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Lot Essay
Cette très belle figure de reliquaire kota, de l’ancienne collection du célèbre marchand Pierre Vérité, est d'une grande finesse. Elle se distingue par un visage ovoïde, quasi-oblong et légèrement concave, encadré d’une crête en cimier étroite enchâssée aux coiffes latérales. Le visage seulement barré par l’artiste d’une ligne verticale et horizontale permet de former ingénieusement le front, le nez - encadré de deux cabochons signifiant les yeux - et la bouche-menton. Les coiffes ainsi que le cimier discret sont recouverts de plaques de laiton finement gravées de motifs en croisillons. À la base de ces coiffes, des vestiges de pendeloques représentent soit des oreilles, soit des éléments ornementaux tels des bijoux. Le cou est également orné d'une plaque de métal ciselée, ceint par un collier. Le piètement était certainement taillé en forme rhombique : malheureusement, ce dernier est aujourd’hui manquant, probablement à cause d’agents lignivores présents dans la boîte oule panier sur lesquels cette figure protectrice était maintenue par des liens. Le revers, dépourvu de décoration métallique, dévoile une excroissance sculptée elle aussi en amande faisant écho à la morphologie du visage présent à l’avers : symbole clanique, sociétal ou magique, le mystère persiste.
Proche du style shamayé, cette figure est à rapprocher de celles du centre traditionnel d’artisanat du village d’Otala dont le principal artiste était le chef Okwéré. Pour un exemplaire analogue voir celui de l’ancienne collection André Fourquet, acquis par Claude Rogue dans les années 1930, publié dans Leuzinger, E., Die Kunst von Schwarz-Afrika, Zurich, 1970, n° R12, ou encore celui de l’ancien critique d’art Félix Fénéon, acquis avant 1947, et publié dans Bolz, I., « Zur Kunst in Gabon », in Ethnologica. Neue Folge, Cologne, 1966, vol. III, pl. 39a.
This very beautiful Kota reliquary figure, from the former collection of the famous dealer Pierre Vérité, is of great finesse. It is distinguished by an ovoid, almost oblong face that is slightly concave, framed by a narrow crest at the top and flanked by side coiffures. The face marked by the artist with a vertical and horizontal line ingeniously forms the forehead, the nose - framed by two cabochons representing the eyes - and the mouth-chin. The coiffures, along with the discreet crest, are covered with finely engraved brass plates featuring crosshatch motifs. At the base of these headdresses, remnants of pendants represent either ears or ornamental elements such as jewelry. The neck is also adorned with a chased metal plate, encircled by a collar. The pedestal was likely carved in a rhombic shape: unfortunately, this is now missing, probably due to wood-boring agents present in the box or basket on which this protective figure was held by ties. The reverse, lacking metallic decoration, reveals a sculpted protrusion also shaped like an almond, echoing the morphology of the face on the front: whether it serves as a clan, societal, or magical symbol, the mystery persists.
Close to the Shamaye style, this figure is reminiscent of those from the traditional artisan center of the village of Otala, where the principal artist was Chief Okwéré. For a similar example, see the one from the former André Fourquet collection, acquired by Claude Rogue in the 1930s, published in Leuzinger, E., Die Kunst von Schwarz-Afrika, Zurich, 1970, no. R12, or the figure of the former art critic Félix Fénéon's collection, acquired before 1947, and published in Bolz, I., “Zur Kunst in Gabon”, in Ethnologica. Neue Folge, Cologne, 1966, vol. III, pl. 39a.
Proche du style shamayé, cette figure est à rapprocher de celles du centre traditionnel d’artisanat du village d’Otala dont le principal artiste était le chef Okwéré. Pour un exemplaire analogue voir celui de l’ancienne collection André Fourquet, acquis par Claude Rogue dans les années 1930, publié dans Leuzinger, E., Die Kunst von Schwarz-Afrika, Zurich, 1970, n° R12, ou encore celui de l’ancien critique d’art Félix Fénéon, acquis avant 1947, et publié dans Bolz, I., « Zur Kunst in Gabon », in Ethnologica. Neue Folge, Cologne, 1966, vol. III, pl. 39a.
This very beautiful Kota reliquary figure, from the former collection of the famous dealer Pierre Vérité, is of great finesse. It is distinguished by an ovoid, almost oblong face that is slightly concave, framed by a narrow crest at the top and flanked by side coiffures. The face marked by the artist with a vertical and horizontal line ingeniously forms the forehead, the nose - framed by two cabochons representing the eyes - and the mouth-chin. The coiffures, along with the discreet crest, are covered with finely engraved brass plates featuring crosshatch motifs. At the base of these headdresses, remnants of pendants represent either ears or ornamental elements such as jewelry. The neck is also adorned with a chased metal plate, encircled by a collar. The pedestal was likely carved in a rhombic shape: unfortunately, this is now missing, probably due to wood-boring agents present in the box or basket on which this protective figure was held by ties. The reverse, lacking metallic decoration, reveals a sculpted protrusion also shaped like an almond, echoing the morphology of the face on the front: whether it serves as a clan, societal, or magical symbol, the mystery persists.
Close to the Shamaye style, this figure is reminiscent of those from the traditional artisan center of the village of Otala, where the principal artist was Chief Okwéré. For a similar example, see the one from the former André Fourquet collection, acquired by Claude Rogue in the 1930s, published in Leuzinger, E., Die Kunst von Schwarz-Afrika, Zurich, 1970, no. R12, or the figure of the former art critic Félix Fénéon's collection, acquired before 1947, and published in Bolz, I., “Zur Kunst in Gabon”, in Ethnologica. Neue Folge, Cologne, 1966, vol. III, pl. 39a.