Humbolt Bay Maro, Sentani Lake, Western New Guinea

Probably acquired in situ by Jacques Viot (1898–1973) in 1929

Collection of Pierre Loeb (1897–1964), Paris

Collection of André Lefevre (1891–1963), Paris

Mes Loudmer and Poulain, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, Collection André Lefèvre, 13 December 1965, lot 145

Collection of Count Jean-Jacques de Launoit, Brussels, acquired at this sale

Passed down by descent

Anyone who has ever seen Joan Miró's work is unlikely to be surprised that the person who brought this piece to the West was also one of his earliest and most fervent admirers.  

In fact, Jacques Viot, a close associate of the Surrealist group, to which he once belonged, collaborated with Pierre Loeb, the great art dealer, in his gallery on the rue des Beaux-Arts. Thanks to him, he travelled to New Guinea in 1929 to bring back a number of pieces to be sold at auction, including a selection of Tapas from Lake Sentani.  

They were exhibited in 1930, and we can still get a sense of the atmosphere at the time thanks to Poncetton and Portier who wrote in their book Décoration océanienne: “These Tapas (...) leave us almost speechless, other than to say that they exceed our usual measure. They display the signs of a writing so subtle, so spiritual, so abstract that the mind experiences a shock that goes beyond the measure of our senses and ultimately leads us into meditation. (…) ”[1] 

This particular piece most likely originated from that journey. A magnificent burst of aesthetic lyricism, it is typical of this region.  

Made from barkcloth, these garments were worn by married women and initiates.

The décor is set within a drawn black rectangle.  

In the upper register, a frieze of “fouw” spiral motifs in black and ochre sits above four stylised fish.

The lower register shows fish, a lizard, and birds, all depicted on the same plane. Is this the transcription of a universe, a vision, a confusing and unknown space?  

Artists Max Ernst and Miró owned Maros. The fascination they exerted in the late 1920s is undoubtedly still very much alive today.   

[1] André Portier and François Poncetton, Décoration océanienne, Paris, Librairie des arts décoratifs, A. Calavas éditeur, 1931