations of characters with straightforward expressions. Fascinated by traditional verses and stories, Al Tinawi’s oeuvre explores folk epics, historical events and religious themes.
Working across various materials, including glass, metallic paper, and cloth, Al Tinawi was known for his vivid colour palette and direct, expressive
figures. Deeply inspired by traditional poetry and storytelling, his work depicted folk epics, historical events, and religious narratives, making him a masterful visual storyteller who captured the spirit and sentiments of his community.
The present work, executed between the 1950s and 60s, refers to one of the stories by the pre-Islamic Arabian poet ‘Antarah ibn Shaddād al-‘Absī (525-608 AD) and his collection of seven “hanging odes”, which together form the Mu’allaqāt, suspended in the Kabaa in Mecca. The tale tells of the fabulous childhood of ‘Antar, son of an Arab king by an Ethiopian slave girl named Zabībah, and the adventures he undertakes to attain the hand of his cousin ‘Ablah in marriage. The couple’s love story was full of obstacles: ‘Ablah’s father, resisting the marriage, asked for three thousand red camels, a dowry for his daughter, a rare breed owned exclusively by the king Noaman of Iraq. Antar crossed the desert, met the king, fought in his army for two years in exhange for the camels and returned to ‘Ablah with the herd and endless riches, finally winning the hand of ‘Ablah.
By the end of his life, Al Tinawi had achieved widespread recognition. Though he never left his shop, his works travelled internationally, reaching Europe and beyond. Thought to be one of the first Arab artists to participate in an exhibition showing Picasso in Paris, his work has been acquired internationally by individuals and art institutions, including the Louvre and the Dubai Collection, and has appeared in numerous publications and films. Al Tinawi’s distinctive style and storytelling approach have left a lasting impact on contemporary Arab artists and continue to appear in publications and films, solidifying his legacy in the region’s artistic heritage.
£2,000-3,000
LEBANON
Property of a Private Collector, Dubai 103
BIBI ZOGBE (LEBANESE 1890-1973)
SENEGAL LANDSCAPE
signed BIBI Zogbé lower right; signed BIBI Zogbé on the reverse oil on canvas
35 x 44.5cm; 13 3/4 x 17 1/2in
44 x 54cm; 17 1/4 x 21 1/4in (framed)
Provenance
Carstens Gallery, Boca Raton
Acquired from the above by the present owner
“She was one of Lebanon’s pioneering artists – one of the first female painters. But, in Lebanon, we never knew much about her…”
Saleh Barakat Gallery
Born in the village of Sahel Alma in Lebanon, Labibé Zogbé (also known as Bibi Zogbé) is one of the foremost Lebanese artists of her generation, with her work featuring globally in major auctions and recently in the Modern focus section of the 2022 edition of Art Dubai.
Zogbé migrated to Argentina in 1906 at the age of sixteen as part of an arranged marriage to the wealthy Tunisian émigré Domingo Samaja. She first trained alongside the Bulgarian master Klin Dimitrof, before beginning her artistic career in Argentina in the early 1930s, with a series of exhibitions across South America. Galería Witcomb in Buenos Aires offered Zogbé her first solo exhibition in 1934, which was a record success – followed by her first European show with the prestigious Galerie Charpentier, Paris. A thirst for adventure led to her travelling extensively, spending time in Africa, where she immersed herself in the cultures of the places she visited and painted portraits. Paris and Dakar were among her favourite locations, living in France after the Second World War before moving to Dakar. She made her long-anticipated move back to Lebanon in 1947 to take part in a collective exhibition at the National Museum of Lebanon and receive the Lebanese Cedar-Medallion of Excellence. She subsequently returned to her native Argentina, where she died in Mar del Plata.
While Zogbé’s work is predominantly characterised by an eclectic array of floral compositions joyfully reminiscent of her Lebanese homeland, the present work stands out as part of a series of rare and evocative depictions of the Senegalese countryside and its people, featuring round Bassari huts typical of the West African landscape along with palms, flowering cacti and twisting Baobab trees. The painting embodies her move away from academicism towards a more avant-gardist approach and coincides also with her rare production of portraits, some of which were inspired by the inhabitants of Senegalese villages such as this one. Zogbé is widely celebrated today as a pioneering figure of Modern art in the Levant.
