- 19
STATUE ANTHROPOMORPHE EN PIERRECULTURE AZTÈQUE, VALLÉE DE MEXICO1300-1521 AP. J.-C. |
Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 EUR
bidding is closed
Description
- haut. 42 cm ; 16 1/2 in
Provenance
Stendahl Galleries, Los Angeles
Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York, acquis le 26 juin 1942, inv. n° 1265
Sotheby's, New York, Property from the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, New York, 13 mai 2011, n° 172
Importante Collection privée française
Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York, acquis le 26 juin 1942, inv. n° 1265
Sotheby's, New York, Property from the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, New York, 13 mai 2011, n° 172
Importante Collection privée française
Condition
Very good condition overall. Proper right part is broken and restaured. Losses of stone on the proper left foot. Wear consistent with age and use within the culture.
"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."
"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
Caractéristique des représentations du dieu du vent aztèque Ehecatl, cette statue acquise en 1942 par Pierre Matisse pour sa galerie new-yorkaise s'affirme par sa carrure imposante. Cette dernière accentue la force brute et l’immense pouvoir de cette divinité civilisatrice dont le souffle pouvait déplacer le soleil et la lune et déclencher des averses. Du Pacifique jusqu'à la côte Atlantique, ce maître de l'air pouvait ainsi engendrer tous les grands phénomènes climatiques du Mexique. Considéré comme l’une des divinités primordiales du panthéon aztèque, Ehecatlt-Quetzalcoatl aurait par son souffle – nommé tipijpee sous le règne du roi aztèque Moctezuma II - donné naissance à d’autres dieux et formé les étoiles lors de la création primordiale. Il était honoré sous diverses formes artistiques, de la grande statuaire en pierre, comme notre œuvre, à de délicats ornements en or. Selon Pasztory, Aztec Art, 1983, p. 124, les temples circulaires surélevés de la région du golfe étaient dédiés à son culte.
Portant sur son visage le masque du Dieu singe fixé par un ornement nasal, il impose l'expressionnisme saisissant de la sculpture aztèque, renforcé ici par les vestiges de pigments rouges. Par le modelé sculptural de ses formes, la maîtrise de sa réalisation et le rendu puissant de ses membres, cette œuvre traduit magistralement l'apogée de l'art aztèque. Deux autres statues représentant Ehecatl, l’une debout et l’autre assise, offrent la même iconographie du Dieu porteur de masque (Moctezuma et Olguin, Aztecs, 2002, n° 32 et 147).
Typical of the representations of the Aztec wind god Ehecatl, this statue acquired in 1942 by Pierre Matisse for his New York gallery stands out for its imposing stature, asserting the brute force and power of this civilizing divinity, whose breath could move the sun and the moon and trigger rains. In fact, from the Pacific to the Atlantic coast, this master of the air could cause all the major climatic phenomena felt in Mexico.
Considered one of the principal deities of the Aztec pantheon, Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl was known for his breath, called tipijpee during the reign of the Aztec king Moctezuma II. He blew the stars and other gods into the cosmos during the primordial creation. He is honored in different artistic mediums, from large basalt statues such as this figure, to very delicate gold ornaments. See Pasztory, Aztec Art, 1983, p. 124, for the circular raised temples in the Gulf Coast region that are dedicated to his cult.
His face bears the mask of the monkey god attached via a nasal mask. The figure forcefully displays the striking expressionism of Aztec sculpture, highlighted here by red pigment enhancements. In the sculptural construct of the forms, the consummate craftsmanship of the execution and the powerful outline of the limbs, this piece is a remarkable expression of the epitome of Aztec art. Two other statues of the deity Ehecatl are represented by the same buccal mask, one standing and the other seated (Moctezuma et Olguin, Aztecs, 2002, no. 32 et 147).
Portant sur son visage le masque du Dieu singe fixé par un ornement nasal, il impose l'expressionnisme saisissant de la sculpture aztèque, renforcé ici par les vestiges de pigments rouges. Par le modelé sculptural de ses formes, la maîtrise de sa réalisation et le rendu puissant de ses membres, cette œuvre traduit magistralement l'apogée de l'art aztèque. Deux autres statues représentant Ehecatl, l’une debout et l’autre assise, offrent la même iconographie du Dieu porteur de masque (Moctezuma et Olguin, Aztecs, 2002, n° 32 et 147).
Typical of the representations of the Aztec wind god Ehecatl, this statue acquired in 1942 by Pierre Matisse for his New York gallery stands out for its imposing stature, asserting the brute force and power of this civilizing divinity, whose breath could move the sun and the moon and trigger rains. In fact, from the Pacific to the Atlantic coast, this master of the air could cause all the major climatic phenomena felt in Mexico.
Considered one of the principal deities of the Aztec pantheon, Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl was known for his breath, called tipijpee during the reign of the Aztec king Moctezuma II. He blew the stars and other gods into the cosmos during the primordial creation. He is honored in different artistic mediums, from large basalt statues such as this figure, to very delicate gold ornaments. See Pasztory, Aztec Art, 1983, p. 124, for the circular raised temples in the Gulf Coast region that are dedicated to his cult.
His face bears the mask of the monkey god attached via a nasal mask. The figure forcefully displays the striking expressionism of Aztec sculpture, highlighted here by red pigment enhancements. In the sculptural construct of the forms, the consummate craftsmanship of the execution and the powerful outline of the limbs, this piece is a remarkable expression of the epitome of Aztec art. Two other statues of the deity Ehecatl are represented by the same buccal mask, one standing and the other seated (Moctezuma et Olguin, Aztecs, 2002, no. 32 et 147).