NIGERIA

Details

MASQUE IBIBIO EKPO
IBIBIO EKPO ASSOCIATION MASK
Nigeria
Hauteur: 47 cm. (18 ½ in.)

Provenance

Acquis vers 1997 par Richard Faletti, Chicago
Offert par The Faletti Family Collection à l'Art Institute of Chicago en 2006 (inv.2006.112)

Literature

Nooter M., Roberts A., A Sense of Wonder: African Art from the Faletti Family Collection, (Phoenix: Phoenix Art Museum, 1997), p. 103, cat. 46b.
Nooter, M., Roberts, A., A Sense of Wonder: African Art from the Faletti Family Collection, 1997, p. 110, cat. 46b

Exhibited

A Sense of Wonder: African Art from the Faletti Family Collection
-Phoenix, A Sense of Wonder: African Art from the Faletti Family Collection, Phoenix Art Museum, 13 décembre 1997 - 8 février 1998, cat. 46b
-Chicago, The David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, 14 mai - 28 juin 1998
-Urbana-Champaign, Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 18 septembre - 1er novembre 1998
-Davenport, Davenport Museum of Art, 18 avril - 13 juin 1999
-Boise, Boise Art Museum, 26 février - 7 mai 2000

Special notice

" f " : In addition to the regular Buyer’s premium, a commission of 7% (i.e. 7.385% inclusive of VAT for books, 8.372% inclusive of VAT for the other lots) of the hammer price will be charged to the buyer. It will be refunded to the Buyer upon proof of export of the lot outside the European Union within the legal time limit.(Please refer to section VAT refunds)

Further details

The two Ibibio masks on offer from the Art Institute of Chicago demonstrate the dichotomy of life as portrayed in the masks worn for the important Ekpo society. In the offered Faletti mask, as opposed to the Hammer example, one sees the 'ugly' in a more zoomorphic or uncivilized form - characteristics associated with disorder and evil forces.
Richard Faletti (1922-2006) was a Chicago-based lawyer who became fascinated by African art after a business trip to the continent. As noted by Richard Townsend, 'With scholarly zeal and the reasoned approach of a corporate attorney, Mr. Faletti became a respected collector of African art.' He was a member of the advisory committee of Townsend's department at the Art Institute and a trustee of museums, including the Heard Museum in Phoenix. In his career, along with former Winston & Strawn partner, Walter Mondale, he opened the firm's Hong Kong office in the early 1980s. From 1985 until his retirement in 1989, he was managing partner of the firm's Phoenix office. Collecting was part of Faletti's life from a very early age, when he collected stamps and baseball cards, later Impressionist paintings, and then African art

Brought to you by

Chloé Beauvais

cbeauvais@christies.com +33 (0)1 40 76 84 48

Lot Essay

Sur le masque de la collection Faletti, par comparaison avec le masque de Hammer par exemple, la représentation du 'laid' prend une forme plus animale et barbare - caractéristiques associées au désordre et aux forces du mal.
Richard Faletti (1922-2006) était un avocat basé à Chicago. Il se passiona pour l'art africain après un voyage d'affaire sur ce continent. Richard Townsend raconte "avec un zèle érudit et une approche rationnelle forgée par l'exercice du droit, M. Faletti devint un collectionneur d'art africain respecté." Il fut membre du comité consultatif du département de Townsend à l'Art Institute et un trustee de plusieurs musées, dont le Heard Museum à Phoenix. Au cours de sa carrière, avec son ancien associé de Winston & Strawn, Walter Mondale, il ouvrit un bureau à Hong Kong au début des années 80. A partir de 1985 et jusqu'à sa retraite en 1989, il fut le directeur associé du bureau de Phoenix. Tout au long de sa vie, Faletti collectionna des timbres ou des cartes de baseball dans sa jeunesse, des peintures impressionnistes, puis l'art africain.

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