- 105
Kongo-Vili Zoomorphic Power Figure, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 USD
Log in to view results
bidding is closed
Description
- wood, nails, metal blades
- Height: 13 1/2 in (34.3 cm)
Provenance
Henri Kamer and Alan Brandt, Paris and New York (invoice no. "646565", described as "Animal nail fetish in wood with nail and blade inserts. Archaic and rare example. Bakongo tribe. Western Congo")
Allan Stone, New York, acquired from the above on February 26, 1965
Allan Stone, New York, acquired from the above on February 26, 1965
Exhibited
The Bruce Museum, Greenwich, Connecticut, Power Incarnate: Allan Stone's Collection of Sculpture from the Congo, May 14 - September 4, 2011
Literature
Kevin D. Dumouchelle, Power Incarnate: Allan Stone's Collection of Sculpture from the Congo, Greenwich, Connecticut, 2011, p. 31, cat. 7
Condition
Legs and tail carved separately; back legs are restored. Crusty remains of ritually-applied materials concentrated on the head. Marks, nicks, scratches, abrasions, small chips and cracks consistent with age and ritual use. Metal elements aged and oxidized. Chips and cracks around mouth. Some metal elements loose. Age cracks including a horizontal crack to the proper left side of the head. Fine aged, varied medium brown crusty patina. Some remains of earth and vegetal materials among the metal implements. Fixed to modern wood base with metal pins.
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
MacGaffey (2012: 31) notes: "Some minkisi took the form of dogs because, as domesticated animals, dogs mediated between the village and the forest and thus, by analogy, between the worlds of the living and the dead; they had 'four eyes,' for things visible and invisible [..., and] also hunted, and could metaphorically hunt witches, that is, jealous neighbors believed to cause misfortune secretly."