signed with initials and dated 2008 on the reverse wax, pencil and acrylic paint on foam board
55 x 56cm; 21 1/2 x 22in unframed
‡ £500-800
PALESTINE
TAYSEER BARAKAT (PALESTINIAN B.1959)
UNTITLED (INSPIRED BY LUXOR)
signed Tayseer Barakat in English and Arabic, titled Inspired by Luxor in Arabic and dated 2024 on the reverse oil on canvas
100 x 120cm; 39 1/2 x 47 1/4in
112 x 131.5cm; 44 x 51 3/4in (framed)
‡ £3,500-4,500
Property of a Private Collector, New York
107
KHALED JARRAR (PALESTINIAN B.1976)
GENTLY I PRESS THE TRIGGER
signed and dated Khaled Jarrar / KhiJarrar / 2014 in English and Arabic on the reverse acrylic on canvas
107 x 107cm; 42 x 42in unframed
‡ £2,000-3,000
108
MOHAMMAD AL-HAWAJRI (PALESTINIAN B.1976)
ANIMAL FARM
signed Mohammad Al-Hawajri in Arabic and dated 2011 lower left; inscribed on the reverse acrylic on canvas
100 x 100cm; 39 1/3 x 39 1/3in unframed
“Art is my lungs to breathe freedom”
Mohammad Al-Hawajri
Mohammad Al-Hawajri was born at the Bureij Refugee Camp in the Gaza Strip. In 2002 Al-Hawajri founded the Eltiqa Group for Contemporary Art in Gaza. Between 2008 and 2009 he received a grant that allowed him to reside at the Cité Internationale in Paris. Al-Hawajri participated in1999, 2000 and 2001 in the Summer Academy which was supervised by Marwan Kassab Bashi and held at Darart al Funun in Amman, Jordan. He won the first place award at the closing exhibition of the Summer Academy. Al-Hawajri’s work has been displayed in many exhibitions in Palestine and abroad. He participated in exhibitions in the UK, Italy, France, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, Argentina, USA, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Germany and Spain. His work is found in various collections including the l’Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, the Khaled Shoman collections at Darat Al-Funun, Ecole Cantonale d’Art du Valais (ECAV) Switzerland, the Casoria Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) in Naples, Italy, the Jordan National Gallery, Dar El-Nimer for Arts & Culture in Lebanon, and also in some private collections.
£8,000-10,000
MANAL MAHAMID (PALESTINIAN B.1976)
DISPLACEMENT II
signed, titled and dated Displacement 2 2015 Manal Mahamid in pen and ink lower margin; stamped lower right corner photomontage on archival paper
91.5 x 91.5cm; 36 x 36in unframed
Executed in 2015, this work is number 1 from an edition of 4 plus 1 artist’s proof.
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
£1,500-2,500
JORDAN
RAWAN AL ADWAN (JORDANIAN B.1974)
WHIMSICAL FLAMINGO
signed with initials lower right; signed and dated Rawan Al Adwan / 2024 on the reverse acrylic and mixed media on canvas 61 x 50cm; 24 x 19 3/4in unframed
Provenance
Acquired from the studio of the artist
Rawan Al Adwan is an accomplished artist whose work in painting and ceramics reflects a profound cultural interplay between the East and West. Originally from Jordan, Rawan spent seven years in London before relocating to Switzerland in 2019. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, earned in 1995, and has further refined her skills through drawing courses in London. Rawan is also a proud member of the Chelsea Art Club in London, where she engages with a vibrant community of artists.
Her artistic practice is characterized by a vibrant blend of antique and complementary colours, where soft, muted tones coexist with bold, vibrant hues. This dynamic interplay of colours evokes the beauty of her surroundings and serves as a metaphor for the passage of time and the influences of ancient rock art. Rawan’s paintings often feature rich textures, inviting viewers to engage with the tactile quality of her work.
Primarily abstract, symbolic, and expressionist in nature, Rawan’s art conveys a sense of childlike innocence and humour. Her unique style captures the essence of her experiences, nature, and cultural heritage, allowing her to express beauty from diverse environments. The cultural heritage of Jordan, an integral part of our global cultural tapestry, informs her work, enriching it with depth and significance. Her artworks create a dialogue about the various beauties and environments that shape our world.
Rawan has exhibited her paintings at notable venues, including the Jordan Museum, Phoenix Ancient Art Gallery, and various galleries in London, Italy, Austria, Washington D.C., the UAE, and Switzerland. She aspires to expand her exhibitions to renowned galleries around the world, believing that her work evokes a sense of imagination, humour, energy, and serenity. Her paintings transport viewers to another world, where peace, love, and beauty coexist, aiming to achieve a sense of prosperity that resonates with humanity across the globe.
