Dan Bird Mask, Ivory Coast or Liberia

on a base by the Japanese wood artist Kichizô Inagaki (1876-1951), Paris.

James Johnson Sweeney, New York
By descent through the family
Sotheby's, New York, November 18, 1986, lot 109, consigned by the above
Morris J. Pinto, New York, acquired at the above auction
Sotheby's, New York, May 6, 1998, lot 150A, consigned by the above
Myron Kunin, Minneapolis, acquired at the above auction

Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, Masks from the West African Dan People, June 12 - November 28, 2010

Sotheby's (adv.), in Sotheby's, New York, Tribal Art, May 20, 1987, unpaginated

Very good condition for an object of this type and age. Old loss to bottom edge on reverse, patinated over (design of Inagaki base is adapted to this loss). Wear to holes for attachment on reverse. Minor marks, nicks, scratches, abrasions, and small cracks consistent with age and use. Eyes are composed of sections of tubular hollow stalks of bamboo inserted in the wood mask. Exceptionally fine dark brown aged patina with encrustation, especially around the eyes. Fixed to Inagaki base with two eye hooks inserted in the reverse which fit into wood pin locking mechanism. Inagaki stamp on reverse of vertical post of base.
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.

First as a curator at the Museum of Modern Art (1935-1946), then as the director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (1952-1960), James Johnson Sweeny was an important early promoter of modernist art in New York.  Among his many contributions was the landmark exhibition African Negro Art held at the MoMA in 1935, the first introduction of the arts of Sub-Saharan Africa to a wide American audience.

For a closely related Dan bird mask previously in the collection of Robert Rubin, New York, see Sotheby's, New York, The Robert Rubin Collection of African Art, May 13, 2011, lot 21.