Sotheby’s Results New York sales of African, Oceanic and Pre- Columbian Art Total $10,582,129
African and Oceanic Art from the Renee and Chaim Gross Foundation exceeds pre-sale high estimate to bring $4,888,316
May 15, 2009 – Today, before a crowded saleroom of international clients, Sotheby’s two sales of African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian art brought a combined total of $10,582,129. The morning single-owner sale of The Sculptor’s Eye: African and Oceanic Art from the Renee and Chaim Gross Foundation surpassed the high estimate to bring $4,888,316 (est. $3/4.4 million*).
The afternoon various owners sale, which also included Pre-Columbian Art, exceeded the low estimate to achieve $5,693,813 (est. $4.3/6.4 million) but clients where quite selective and bought only the best pieces leaving 32 % o the lots on the table, but paying 91% of the estimated value.
Jean Fritts, Worldwide Director of African and Oceanic Art, commented, “The African and Oceanic market is a vibrant one, and today it responded well to the works presented with a great depth of bidding from a wide range of clients. It is interesting to note that for the first time ever half of today’s top ten lots in the various owners sale were works of Oceanic art, which is a testament to the great quality of the works on offer in that section, particularly from the esteemed collection of John and Marsha Friede.”
Heinrich Schweizer, Director of African and Oceanic Art in New York, noted, “Today we saw that rare objects of great quality continue to inspire competitive bidding in the saleroom, evidenced by our strong sale total of $10.5 million for the day, which exceeds our total from a year ago of $10.1 million for a virtually identical number of lots. The Senufo kneeling female figure and the Ngbaka statue, both from the collection of the Renee and Chaim Gross Foundation, each more than doubled their high estimates. We were also particularly pleased with the sale of the Iriwáke figure which wiped out previously existing auction records and established a new record for sculpture from the Papuan Gulf region.”
Stacy Goodman, Senior Consultant, Pre-Columbian Art, said, “Today we saw many experienced buyers from other fields participating in our sale at a very sophisticated level, as well as serious activity from a number of public institutions. Great material with fresh provenance attracted active bidding from private, institutional and dealer clients alike. ”
Assembled from the 1930s through the 1960s, the collection of American sculptor Chaim Gross and his wife Renee was among the earliest collections of African art in the United States, and it has remained intact and largely unchanged since that time.
Six
bidders competed for the sale’s star work, a Magnificent, Rare and Highly
Important Ngbaka Statue Representing the Mythical Ancestor Sètò from the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, which doubled the high estimate to bring a
world record price of $1,258,500 (lot 67, est. $400/600,000). The figure, which
has been widely published and acclaimed as the best-known example of its kind,
was purchased by Gross directly from legendary collector Frank Crowninshield and
first exhibited in the 1937 Brooklyn Museum Exhibition African Negro Art from
the Collection of Frank Crowninshield.
A
Superb, Extremely Rare and Important Senufo Kneeling Female Figure from the
Ivory Coast – possibly the only example of this unique iconography – soared
to $758,500 after competition from three telephone bidders (lot 25, est.
$250/350,000) and a Magnificent Soninke Hermaphrodite Figure from Mali dating to
the 12th to 15th Centuries achieved $530,500 (lot 9, est. $400/600,000), a
record for a Soninke figure at auction.
Strong prices were also seen for two Benin bronze plaques on offer, which both surpassed pre-sale estimates to bring $458,500 and $278,500 (lot 34, est. $200/300,000; lot 40 est. $150/250,000).
The afternoon session comprised a particularly strong offering of Oceanic art, led by a Magnificent, Extremely Rare and Important Figure of the God IRIWÁKE, from Papua New Guinea, which sold to a bidder in the room for $1,202,500 (lot 146, est. in excess of $1 million), establishing a record for sculpture from the Papuan Gulf region. The figure – one of only two known to exist – boasts a distinguished provenance, previously in the collection of Loed van Bussel and John Friede, and is one of the most famous works of art from the Papuan Gulf region. A Magnificent Torres Strait Drum carved from a single piece of wood in the shape of a whale shark surpassed its presale estimate to achieve $698,500 (lot 149, est. $300/500,000).
Also commanding a strong price was a Superb Iatmul, Parambei Subgroup, Janiform Spirit Figure House Post from Papua New Guinea, which jumped past its estimate to sell for $266,500 (lot 152, est. $100/150,000).
Top
prices for African art were achieved by A Superb, Rare and Highly Important
Fang-Betsi Reliquary Head from Gabon, which commanded $506,500 against an
estimate of $200/300,000 (lot 170) and was purchased by an American institution.
A Superb Tsonga of Nguni Snuff Tobacco Container from South Africa estimated at
$6/9,000 leapt to $43,750, almost five times its high estimate (lot 172).
The Pre-Columbian offerings today were highlighted by an Important Nayarit Seated Couple in the Ixtlán del Rio Polychrome Style from the Protoclassic period, ca. 100 BC-AD 250, which sold for $314,500 (lot 116, est. $250/350,000), establishing a record price for a large-scale West Mexican couple. An incredibly Rare Veracruz Head with Cutaway Masks from the Veracruz/Possibly Puebla Region, ca. AD 700-1200 more than quadrupled its presale estimate to sell for $134,500 (lot 128, est. $20/30,000) and a vibrant green Teotihuacan Tecali Mask from the classic period, ca. AD 450-650 totaled $104,500 (lot 126, est. $70/90,000).
*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium, result do .
