- 4
Figure de proue, Île de Choiseul, Îles Salomon
Description
- Figure de proue, Île de Choiseul
- wood, mother of pearl
- haut. 13 cm
- 5 in
Provenance
Jean Roudillon, Paris
René Vanderstraete, Lasne
Collection René et Odette Delenne, Bruxelles, acquis en 1963
Literature
Petridis, Fragments of the Invisible: The René and Odette Delenne Collection of Congo Sculpture, 2013, p. 100, fig. n° 51
Ancienne étiquette sous le socle, portant la mention manuscrite : "Avant de pirogue, très ancien, l'Archipel des Salomon (Choiseul). Recueilli par Dumont d'Urville - Rarissime".
Condition
"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
La petite dimension qui la distingue exalte la superbe délicatesse de la sculpture et la finesse du décor élaboré, fait d'incrustations d'éclats de nautile ciselés. Tandis que la morphologie classique des figures nguzunguzu s'inspire de l'esprit d'apparence canine Tiola, ici l'œuvre puise dans le naturalisme et associe dans une parfaite harmonie, beauté idéalisée et signes des pouvoirs sensoriels. De la vue en premier lieu, mais également de parole, de l'ouïe et de l'odorat, le nguzunguzu tirait en effet ses facultés à "observer, intercepter, réagir et interagir avec n'importe quel esprit malveillant rencontré au cours du voyage, [le rendant] indispensable à la réussite des expéditions de chasse aux têtes menées dans les îles voisines, qui jouaient un rôle central dans la vie religieuse mais aussi économique et politique des îles Salomon occidentales" (Hviding in Mélandri, L'éclat des ombres. L'art en noir et blanc des îles Salomon, 2014, p. 124). A la qualité remarquable de la sculpture s'ajoutent enfin les traces laissées par les outils traditionnels, signes de sa grande ancienneté.
Canoe prow figure, Choiseul Island, Solomon Islands
"The canoes of this archipelago are unlike any others we have seen [...]. Those designed for war are topped by long wooden spikes with rounded and curved ends; rich sculptures are often used to decorate them" (Dumont d'Urville, Voyage au Pôle Sud et dans l'Océanie, sur " les corvettes l'Astrolabe" et "la Zélée", 1842-1846, t. V, p. 110, December 1838). Known as nguzunguzu, these war-canoe prow figures from the Western Solomon Islands — and the head-hunting tradition to which they belonged — were an endless source of fascination for European travellers. Far from the "horrible image on the prow [...] with the mouth of a demon" described with horror by the Reverend Alfred Penny in 1903, this is the finest expression of the art of the Solomon Islands.
Its distinctive small scale highlights the refinement of the carving and the intricacy of the elaborate décor, with inlays of chiselled nautilus fragments. While the classical morphology of nguzunguzu figures was inspired by the canine-looking spirit Tiola, here the work draws on naturalism and combines, in perfect harmony, idealized beauty and signs of sensory powers. From sight first, but also from speech, hearing and smell, the nguzunguzu drew its faculty to "observe, intercept, react and interact with any malicious spirit met during the trip, [making it] essential to the success of head-hunting expeditions to the neighbouring islands, which played a central role in religious, but also economic and political life in the western Solomon Islands " (Hviding in Mélandri, L'éclat des ombres. L'art en noir et blanc des îles Salomon, 2014, p. 124). Finally, the remarkable quality of the sculpture is complemented by the traces left by traditional tools, a sign of its antiquity.