Lot 7
  • 7

Masque, groupe Purari, Golfe de Papouasie, Papouasie Nouvelle-Guinée

Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 EUR
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Description

  • Masque, groupe Purari, Golfe de Papouasie, Papouasie Nouvelle-Guinée
  • haut. 78 cm
  • 27 1/2 in

Provenance

Collection Pierre et Claude Vérité, Paris
Collection Marcia et John Friede, New York

Condition

Condition remarkable for its age and material, some expected wear, as can be seen in the catalogue illustration.
"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."

Catalogue Note

Les masques Purari du Golfe de Papouasie comptent parmi les œuvres très tôt prisées et collectionnées par les surréalistes (cf. pl. VII du catalogue de la vente des collections André Breton et Paul Eluard, Paris, juillet 1931, in  "Primitivism", 1984 : 114).

Au caractère éthéré d'une structure faite de tissu végétal (étoffe de cocotier) et de rotin, et d'une forme au contour incertain, s'oppose la prégnance du décor pictural. Délimités par des tiges de sagoutier fixées au tissu végétal, les traits et les tatouages curvilignes au dessin sophistiqué envahissent la surface du visage, renforcés par le tranchant de la bichromie blanche et noire (mixture à base de charbon) et par la teinte rouge de l'arête médiane émergeant en haut relief.   

Intervenant dans le cadre de la fête annuelle aiai'imunu, les masques du groupe Purari relevaient de deux types : le premier monumental – pouvant mesurer jusqu'à six mètres de haut – le second plus petit, appelé apuai  (Wirz, 1934), auquel se rattache le masque présenté ici. Si ce dernier avait pour rôle distinct de pourvoir à la nourriture des grands masques, l'un comme l'autre personnifiaient les esprits ancestraux, en particulier ceux de la forêt, iri imunu (Bell in Peltier, 2006 : 211 et 421). A leur très haute importance cultuelle s'ajoutait, selon Welsch (Welsch, Webb et Harara, 2006 : 29), un rôle clé dans le renforcement des liens claniques au sein des très larges communautés Purari. 

En 1946, dans le delta du Purari, le mouvement Tom Kabu conduisit à l'abandon des rituels et des objets qui les accompagnaient. Ici, la qualité de la composition, la densité et la complexité du décor, et l'état de surface permettent de le rapprocher des masques collectés dans les premières années du XXe siècle. cf. Welsch, Webb et Harara (2006 : 30, n° 48) pour un masque très comparable collecté en 1912 par A.B. Lewis lors de la Joseph N. Field South Pacific Expedition, 1910-1913, aujourd'hui conservé au Field Museum de Chicago (inv. n° 142436).

Mask, Purari people, Papuan Gulf, Papua New Guinea

Purari masks from the Papuan Gulf were amongst the works which were collected and prized in the early twentieth century by the Surrealists (cf. pl. VII of the auction catalogue for the sale of André Breton and Paul Eluard's collection, Paris, July 1931, in 'Primitivism', 1984: 114).

The uncertain contours of the form and the ethereal structure of these masks, which are made of plant matter (coconut fibre) and rattan, contrasts with the rich character of the patterns which cover the surface. Demarcated by the sago palm stems of sago which are fastened to the plant matter an array of sophisticated designs and curvilinear tattoo motifs cover the entire surface of the face. The impact of the design is increased by the stark black and white pigments, and by the red hue of the median ridge, which stands out in high relief.

Used in the annual aiai'imunu festival, Purari masks fall into two types. The first consists of monumental masks, which can measure up to six metres in height, and the second of smaller masks such as the offered lot, which are known as apuai (Wirz, 1934). Both types personified ancestral spirits, especially those of the forest, iri imunu, whilst smaller masks also had the role of providing food for the large masks (Bell in Peltier, 2006: 211 and 421). According to Welsch in addition to their high cultural importance these masks played a key role in strengthening the clan ties between the large Purari communities, (Welsch, Webb and Harara, 2006: 29).


In 1946, the Tom Kabu movement in the Purari Delta led to the abandonment of traditional rituals and the objects that had accompanied them. The quality of the composition, the density and complexity of the decoration, and the fine condition of the surface all allow one to link this mask with examples collected at the beginning of the 20th century. Cf. Welsch, Webb and Harara (2006: 30, No. 48) for a very similar mask now in the Field Museum in Chicago (inv. No. 142436), collected in 1912 by A.B. Lewis and Joseph N. Field during the South Pacific Expedition of 1910-1913.