Lot 170
  • 170

A Superb, Rare and Highly Important Fang-Betsi Reliquary Head, Gabon

Estimate
200,000 - 300,000 USD
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Description

mounted on an Inagaki base with chicken (Gallus gallus) feathers attached to the head.

Provenance

Charles Ratton, Paris, before 1935
Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York (stock book no. '335', photo fiche no. '7614-2')
John P. Anderson, Red Wing, acquired from the above on April 27, 1935
By descent to the present owner

Exhibited

Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York, African Sculptures from The Ratton Collection, March 30 – April 20, 1935 (no. 22)

Literature

Pierre Matisse Gallery, African Sculptures from The Ratton Collection, New York, 1935, cover
Louis Perrois, La Statuaire Fan Gabon, Paris, 1972, p. 333, pl. 163, no. 144
Louis Perrois, Byeri Fang: Sculptures d'ancêtres en Afrique, Marseille, 1992, pp. 44. fig. g and 51 (drawings)
William M. Griswold, Pierre Matisse and His Artists, New York, 2002, p. 166

Condition

Very good condition overall; proper right eye missing, as seen on photographs; minor abrasion on front of neck and forehead, as seen on photographs; exceptionally fine partially resinous, partially encrusted patina with residue which is the original condition of the surface, unaltered by a western hand; insect damage to feathers on top of head; wooden peg inserted into the bottom for mounting.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

This magnificent head was identiefied by Perrois (1972: 333) as a typical example of the "school of Mitzic" a regional substyle of the Fang-Betsi. The offered lot is distinguished by the relatively small size of the face, the bulbous forehead, and a compressed profile, all combining to a maximum effect when seen from the front.

When the young abstract painter John P. Anderson from Redwing, Minnesota, travelled to New York with fellow artist Charles Biederman to see the exhibition African Negro Art at the recently founded Museum of Modern Art (March 19 - May 19, 1935), never before had there been a public exhibition of African art in the United States. Many young progressive artists such as Anderson and Biederman wanted to experience some of the inspirational sources for the artists of 20th Century European avant-garde such as Picasso, Matisse, and Leger. 

The show had a major impact on Anderson. Spontaneously, he decided to visit two nearby Modern Art galleries, both situated on 57th Street, who were holding special exhibitions timed to coincide with African Negro Art: Valentine Gallery was showing Comparative Primitive Sculpture and Pierre Matisse Gallery African Sculptures from The Ratton Collection. Anderson acquired eight works from the Charles Ratton Collection at Pierre Matisse Gallery and five works from the Louis Carré Collection at Valentine Gallery on the same day of April 27, 1935. Anderson, who had borrowed money from his father in order to finance the acquisition, never purchased a single work of African art again and cherished the trophies from his 1935 trip to New York lovingly until his death in 1999.

Since it's 1935 exhibition, the head has remained unseen by the public for more than seventy years. Although it was published three times since, the head was never photographed again (all publications showed archival photographs or drawings). Its rediscovery in 2008 marks an important event in the history of African art.