Middle Sepik River Gable Mask, Papua New Guinea

Bela Hein, Paris, by 1930
Gisèle Weinberger, Paris, by descent from the above
Bébé Rose, Paris, acquired from the above
Pierre Dartevelle, Brussels, acquired from the above
Mia and Loed van Bussel, Amsterdam, acquired from the above
Marcia and John Friede, New York, acquired from the above

Galerie Pigalle, Paris, Exposition d'art Africain et d'art Océanien, 1930

Charles Ratton, Exposition d'art Africain et d'art Océanien, Paris, 1930, p. 23, cat. 307 (not illustrated)
Bernard de Grunne, Bela Hein: Grand initié des ivoires Lega, Brussels, 2001, p. 49, ill. 22

Very good condition overall for an object of this type and age; carved with stone tools; losses on proper left ear and right corner of the mouth, restored; vertical hairline cracks throughout; insect damage on proper right bottom, below chin; loss on top corner around hole; nicks and scratches, wear and tear throughout; 'VAN BUSSEL ZM038" in white pigment on reverse; exceptionally fine dark brown patina with traces of red pigment and lime.
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.

Béla Hein (1883 – 1931), a former journalist, was one of the best known dealers and collectors of African art in early twentieth century Paris. In the years before the First World War Hein, together with Adolph Basler, Joseph Brummer, and Carl Einstein, was part of the coterie of central European émigrés who gathered in Montparnasse and discussed l'art nègre.

When Hein established a gallery around 1923 he chose to deal in this still "recently discovered" art, offering African works alongside Haute Epoque sculpture and "curiosités" from the exotic and archaic cultures which were a feature of Documents and other avant-garde publications. Although his interests were wide ranging, Hein is perhaps most associated with African art and particularly his magnificent collection of Lega ivories (cf. de Grunne 2001). However, his curiosity and unerring eye also led him to add several important Oceanic works to his collection, including the offered mask.

The 1930 exhibition at the Galerie Pigalle was one of three showings of Oceanic art in Paris in that year. According to Peltier (in Rubin 1984: 112), these "three exhibitions mark an important turning point [... and] presented for the first time in France a complete panorama of the arts of Oceania accessible at the time. [The Pigalle exhibition] contained 138 objects from Oceania and British colonies, especially New Zealand and the southern coast of New Guinea."