Masque ,Tsimshian,Colombie Britannique, Côte nord-ouest

représentant un oiseau - ou un insecte -  à la mâchoire inférieure articulée, dont les côtés s'écartent pour laisser passer la langue. La puissance de l'expression est offerte par les yeux mobiles à la pupille recouverte de plaques de cuivre, profondément inscrits dans de larges orbites concentriques. Bois polychrome, noir et vermillon, patine ancienne. 

Collecté par la Fred Harvey Company
Museum of the American Indian, New York, The Heye Foundation, n° d'inventaire 5/766
Acquisition par Julius Carlebach en novembre 1942, New York
Collection Maria Martins, New York et Paris
Sotheby's, New York, juin 2004, n° 22

This is a very old and fragile piece and firsthand inspection is suggested. Conservation was performed on the piece in 2004 primarily to stabilize the joints. Further restoration was performed on the lower beak in 2008. The piece has heavy wear from use and handling.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A la grande ancienneté de ce masque et à sa sculpture saisissante s'ajoute sa provenance historique.

Fred Harvey, immigrant originaire d'Angleterre, fut embauché en 1876 par la compagnie de chemins de fer Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, pour laquelle il mit en place un service de restauration. Il bâtit la notoriété de sa société – la Fred Harvey Company – sur les objets artisanaux produits par les indiens et proposés aux passagers. Ces vues et souvenirs exotiques devinrent, au début du XX^e siècle, synonymes de l'Ouest. 

Maria Martins (1894 – 1973), artiste Surréaliste d'origine brésilienne, séjourna aux Etats-Unis dans les années 1940. En 1941, elle rencontre à New York Jacques Lipchitz et expose l'année suivante à la Valentine Gallery. Elle y rencontre Piet Mondrian et intègre le cercle des artistes européens réfugiés à New York pendant la guerre – Fernand Léger, Yves Tanguy, Roberto Matta, et en particulier Marcel Duchamp et André Breton. C'est vraisemblablement ce dernier qui initia Maria Martins aux arts océaniens et amérindiens. Elle acquit l'essentiel de sa collection d'art amérindien lors de son séjour à New York dans les années 1940, essentiellement chez Julius Carlebach, tout comme André Breton.

A Tsimshian mask, British Columbia, Northwest Coast

As well as its considerable age and powerful carving, this mask has a distinguished provenance.

The Englishman Fred Harvey was hired by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad in 1876 to provide food services to their passengers. The Fred Harvey Company became famous as purveyors of Indian crafts, and along with the Santa Fe Railway they provided the exotic sights, adventures and souvenirs that became synonymous with the west in the early 20^th century.

Maria Martins (1894 - 1973) a Brazilian surrealist artist, lived in the United States in the 1940s. Martins met Jacques Lipchitz in New York in 1941, and had an exhibition of her work at the Valentine Gallery in the following year. She met Piet Mondrian and became part of the circle of European artists who sought refuge in New York during the war - Fernand Léger, Yves Tanguy, Matta, and most importantly, Marcel Duchamp and André Breton. It is likely that Maria Martins' association with Breton sparked her appreciation of African, Oceanic and American Indian works of art. It is believed that Martins acquired most of her American Indian art during her time in New York in the 1940s, the same period when Breton frequented Julius Carlebach's gallery.