Results:
Specialists in Charge; Jean Fritts, Heinrich Schweizer, Stacy Goodman
TOP TEN VARIOUS OWNERS SALE
Sale
Sotheby's N08552 various owners
African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art results 15 MAY 09
Grand Total (Including Buyer's Premium): $5,693,813 (£3,743,221) (€4,203,627) Exch Rate: 0.66
Sold by Lot: 68.1% Lots Offered: 94
Sold by Value: 91.0% Lots Sold/Unsold: 64 / 30
| Lot | Price include buyer's premium | Estimate (USD) do not include buyer's premium | Buyer |
| 146 Urama Iriwake Half
Figure, Papuan Gulf
**Record for sculpture from the Papuan Gulf region |
$1,202,500 (£790,546) (€887,781) |
In excess of $1 million | Private Collector |
| 149 A Magnificent Torres Strait Drum, Papua New Guinea | $698,500 (£459,207) (€515,688) | $300,000 - 500,000 | American Private |
|
170 A Superb, Rare and Highly Important Fang-Betsi Reliquary Head, Gabon |
$506,500 (£332,983) (€373,939) |
$200,000 - 300,000 | American Institution |
| 116 An Important Nayarit
seated couple, Ixtlán del Rio polychrome style
**Record for a large-scale West Mexican sculpture |
$314,500 (£206,758) (€232,189) | $250,000 - 350,000 | Private Collector |
| 189 A Magnificent Fijian
Shell and Sperm Whale Tooth Composite Breastplate, Republic of the Fiji
Islands
**Record for a work of art from the Republic of the Fijian Islands |
$314,500 (£206,758) (€232,189) | $250,000 - 350,000 | American Private |
| 152 A Superb Iatmul, Parambei Subgroup, Spirit Figure House Post, Papua New Guinea |
$266,500 (£175,202) (€196,752)
|
$100,000 - 150,000 | European Private |
| 158 A Superb Dogon, Wakara Style, Female Ancestor Figure, Mali | $218,500 (£143,646) (€161,314) |
$200,000 - 300,000
|
American Private |
| 128 A Rare Veracruz Head with Cutaway Masks, Veracruz /possibly Puebla region, |
$134,500 (£88,423) (€99,299)
|
$20,000 - 30,000 | European Private |
| 151
A Superb Sepik River Hook Figure, Papua New Guinea |
$110,500 (£72,645) (€81,580) |
$30,000 - 50,000
|
European Trade |
| 182 A Bamana Mask with female figure, Mali | $110,500 (£72,645) (€81,580) | $100,000 - 150,000 | European Private |
Sale Results New York CHAIM GROSS AUCTION
Sale
N08549 S/O Chaim Gross 15 MAY 09 results list
Grand Total (Including Buyer's Premium): $4,888,316 (£3,213,672) (€3,608,945) Exch Rate: 0.66
Sold by Lot: 80.2% Lots Offered: 81
Sold by Value:
94.9%
Lots Sold/Unsold: 65 / 16
| Lot | Price include buyer's premium | Estimate (USD) do not include buyer's premium | Buyer |
| 67 A MAGNIFICENT, RARE AND HIGHLY
IMPORTANT NGBAKA MALE ANCESTOR FIGURE, Democratic Republic of the Congo
**Record for Ngbaka Sculpture at Auction |
$1,258,500 (£827,362) (€929,125) | $400,000 - 600,000 | Private Collector |
| 25 A SUPERB, EXTREMELY RARE AND IMPORTANT SENUFO KNEELING FEMALE FIGURE, Ivory Coast | $758,500 (£498,652) (€559,985) | $250,000 - 350,000 | European Private |
| 9 A MAGNIFICENT SONINKE HERMAPHRODITE
FIGURE, Mali, circa 12th-15th Century
**Record for Soninke Figure at Auction |
$530,500 (£348,761) (€391,657) |
$400,000 - 600,000 |
American Private |
| 34 A SUPERB AND IMPORTANT BENIN BRONZE PLAQUE, Nigeria, circa 16th-17th Century | $458,500 (£301,427) (€338,501) | $200,000 - 300,000 | American Private |
| 40 A FINE AND RARE BENIN BRONZE PLAQUE, Nigeria, 16th-17th Century |
$278,500 (£183,091) (€205,611)
|
$150,000 - 250,000 | American Private |
| 43 A SUPERB FANG-BETSI OR -NZAMAN MALE RELIQUARY FIGURE, Gabon | $266,500 (£175,202) (€196,752) | $250,000 - 350,000 | American Private |
| 48 A RARE FANG-MVAÏ MALE RELIQUARY FIGURE, Gabon | $206,500 (£135,757) (€152,455) | $150,000 - 250,000 | American Private |
| 44 A SUPERB KOTA-SHAMAYE RELIQUARY FIGURE, Gabon |
$146,500 (£96,312) (€108,158)
|
$40,000 - 60,000
|
European Trade |
| 1 A SUPERB AND IMPORTANT BAMANA FEMALE FIGURE, Mali | $62,500 (£41,089) (€46,142) | $30,000 - 50,000 | European Private |
| 76 A RARE VANUATU, POSSIBLY PENTECOST ISLAND, MASK, Vanuatu | $53,125 (£34,925) (€39,221) | $40,000 - 60,000 |
European Trade
|
Specialist in Charge: Jean Fritts, Heinrich Schweizer Press Office Contact: Blair Hance +1 212 606 7176
Please note all prices include buyer's premium. Sale session totals are net aggregate figures plus premiums. Sotheby's buyer's premium is 25% of the hammer price on the first $50,000, 20% of the hammer price up to and including $1,000,000, and 12% thereafter on each lot. **Estimates do not include buyer's premium**# # # www.sothebys.com
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