Bamana Antelope Figure, Mali

painted on reverse in white: "02[?]7"; and with three stickers on underside inscribed: "225.67/ANSPACH", "95", and "34". 

Ernst and Ruth Anspach, New York
Maureen and Harold Zarember, New York
Myron Kunin, Minneapolis, acquired from the above on November 18, 2003

Museum of Primitive Art, New York, African Tribal Sculpture from the Collection of Ernst and Ruth Anspach, November 15 - February 4, 1968
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Genesis:  Ideas of Origin in African Sculpture, November 19, 2002 - April 13, 2003

Museum of Primitive Art, African Tribal Sculpture from the Collection of Ernst and Ruth Anspach, New York, 1968, p. 26
Alisa LaGamma, Genesis: Ideas of Origin in African Sculpture, New York, 2002, p. 93, cat. 48

Good condition for an object of this type and age. Areas of insect damage with losses to one side of integrally carved plinth. Shallow surface chip to proper left horn. Horns reduced in height after one broke, in situ. General marks, nicks, small chips, scratches, and abrasions throughout consistent with age and use. Fine, aged, blackened, glossy, reddish patina. A metal sleeve embedded in underside of foot for attachment to modern base. painted on reverse in white: "02[?]7"; and with three stickers on underside inscribed: "225.67/ANSPACH", "95", and "34".
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 her discussion of the Kunin Antelope at the occasion of the exhibition Genesis: Ideas of Origin in African Sculpture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, LaGamma (2002: 93) notes: "Despite its diminutive scale, this headdress projects a sense of strength and robustness. The horns are blunt defensive instruments, not elogated or attenuated decorative accents. The dominant feature, the broad diagonal band of the neck, is articulated along its length by an abstract pattern of alternating negative and positive rectangular units. Even with this openwork passage at center, the headdress commands a materiality that is unusual for the genre. The sturdy neck is surmounted by a weighty, domed head with a hard, beaklike mouth, and the mane is suggested by a delicately carved ridge along the dorsal perimeter. The flat, disclike lower body provides a solid, unperturbable base. Minuscule perforations along the rims of the ears were created for the attachment of decorative additions."