Venda or Pedi Female Figure, South Africa

Charles Ratton, Paris
Guy Ladrière, Paris, acquired from the above
Merton D. Simpson, New York, acquired from the above
Sotheby's, New York, November 24, 1992, lot 148, consigned by the above
Myron Kunin, Minneapolis, acquired at the above auction

Merton D. Simpson (adv.), African Arts, Vol. XXV, No. 4, October 1992, p. 1
Jean-Baptiste Bacquart, The Tribal Arts of Africa, New York and London, 1998, p. 231, fig. D

Very good condition for an object of this type and age. Eyes made of different material. Minor marks, nicks, scratches, abrasions, small chips, and age cracks, consistent with age and use. Old chip to front of proper right hand. Age crack to proper right reverse of head, with partial old fill. Age cracks to back. Chipping and losses around edges of feet. Small glued chip on outside of proper right foot. Exceptionally fine glossy aged brown patina, stained dark brown from the neck down and on lips, eyebrows, and ears. The proper right foot with a metal sleeve embedded in the underside for attachment to modern 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.

This old and finely-carved female figure, previously in the collection of Charles Ratton, Paris, belongs to a rare style of which only a handful of examples are known, originating from the northern region of present-day South Africa.  The thick cubistic body, large ears, bald head, round inlaid eyes, arched eyebrows, and pattern of staining in which the body and facial features are darkened while the face is left medium brown relates to a pair of male and female figures in the Johannesburg Art Gallery, previously in the collection of Wally and Udo Horstmann, Zug. The couple was published on the cover of the monograph The Horstmann Collection of Southern African Art, edited in 1992 by the Johannesburg Art Gallery, and also included in the exhibition Closeup: Lessons in the Art of Seeing African Sculpture which was curated by Robert Farris Thompson and Susan Vogel.  See fig. 1, Johannesburg Art Gallery (1992) and Thompson and Vogel (1990: 121, fig. 45).