Paris, 16 November 2012
On 11 December 2012, Christie’s Paris will put on sale African and Oceanian masterpieces estimated between €4,000,000 and €6,000,000.
Among the objects offered on sale we can recall a Nkundu reliquary estimated bewteen €2,000,000 and €3,000,000, of Central-African origin, belonging to the collection of Jean Willy Mestach – a Brussels painter, known as “L’Œil du Sablon”. He kept this rare and striking piece in his collection for over fifty years. In the press release, Christie’s highlights the uniqueness of this object, informing that the only known exemplaries are owned by the Musée royal de l’Afrique Centrale in Tervuren (Belgium) and the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris (France).
The Parisian auction house adds a series of miniatures from New Guinea coming from the Jolika Collection of the San Francisco Museum of Fine Arts will be offered as well. Micromégas, a wink to Voltaire’s tale – is an assembly of small jewellery pieces and amulets. These works reveal the mastery of New Guinean artists. In addition we might mention a bag with amulets, estimated between €50,000 and €70,000, a Wosera head estimated between €20,000 and €30,000, and an exceptional headrest from Tami Islands in Papua, estimated between €100,000 and €150,000.