A significant aspect of Rawan’s work is her passion for contemporizing ancient art forms, particularly rock art. Over the years, she has travelled to the northeastern region of Jordan to capture photographs that reflect the ancient rock formations, often navigating the harsh desert landscape. On one memorable occasion, she and her team became lost in the desert, risking their safety to bring back artworks that resonate with audiences who appreciate unique art. This dedication to her craft is evident in the layers of complexity and emotion found in her pieces.
Her contributions to the art world have been recognized by the Ministry of Culture in Jordan, which honoured her for her contemporary art and her achievements within her community. Rawan believes that art should serve humanity, transcending religion, authenticity, or background, as our shared humanity is what ultimately distinguishes us.
Through her art, Rawan Al Adwan invites viewers to explore the vibrant dialogue between cultures, time, and artistic expression, celebrating the beauty and harmony of the human experience. Her paintings reflect diversity and stand out as unique and captivating reflections of her artistic vision, fostering a deeper understanding of our interconnectedness as human beings.
‡ £2,000-3,000
BLOSSOM
signed with initials lower left; signed and dated Rawan Aladwan / 2024 on the reverse acrylic and mixed media on canvas 100 x 100cm; 39 1/2 x 39 1/2in unframed
Provenance
Acquired from the studio of the artist see note to lot 110
‡ £4,000-6,000
RAWAN AL ADWAN (JORDANIAN B.1974)
Property of a Lady, Berkshire 112
HANI ALQAM (JORDANIAN B.1977)
FIGURE
signed and dated HANI 2002 upper right oil on canvas
87 x 68cm; 34 1/4 x 26 3/4in
99.5 x 80.5cm; 39 1/4 x 31 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Hadba Nizar Kabbani (acquired from the artist)
Thence by descent to the present owner
Hani Alqam is a Jordanian artist, born in Amman. He graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts of Amman in 2001 and attended painting and printmaking courses at Darat el-Funun’s Summer Academy and the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts in 1999 and 2001, supervised by Marwan Kassab-Bachi (see lot 99)
He has held five solo exhibitions and participated in group shows in Europe, the UK, Ireland, the US, Pakistan and Jordan.
Alqam focuses his work on society and the complexities of the human psyche. His paintings largely depict ordinary life in Amman, with the goal of highlighting both the chaos and charm of the city and its people.
Alqam is considered an expressionist painter, who uses his work to show human movement and memory. To Alqam, ordinary faces are a source of great inspiration; he is trying to see the world through their unfamiliar eyes. His technique involves applying thick layers of paint onto the canvas to represent the complexities and intensity of his subjects.
Both Face and Figure have the chaotic yet familiar nature that Alqam desires. Their expressions are mysterious and unreadable, leaving the viewer with questions. The slumped eyelids in Face suggest a feeling of exhaustion, while the expression in Figure remains more neutral.
£1,500-2,500
“In my life I have learnt to appreciate the ordinariness of life, it is the simplicity and uncomplicated way of life that helps to hold my integrity working as an artist.”
