An Agni Terracotta Funerary Figure, Ivory Coast

the female figure with cylindrical body and arms held in front, the oveal head with typical features and wearing an elaborate coiffure; fine aged blackened patina.

Collected in situ by Dr. Marcel Lheureux, 1920s
Helena Rubinstein, Paris and New York
Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, April 21, 1966, lot 156
Acquired by the present owner at the above auction

good condition overall; old repair to bottom of figure, where a plastic related material, such as used in the 1940s and 50s was used to remodel the broken rim, most likely to allow for proper mounting; this material is painted with black and brown on the outside; fine aged blackened 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.

Dr. Marcel Lheureux was a French medical doctor who travelled in Sanwi, the southern Anyi kingdom, in the 1920s. He collected a large group of  Krinjabo heads and also full figures, among them the present lot. A record of his conclusions regarding the terracottas was deposited at the Musée de l'Homme, Paris, in 1932. His collection of Agni terracottas is probably the largest outside of Africa (GVR 2008).