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拍品專文
Notre lot appartient à une catégorie rare de figures appelées mukuya, qui représentent des ancêtres. On ne connaît qu'une douzaine de ces figures bembé, généralement représentées en position assise. Quatre de ces sculptures font partie de collections publiques : le musée du quai Branly (inv. n° 73.1972.5.2) ; le musée d'art moderne de Troyes, anciennement dans les collections Félix Fénéon et Pierre Lévy (voir Poncetton, F. et Portier, A., Les arts sauvages. Afrique, Paris, 1956, pl. X) ; le musée royal de l'Afrique Centrale de Tervuren (inv. n° 56.8.9), bien que de qualité plus modeste ; et l’Etnografiska museet de Stockholm (inv. n° 1919.1.12 dans Lehuard, R., Arts d'Afrique Noire, Arnouville, été 1975, n° 14, p. 28), qui constitue un exemple très proche de notre lot. De plus, seule une poignée de ces figures se trouve dans des collections privées. Parmi celles-ci, les plus remarquables sont : celle provenant de l’ancienne collection Stanoff, vendue aux enchères par Christie’s (11 décembre 2014, lot 15), et une autre issue auparavant de la collection Guellin, également vendue récemment par Christie’s (Shape(s), 3 décembre 2020, lot 13).
Our present lot belongs to a rare class of figures called mukuya, which represent ancestors. Only a dozen of these typically seated Bembe figures are known. Four such sculptures are part of public collections: the Musée du quai Branly (inv. no. 73.1972.5.2); the Modern Art Museum of Troyes, formerly in the collections of Felix Fénéon and Pierre Levy (see Poncetton, F. and Portier, A., Les arts sauvages. Afrique, Paris, 1956, pl. X); the Royal Museum of Central Africa, Tervuren (inv. no. 56.8.9), although of more modest quality; and the Etnografiska Museet in Stockholm (inv. no. 1919.1.12 in Lehuard, R., Arts d'Afrique Noire, Arnouville, Summer 1975, no. 14, p.28), which is a very close example to our present lot. Furthermore, only a handful of these figures exist in private collections. Among these, the most prominent are: the one from the former Stanoff collection, auctioned by Christie’s (December 11, 2014, lot 15), and another one formerly in the Guellin collection, also recently sold by Christie’s (Shape(s), December 3, 2020, lot 13).
Our present lot belongs to a rare class of figures called mukuya, which represent ancestors. Only a dozen of these typically seated Bembe figures are known. Four such sculptures are part of public collections: the Musée du quai Branly (inv. no. 73.1972.5.2); the Modern Art Museum of Troyes, formerly in the collections of Felix Fénéon and Pierre Levy (see Poncetton, F. and Portier, A., Les arts sauvages. Afrique, Paris, 1956, pl. X); the Royal Museum of Central Africa, Tervuren (inv. no. 56.8.9), although of more modest quality; and the Etnografiska Museet in Stockholm (inv. no. 1919.1.12 in Lehuard, R., Arts d'Afrique Noire, Arnouville, Summer 1975, no. 14, p.28), which is a very close example to our present lot. Furthermore, only a handful of these figures exist in private collections. Among these, the most prominent are: the one from the former Stanoff collection, auctioned by Christie’s (December 11, 2014, lot 15), and another one formerly in the Guellin collection, also recently sold by Christie’s (Shape(s), December 3, 2020, lot 13).