Hani Alqam
Property of a Lady, Berkshire 113
HANI ALQAM (JORDANIAN B.1977)
FACE
signed Hani lower right oil on canvas
33 x 25.5cm; 13 x 10in
39.5 x 31.5cm; 15 1/2 x 12 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Hadba Nizar Kabbani (acquired from the artist)
Thence by descent to the present owner see note to lot 112
£800-1,200
ABIOLA, SODIQ 1, 2
ADAM, SABHAN 92
ADEBISI, PEARL 16
AL ADWAN, RAWAN 110-111
AL-HAWAJRI, MOHAMMAD 108
AL NASIRI, RAFA 89
AL-QABBANI, MOHAMMED HASSAN MAHMOUD 53-54
AL TINAWI, ABU SUBHI 102
ALOGI, JOHN 3
ALQAM, HANI 112-113
ANTUBAM, KOFI 39
AVEDISSIAN, CHANT 72-74
AYAD, RAGHEB
GEORGE
TAYSEER
HAMMOUD
MOHAMED
MOUNIR
(GANZEER), MOHAMED
ISMAIL 100-101 FAWZI, EL HUSSEIN 77 GEORGE, NICK 17
GHAZALA, IBRAHIM 88 HAMOUDA, KHALDA 47-48
INALEGWU, SAMUEL 4 IVERSON, BARRY 69-70
JAMES, HENRY 6 JARRAR, KHALED
KAZAZIAN, NISHAN
MOSES
KAIRO
MOSTAFA ABDEL
MORSI, ABDEL WAHAB
QAEQHAO
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR BUYERS
SECTION A
1. INTRODUCTION
The following notes are intended to assist Bidders and Buyers, particularly those who are inexperienced or new to our saleroom. The sale of goods at our auctions are governed by our Terms of Sale (for Live Auctions or Online Auctions as applicable), our Privacy Policy, the Important Information for Buyers, and any notices that are displayed in our saleroom or announced by the Auctioneer (in the case of a Live Auction) or displayed on any Listing for a Lot in our Online Auction catalogue (in the case of an Online Auction) (collectively, the “Terms and Conditions of Business”). The Terms and Conditions of Business are available for inspection on our Website and at our saleroom on request. Our staff will be happy to help you if there is anything in our Terms and Conditions of Business that you do not fully understand.
Please make sure that you read the applicable Terms of Sale carefully before bidding. If your bid is successful, you will be obliged to comply with our Terms of Sale.
2. AGENCY
As Auctioneers we usually act on behalf of the Seller whose identity, for reasons of confidentiality, is not normally disclosed. If you buy at auction your Contract for your purchase of the goods is with the Seller, not with us as Auctioneer.
3. ESTIMATES
Estimates are designed to help you gauge what sort of sum might be involved for the purchase of a particular Lot. Estimates may change and should not be thought of as the Lot’s value or predicted sale price. The lower Estimate may represent the Reserve price (the minimum price for which a Lot may be sold) and will not be below the Reserve price. Estimates do not include the Buyer’s Premium or VAT (where chargeable). Estimates are prepared some time before the auction and may be altered by a saleroom notice or announcement by the Auctioneer before the auction of the Lot (for Live Auctions), or on the Listing for a Lot in our Online Auction catalogue before the auction of the Lot (for Online Auctions). They represent a matter of opinion and are not definitive.
4 BUYER’S PREMIUM
The Terms of Sale oblige you to pay a Buyer’s Premium at 25% on the Hammer Price of each Lot purchased. The Buyer’s Premium is subject to VAT at the standard rate (currently 20%).
5. VAT
The following paragraphs are intended to give general advice on VAT for items purchased at auction. We have covered the common situations, and this may not be comprehensive. We are unable to offer Tax advice and we suggest you seek independent advice if you require clarifications or further information.
5.1 Items in our catalogue may be marked in the following ways:
(a) (†) indicates that VAT is payable by the Buyer on both the Hammer Price and the Buyer’s Premium. VAT will be chargeable at the standard rate (presently 20%) for most Lots. Qualifying books will be charged at 0%. This imposition of VAT is likely to be because the Seller is registered for VAT within the UK and is not operating the Dealers’ Margin Scheme on their consignment to us.
(b) (‡) indicates that the Lot has been imported from outside the UK using customs Temporary Admissions procedures. Import VAT of 5% (reduced rate due to nature of the Lot) is due on the Hammer Price and an amount in lieu of VAT at 20% will be included in the Buyer’s Premium. This VAT on the Buyer’s Premium cannot be itemised separately on our invoices. The successful Bidder and therefore Buyer of the Lot will become its importer.
(c) (Ω) indicates that the Lot has been imported from outside the UK using customs Temporary Admissions procedures. Import VAT of 20% (higher rate) is due on the Hammer Price and an amount in lieu of VAT at 20% will be included in the Buyer’s Premium. This VAT on the Buyer’s Premium cannot be itemised separately on our invoices. The successful Bidder and therefore Buyer of the Lot will become its importer.
(d) Lots which do not display one of the above symbols (referred to herein as unmarked Lots) have no VAT payable on the Hammer Price. This is because such Lots are sold using the Auctioneers’ Margin Scheme. Therefore, an amount in lieu of VAT at the standard rate is included within the Premium and will not be shown separately on our invoice or be recoverable as input Tax.
