LOS ANGELES, CA.- Bonhams announces the auction of nearly 150 rare African and Oceanic Art objects on May 11 in Los Angeles. The sale explores both the diversity and creativity of artwork made by the indigenous people from these vast cultures and the dramatic influence it has had on both modern and post-modern artists of the 20th century.
Headlining the auction is an extremely rare ancestral figure from the Takuu Atoll/Ontong Java, reef islands in the Pacific often referred to as the “Polynesian Outliers”. This isolated area near the Solomon Islands is where the Polynesian people reverse migrated outside of the main Polynesian Triangle.
Estimated at U.S. $200,000-300,000, the wood figure is one of eight known examples in the world. Standing 18 inches tall, it is believed to have been finely carved using non-metal tools such as stone, shell and teeth.
“This exceptional work takes a Cubistic form with a mysterious physical presence that harmonizes with many modern artists, including the likes of Amedeo Modigliani, