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A Superb Luena Staff, Angola or Zambia
Estimate
6,000 - 9,000 USD
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Description
standing on top of the cylindrical shaft, the female figure with hands resting on the abdomen and wearing typical coiffure; 'FE8633' in white pigment at the bottom of the staff; exceptionally fine lustrous gold brown patina.
Provenance
Marc Leo Felix, Brussels
Fred Jahn, Munich
Fred Jahn, Munich
Exhibited
Iowa City, The University of Iowa Museum of Art, Kilengi: African Art from the Bareiss Family Collection, March 27 - May 23, 1999 (for additional venues see bibliography, Roy 1997)
Literature
Christopher D. Roy, Kilengi: African Art from the Bareiss Family Collection, Seattle, 1997, pp. 145 and 352, fig. 80
--, Kilengi. Afrikanische Kunst aus der Sammlung Bareiss, Hanover, 1997, pp. 149 and 356, fig. 80
--, Kilengi. Afrikanische Kunst aus der Sammlung Bareiss, Hanover, 1997, pp. 149 and 356, fig. 80
Condition
excellent condition overall; tip of right breast, tassle of back of coiffure and bottom of staff chipped, small segment of left forearm missing; exceptionally fine translucent gold-brown patina.
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.
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
Roy (1997: 352, text to fig. 80) notes: "This is one of the most beautifully carved staffs from any of the Chokwe and related peoples in any collection. [...] The figure represents neither a female relative nor an ancestor, but a mahamba, or protective spirit responsible for the spiritual and physical well-being of the subject of the chief or king who owned the staff." See Bastin (1994: 145, fig. 168) for a closely related staff from the Museu Nacional de Etnologia, Lisbon (accession no. 'AO-332').