5.2 For the items marked (‡) or (Ω), Buyers registered for VAT in the UK should notify us as soon as possible after the sale so that we can correctly instruct our shipping agents to complete the import into the UK under the Buyer’s VAT registration and HMRC can issue a form C79. The charge on our invoice for the import VAT is not sufficient evidence to make a claim for the import VAT.
6. REFUNDS OF VAT
6.1 For Buyers from outside the UK, the VAT charged on the Hammer Price and Buyer’s Premium or included in lieu of VAT in the Buyer’s Premium can be refunded so long as the Buyer has:
(a) registered to bid with an address outside the UK; and
(b) discussed with us the proof of export we require and the timeframes to complete the export.
6.2 Once we are satisfied that the requirements referred to in Clause 1.6.1 have been met, and with the proof of export provided, the following VAT will be refunded:
(a) For Lots marked (†): The VAT on the Hammer Price and on the Buyer’s Premium.
(b) For Lots marked (‡) and (Ω): the import VAT and, the VAT in lieu in the Buyer’s Premium.
(c) For unmarked Lots: the amount in lieu of VAT in the Buyer’s Premium.
6.3 To enable us to refund the VAT charged correctly we normally require the use of our international shippers to assist with the required paperwork. For private Buyers, we will only be able to refund the VAT if our shippers are used for the export of the Lot outside the UK.
7. REINVOICING SALES
For unmarked Lots, you can request a Lot to be reinvoiced outside the Auctioneers’ Margin Scheme. VAT at 20% will be charged on the Hammer Price and the VAT on the Buyer’s Premium will be itemised separately on our invoice. This will enable a VAT registered business to reclaim all the VAT. Please note that the item will no longer be eligible to be sold in the Margin Scheme. We recommend you seek advice before proceeding. Requests must be made within 6 months of the sale and certain conditions apply.
8. INSPECTION OF GOODS BY THE BUYER
As we act on behalf of the Seller, we are dependent on information provided by the Seller about their goods. We may inspect Lots and will act reasonably in taking a general view about them. However, we are normally unable to carry out detailed examinations of Lots to check their condition in the way a Buyer would do. You will have the opportunity to inspect the goods (upon request). Where a Lot is made available for inspection, we strongly recommend that you inspect any Lots that you are interested in prior to bidding at the auction. Please carefully note the exclusion of liability for the condition of Lots set out in the Terms of Sale for Online Auctions at Clause 22.5 and the Terms of Sale for Live Auctions at Clause 18.5.
9. GOODS WITH ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
These are sold as “antiques” for their historical and decorative attributes, and for collection and display only. They are not intended for use. If you buy goods with electrical components and intend to use them, you must ask a qualified electrician to check them for compliance with safety regulations before you use them.
10. ENDANGERED SPECIES
If you intend to buy goods which contain endangered species, you need to find out if there is a prohibition on the purchase of goods of that character. For goods containing elephant ivory, you also need to satisfy yourself that they have been correctly registered or certified and meet the exemption conditions under applicable legislation.
11. EXPORT OF GOODS
If you intend to export goods you must find out:
11.1 whether an export licence is needed; and
11.2 if there is a prohibition on exporting goods of that character outside of the UK or on importing goods of that character in your intended country of import such as because the goods contain prohibited materials such as elephant ivory or other protected flora and fauna.
12. BIDDING
Bidders will be required to register with us before the auction starts. We Reserve the right to impose a deadline prior to the auction by which you must register or by which we must receive a commission bid. If you wish to bid on high value Lots this deadline may be several days before the auction in order to allow us sufficient time to carry out the necessary checks. Lots will be invoiced to the name and address on the registration form. Please enquire in advance about our arrangements for telephone or online bidding. You will need to provide us with proof of your identity in a form acceptable to us and such other information as we may require. Please note that we may refuse to register you if you do not provide us with all the information and documentation that we ask for or at our discretion.
13. BIDDING PLATFORMS
We offer free online bidding directly through our Website (www.olympiaauctions. com). You may also bid using an independent Bidding Platform. Bidders using an independent Bidding Platform or service should note that the platform may impose an additional fee or charge, which will be added to the total amount payable in the event your bid is successful. Please refer to the terms and conditions on the relevant independent platform for rates.
14. FINANCIAL CHECKS
As Auctioneers we may have to conduct various checks into our customers under the Money Laundering Legislation, under sanctions legislation and other related legislation. Unless we confirm we already have this information, on registration to bid you will be required to provide the following:
(a) For individuals, official photo identification (driving licence, passport or equivalent) and proof of address (if this is not included in your ID document).
