Lot 174
  • 174

Kikuyu Shield, Kenya

Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 USD
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Description

  • wood
  • Height: 24 3/4 inches (62.9 cm)

Provenance

Leendert van Lier, Amsterdam
Christie's Amsterdam, African, Oceanic, and Indonesian Art from the van Lier Collection, April 15, 1997, lot 70
Kevin Conru, London
Private American Collection, acquired from the above

Literature

Jean-Baptiste Bacquart, The Tribal Arts of Africa, New York, 1998, p. 211, pl. C
Jean-Baptiste Bacquart, The Tribal Arts of Africa: Surveying Africa's Artistic Geography, London, 1998, p. 211, pl. C, and back cover
Kevin Conru, African and Oceanic Art, Brussels, 2004, pp. 20-21

Condition

Good condition for an object of this type and age. Minor nicks, scratches, abrasions, and small chips consistent with age and handling. Paint with wear. Minor scattered worm holes. Vertical crack of approximately 6 inches running up from bottom point of front side just to the right of raised vertical line, with an old repair of two pairs of holes with wire. Small area of refreshed paint around this crack. Fine aged surface with red, white, and black pigment.
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

Regarding a closely related Kikuyu shield from the Ginzberg Collection (sold at Sotheby's Paris, September 10, 2007, lot 5), Maina (in Phillips 1995: 62-63) notes: "Among the Kikuyu in central Kenya, as in many parts of Africa, initiation is--or has been--a significant spur to artistic activity.  [...] In the early 1900s, initiation shields were of various kinds; unlike war shields (ngo), which were crafted from animal hide, they were made of wood or bark.  Those of the type shown here were usually carved from a solid piece of light wood by specialist craftsmen for a display of dance known as muumburo.  [...] All wood shields were decorated with nonfigurative motifs on the outer surface and usually on the inside as well.  These designs were by no means arbitrary.  The patterining had to be agreed upon in advance of each initiation, and then applied on to the surface of the shields to be used on that particular occasion.  Such patterning varied both by territorial unit and initiation period.  Shields used at the same iniatiaton were not necessarily identical.  Boys usually passed their dance shields on to their younger relatives."