VIENNA.- Austria Auction Company is extending an invitation to its “Tribal Art 2” auction being held on November 18, 2017, at the baroque Palais Breuner in Vienna’s first district. The auction will feature a unique collection never before seen in Austria with a focus on Central Africa, Indonesia, and Oceania. 180 pieces of outstanding quality will be elegantly showcased in around 500 m2 of exhibition space and auctioned off on November 18, 2017. “The mysticism of these works ― often considered to be the pinnacle of art collecting ― is overpowering, and it is hard not to find them fascinating,” says AAC Managing Director Udo Langauer.
Highlights from the collection
The pieces of tribal art by anonymous artists from various ethnic groups include numerous museum-quality works from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries ― all with a religious and mystical background.
One such example is a royal ceremonial Luba Caryatid Stool from the Democratic Republic of the Congo made in the late 19th century. To this day, these kinds of stools still serve as symbols of power and authority, but are also seats of remembrance, in which past power and present memory coincide. (Estimated price: € 40,000 – 50,000).
A “Hampatong Modang” ancestor figure from the 18th century or earlier measuring 263 cm high (approx. 8' 8") is from Indonesia. These sculptures carved from hard wood in Borneo served both as memorial figures for the deceased at gravesites and as guardians that were placed outside the longhouses. (Estimated price: € 40,000 – 50,000).
An exceptional “Lwalwa mask” will be offered for an estimated price of € 8,000 – 12,000. This mask represents the Ngongo type. These masks were originally used during the initiation of young men as well as during hunting and fertility rituals to appease spirits or obtain their favor. A very similar mask of this type was part of Pablo Picasso’s private collection.
Preview exhibition and auction live and online
The pieces will come under the hammer at 5:00 p.m. on November 18, 2017, at Austrian Auction Company in Palais Breuner (Singerstrasse 16, 1010 Vienna). The collection’s complete offerings as well as detailed photos of the auction lots can be viewed approx. 3 weeks before the auction at www.austriaauction.com. Bids can be made on location at Palais Breuner, via the online auction catalog at liveauctioneers.com and invaluable.com, as well as in writing and by phone (callback from AAC) using the bid form.