(b) For corporate entities, the certificate of incorporation (or equivalent) with the entity’s official name, registered number (if any) and registered address, as well as details and ID documentation for directors and beneficial owners of the entity.
(c) For trusts and estates, details and ID documentation for executors/trustees and details of beneficiaries: please contact us for further information.
14.1 You may be asked for further information if we deem this necessary.
14.2 If you are bidding for another person (your Principal) you will be required to provide the above information for yourself and your Principal, along with a signed letter from your Principal authorising you to bid on his/her behalf.
14.3 If you require further information about ID requirements, please contact enquiries@olympiaauctions.com. If we deem that you have not provided sufficient information for us to complete our anti-money laundering, terrorist financing and sanctions checks to our satisfaction, we may refuse to register you to bid and we may postpone completion of or cancel any Contract made by you and the Seller in the event you have made a successful bid.
15. COMMISSION BIDDING
You may leave commission bids with us indicating the maximum amount to be bid against a Lot (excluding the Buyer’s Premium and/or any applicable VAT). We will execute commission bids as cheaply as possible having regard to the Reserve (if any) and competing bids. If two Buyers submit identical commission bids, we may prefer the first bid received (where this can be reasonably ascertained). Please enquire in advance about our arrangements for the leaving of commission bids by telephone or fax/email or via our Website or online Bidding Platform.
16. METHODS OF PAYMENT
16.1 Online: Payment can be made at www.olympiaauctions.com/payments.
16.2 Cheque: Usually any cheques will need to be cleared before you can take the goods away. We require seven days to clear sterling cheques unless special arrangements have been made in advance of the sale.
16.3 Bank Transfer: Payments must be received from a bank account held in the name of the person or entity named on the invoice for the Lot.
16.4 Cash: £6,000 and “card holder not present” payments above £2,000 cannot be accepted.
16.5 Credit Card payments in person: Payments above £6,000 cannot be accepted.
16.6 Debit card payments in person: Payments are without limit.
17. COLLECTION AND STORAGE
Please note what the applicable Terms of Sale say about collection and storage (see Clause 13 of the Terms of Sale for Live Auctions and Clause 15 of the Terms of Sale for Online Auctions). It is important that you pay for and collect goods promptly. Any delay may involve you having to pay storage charges. You (or your agent) must bring photographic ID for collection. Please note that collection may be made during working hours only, usually Monday to Friday 09:30 to 17:00.
18. POTENTIAL CANCELLATION RIGHTS
If you purchase a Lot in an Online Auction as a Consumer in the UK or EU from a Seller who is a Trader, you may have a right to cancel your purchase of that Lot from the day of the auction up to the day which is 14 days after the date on which you take possession of the Lot. You may also have the right to cancel Services provided by us. Further information is set out in the Terms of Sale for Online Auctions.
CATALOGUING PRACTICE
SECTION B
1.
Please note that all measurements are approximate and that illustrations are not to scale. The condition of a Lot is not usually included in catalogue descriptions, and no assumptions should be made in the absence of this information. Condition reports are available on request.
2. CERAMICS
Obvious faults may be recorded in italics at the end of a description for ceramics.
3.CLOCKS AND WATCHES
All Lots are sold “as is” and the absence of any reference to the condition of a clock or watch does not imply that the Lot is in good condition and without defects, repairs or restorations. Most clocks and watches have been repaired in the course of their normal lifetime and may now incorporate parts not original to them. Furthermore, we make no representation or warranty that any clock or watch is in working order. As clocks and watches often contain fine and complex mechanisms, the Bidder should be aware that a general service, change of battery or further repair work, for which the Buyer is solely responsible, may be necessary. The Bidder should be aware that the importation of watches such as Rolex, Frank Muller and Corum into the United States is highly restricted. These watches may not be shipped to the USA and can only be imported personally.
4. DISPLAY ACCESSORIES
Please note that armour stands and many of the display mounts used in the catalogue(s) and the sale exhibition(s) do not form part of the Lot unless stated in the catalogue, though they may be made available to the successful Buyer of the relevant Lot(s). Please contact us for prices and further details.
5. FIREARMS
Please note that all bore sizes are approximate.
