A 16th-century ivory pendant mask, one of the last great masterpieces of Benin sculptureremaining in private hands, is to be offered for sale at Sotheby’s London.
The mask, to be auctioned in February with an estimate of £3.5m-£4.5m($5.4m-$6.9m), is thought to have been worn by the “Oba” or king of thewest African city-state on ceremonial occasions. Only four other ivorymasks of this age and quality are known, all of which are in museums.
Standing at 22cm high, the mask is being sold by the descendants of LieutenantColonel Sir Henry Lionel Gallwey, deputy commissioner and vice-consul inthe Oil Rivers Protectorate in 1891, who took part in the infamousPunitive Expedition of 1897 in what is now southern Nigeria.
In response to the massacre of a previous British-led invasion force, navaland protectorate troops deposed the king and captured, looted and burntthe city of Benin. The admiralty confiscated most of the booty andauctioned it off to defray the costs of the expedition, although asizeable group ended up in the British Museum. Among them is another ofthe same group of ivory masks.
The technical skill of these cast bronze and ivory ritual sculptures astounded western audiences, and thedispersal of the Benin treasures paved the way for a reassessment ofAfrican art by artists and scholars.
When Jacob Epstein saw this piece in an exhibition in London in 1947, he asked the family if hecould exchange it for one of his sculptures. Its whereabouts remainedunknown until the family contacted Sotheby’s last year.
Jean Fritts, director of African and Oceanic art at Sotheby’s, said: “It hasan amazing, untouched surface which collectors love. Its honey colourattests to years of rubbing with palm oil.”
From the same collection, and offered alongside, are a carved altar tusk, two ivoryarmlets, a rare bronze armlet cast with Portuguese figures and a bronzesculpture usually described as a tusk stand.
A bronze head of an Oba of around 1575-1625 was sold for a record $4.7m in 2007. The auctionrecord for any African work of art is €5.9m.
more news:
The admiralty confiscated most of the booty and auctioned it off to
defray the costs of the expedition, although a sizeable group ended up
in the British Museum. Among them is another of the same group of ivory
masks. The technical skill of these cast bronze and ivory ritual
sculptures astounded western audiences, and the dispersal of the Benin
treasures paved the way for a reassessment of African art by artists
and scholars. When Jacob Epstein saw this piece in an exhibition in
London in 1947, he asked the family if he could exchange it for one of
his sculptures. Its whereabouts remained unknown until the family
contacted Sotheby’s last year. Jean Fritts, director of African and
Oceanic art at Sotheby’s, said: “It has an amazing, untouched surface
which collectors love. Its honey colour attests to years of rubbing
with palm oil.” From the same collection, and offered alongside, are a
carved altar tusk, two ivory armlets, a rare bronze armlet cast with
Portuguese figures and a bronze sculpture usually described as a tusk
stand. A bronze head of an Oba of around 1575-1625 was sold for a
record $4.7m in 2007. The auction record for any African work of art is
€5.9m.
Oba Ovonramwen’s £4.5m mask for auction in UK
Wednesday, 22 Dec 2010
16th Century Benin Ivory pendant mask put at £4.5m is to be offered
for sale at Sotheby’s in London, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
The mask, according to the Financial Times of London, is to be
auctioned in February. It said it was one of the last great
masterpieces of Benin sculpture remaining in private hands and was
believed to have been worn by Oba Ovonranmwen before the British
punitive expedition to Benin Kingdom in 1897.
Standing at 22cm high, the mask is being sold by the descendants of
Lt.-Col. Sir Henry Lionel Gallwey, whow as the deputy commissioner and
vice-consul in the Oil Rivers Protectorate in 1891.
Galleway took part in the infamous expedition.
Meanwhile, the Director of African Oceanic Arts at Sotheby’s, Mr. Jean
Fritts, has said the mask has an amazing, untouched surface which
collectors love.
“Its honey colour attests to years of rubbing with palm oil,” he stated.
A bronze head of an Oba who ruled around 1575-1625 was sold for a record £44.7m in 2007.
There have been several calls for the return of artefacts stolen from
the Benin Kingdom and kept in various art galleries around the world.
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