Paris, 10 June 2015
On 22 June 2015, the auction house Artcurial in Paris, France, is to organise a sale of Tribal art, including a piece from the former collection of French poet Paul Éluard.
Almost 70 rigorously selected works are to be offered for this sale. One of the objects offered is a remarkable baoulé mask, from the Ivory Coast, an asymmetrical Kpan headset, found in situ in around 1910. The fine features of the face are made spectacular by two horns on the forehead. This piece was conserved in a private French collection, and is estimated to sell for between €40,000 and €60,000. The highlighted lot of the sale is a Zandé-Nzakara harp from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, dating from before 1960, taken from the former collection of Éluard (estimated between €30,000 and €50,000). This previously unseen piece gives a glimpse into the richness of the collection of the French poet, and attests to his fascination for tribal art. The bevelled sound box is carefully covered in antelope skin, and boasts a delicate handle. The object also shows traces of use on the sculpted handle, indicating that it was probably realised for a dignitary and used for a long time before its arrival in Europe. A selection of pieces from the former collection of René Withofs are also to be offered, including his favourite painting realised in 1954 by Willy Mestach (estimated between €8,000 and €10,000), as well as a set of works from a Belgian collector, which includes a Punu, Tsangui, and Gabon mask (estimated between €30,000 and €40,000). The headset and the elegant and stylised scarifications on this piece serve to accentuate the mysterious aspect of the female face.