6. JEWELLERY
It is common practice for many gemstones to be treated by a variety of methods to enhance their appearance and the international jewellery trade has generally accepted these methods. Although heat enhancement of colour is usually permanent, in some cases this could affect the durability of a gemstone. Oiled gemstones may need reoiling after a certain period. If no gemmological report is published in the catalogue, prospective Buyers should be aware that the gemstones or pearls could have been enhanced by some method.
7. PHOTOGRAPHS
In addition to the explanations set out below regarding categorising terms for works, please note the following. The date given is that of the image (negative). Where no further date is given, this indicates that the photographic print is vintage (the term “vintage” may also be included in the Lot description). A vintage photograph is one which was made within approximately 5–10 years of the negative. Where a second, later date appears, this refers to the date of printing. Where the exact printing date is not known, but understood to be printed later, "printed later" will appear in the Lot description.
Unless otherwise specified, dimensions given are those of the piece of paper on which the image is printed, including any margins. Some photographs may appear in the catalogue without the margins illustrated.
All photographs are sold unframed unless stated otherwise in the Lot description.
8. PICTURES
A work catalogued with the name(s) or recognised designation of an artist, without any qualification, is, in our opinion, a work by the artist. In other cases, the following expressions with the following meanings are used:
(a) “Attributed to”: means in our opinion it is probably a work by the artist in whole or in part.
(b) “Studio of ” or "workshop of ”: means in our opinion a work executed in the studio or workshop of the artist, possibly under his supervision.
(c) “Circle of ”: means in our opinion a work of the period of the artist and showing his influence.
(d) “Follower of ”: means in our opinion a work executed in the artist's style but not necessarily by a pupil.
(e) “Manner of ”: means in our opinion a work executed in the artist's style but of a later date.
(f) “After”: means in our opinion a copy (of any date) of a work of the artist.
(g) “Signed”, “dated”, “inscribed”: means in our opinion the work has been signed, dated or inscribed by the artist. The addition of a question mark (?) adds an element of doubt.
(h) “Bears signature”, “bears date”, “bears inscription”: means in our opinion the signature, date, inscription or stamp is by a hand other than that of the artist.
9. SILVER, GOLD AND PRECIOUS METALS
Weights may only be accurate to within 5 grams. Weights shown as “(* oz)” are in troy ounces and usually rounded down to the full ounce.
10.
THE FOLLOWING SYMBOLS MAY BE USED IN OUR AUCTION CATALOGUES:
(a) () indicates a Lot with no Reserve.
(b) (✧) indicates a “Premium Lot”. For Premium Lots, you must complete the required Premium Lot preregistration application and deliver to us such necessary financial references, guarantees, deposits and/or such other security as we may in our absolute discretion require, as security for your bid. Our decision as to whether to accept any pre-registration application shall be final.
(c) (◉) indicates items that have been identified at the time of cataloguing as containing organic material which may be subject to restrictions regarding import or export, such as a CITES certificate. The absence of the symbol is not a warranty that there are no restrictions regarding import or export of the item. We accept no liability for any Lots which may be subject to restrictions but have not been identified as such. Please refer to section A, paragraph 10 above.
(d) (⊕) indicates a Lot that may be subject to Artist’s Resale Right.
(e) (○) indicates “Guaranteed Property”. The seller of lots with this symbol has been guaranteed a minimum price from one auction or a series of auctions. This guarantee may be provided by Olympia Auctions or jointly by Olympia Auctions and a third party. Olympia Auctions and any third parties providing a guarantee jointly with Olympia Auctions benefit financially if a guaranteed lot is sold successfully and may incur a loss if the sale is not successful. A third party providing a guarantee jointly with Olympia Auctions may provide an irrevocable bid, or otherwise bid, on the guaranteed property. If the Guaranteed Property symbol for a lot is not included in the printed or pdf auction catalogue (where applicable), then Olympia Auctions will notify bidders that there is a guarantee on the lot by one or more of the following means: the lot’s specific webpage will be updated to include the guaranteed property symbol, a notice will be added to the Olympia Auctions webpage for the auction, or a pre-sale or pre-lot announcement will be made indicating that there is a guarantee on the lot. If every lot in a sale is guaranteed, a Special Notice will be included to this effect and this symbol will not be used for each lot.
(f) (∏) indicates “Monumental”. Lots with this symbol may, in our opinion, require special handling or shipping services due to size or other physical considerations. Buyers are advised to inspect the lot and to contact Olympia Auctions prior to the sale to discuss any specific shipping requirements.
