Lot 63
  • 63

Mumuye Male Figure, Nigeria

Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 USD
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Description

  • wood
  • Height: 29 1/2 in (74.9 cm)

Provenance

Samuel J. Wagstaff, Jr., Detroit
Robert Mapplethorpe, New York
Christie’s, New York, Collection of Robert Mapplethorpe, October 31, 1989, lot 420
Lance and Roberta Entwistle, London, acquired at the above auction
Myron Kunin, Minneapolis, acquired from the above on December 5, 1991

Condition

Very good condition for an object of this type and age. Age crack to proper right back of hip. Erosion and insect damage to bottoms of feet. Minor marks, nicks, scratches, small age cracks, abrasions, and wear consistent with age and use. Exceptionally fine blackened aged and encrusted patina with remains of white pigment. A pin embedded in the undersides of each foot for attachment to base.
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

The art of the Mumuye has recently been highlighted in two important exhibitions. The first, Central Nigeria Unmasked: Arts of the Benue River Valley, originated in 2011 at the Fowler Museum at UCLA and continued to, among others, the National Museum of African Art - Smithsonian Institution in Washington and the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris (for the accompanying catalog see Berns, Fardon and Kasfir 2011). The second was Visual Encounters: Africa, Oceania and Modern Art at the Fondation Beyeler in Basel (for the accompanying catalog see Wick and Denner 2009).

According to Stelzig (in Wick and Denner 2009: VIII): "The Mumuye live in a mountainous region in northeastern Nigeria, south of the Benue River.  Today, they number approximately half a million people, comprising, as far as one knows, several different populations.  The groups now subsumed under the ethnic denomination Mumuye retreated to the Shebshi Mouthains at the beginning of the 19th century under the growing pressure of invading groups such as the Chamba, Jukun, and Fulani.  In the course of British and French Colonial intrusion and the conquest of the region at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the Mumuye, located in the border area of Nigeria and Cameroon, gained the reputation of being tough and reclusive adversaries ready to fight for their lands.

"[...] these unique works, which are so admired today, did not reach Western museum and the international art market until the end of the 1960s, with the exception of two sculptures acquired by the British Museum in 1922.  As regards function, we only know that the figures were stored in special houses and were used by diviners, healers, judges, blacksmiths, and rainmakers in ceremonial contexts. Some of them also served as family guardian statues and as status symbols for powerful men."