(g) (W) indicates property stored and to be collected from off-site storage. Please note that property can only be released once payment has been received in full and cleared funds. If you are sending your own authorised agent to collect property from Olympia Auctions on your behalf, please provide a letter of authorisation, a copy of your paid invoice and photographic ID.
(h) (#) Book sales. Although these items are not free from VAT, Olympia Auctions is able to use the margin scheme and VAT will not normally be charged on the hammer price. Olympia Auctions must bear VAT on the buyer’s premium and hence will charge an amount in lieu of VAT at the standard rate on this premium. This amount will form part of the buyer’s premium on our invoice and will not be separately identified.
AUCTION CALENDAR
Make a date in your diary to view our forthcoming auctions
27TH APRIL 2025 | Viewing 23-26 April
OLYMPIA TIMED: INDIAN, ISLAMIC & SOUTH EAST ASIAN WORKS OF ART
7TH MAY 2025 | Viewing 4-6 May MODERN & CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN ART
11TH MAY 2025 | Viewing 4-6 May
OLYMPIA TIMED: MODERN & CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN ART
14TH MAY 2025 | Viewing 11-13 May
CHINESE AND JAPANESE WORKS OF ART
21ST MAY 2025 | Viewing 18-20 May
EUROPEAN WORKS OF ART, OBJECTS & SILVER
22ND MAY 2025 | Viewing 18-20 May JEWELLERY & WATCHES
4TH JUNE 2025 | Viewing 1-3 June
INDIAN, ISLAMIC, SOUTH EAST ASIAN & HIMALAYAN WORKS OF ART
11TH JUNE 2025 | Viewing 8-10 June FINE PAINTINGS AND WORKS ON PAPER
SEE WEBSITE FOR FUTURE AUCTIONS
To be added to our invitation list for private views and catalogue alerts, please contact enquiries@olympiaauctions.com | +44 (0)20 7806 5541 Please note these dates may be subject to change www.olympiaauctions.com | 25 Blythe Road, London W14 0PD
ABSENTEE BID FORM
OLYMPIA AUCTIONS
SALE TITLE: MODERN & CON TEMPORARY AFRICAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN ART
DATE: 7 MAY 2025
CODE: ZEBRA, SALE NUMBER: OA0157
Please mail, fax or scan and email to:
Olympia Auctions, 25 Blythe Road, London W14 0PD Fax +44 (0)20 7806 5546
Email: pictures@olympiaauctions.com
Important
Please bid on my behalf at the above sale for the following Lot(s) up to the hammer price(s) mentioned below. These bids are to be executed as cheaply as is permitted by other bids or reserves and in an amount up to but not exceeding the specified amount. The auctioneer may open the bidding on any lot by placing a bid on behalf of the seller. The auctioneer may further bid on behalf of the seller up to the amount of the reserve by placing responsive or consecutive bids for a lot.
I agree to be bound by Olympia Auctions Conditions of Business. If any bid is successful, I agree to pay a buyer’s premium on the hammer price at the rate stated in the front of the catalogue and any VAT, or amounts in lieu of VAT, which may be due on the buyer’s premium and the hammer price.
Methods of Payment
Olympia Auctions welcomes the following methods of payment, most of which will facilitate immediate release of your purchases.
Online: www.OlympiaAuctions.com/payments
Bank Transfer: Payments must be received from a bank account held in the name of the person or entity named on the invoice for the Lot.
HSBC Bank Plc, 38 High Street, Dartford, Kent, DA1 1DG
IBAN No: GB39HBUK40190422033119
BIC: HBUKGB4B
Sort Code: 401904
Account No: 22033119
Account Name: Olympia Auctions
Sterling Bankers Draft: Drawn on a recognised UK bank.
Cheque: Usually any cheques will need to be cleared before you can take the goods away. We require seven days to clear sterling cheques unless special arrangements have been made in advance of the sale.
Cash: £6,000 and “card holder not present” payments above £2,000 cannot be accepted.
Credit Card payments in person: Payments above £6,000 cannot be accepted.
Debit card payments in person: Payments are without limit.
Please print or type
Please note that if you have not dealt with us before, you will need to supply us with a copy of photographic ID and proof of address. Name
Postcode
VIEWING DAYS
1st June, 12–4pm
2nd June, 10am–8pm
3rd June, 10am–5pm
An Iznik border tile section, Ottoman Anatolia, circa 1570 £500–800
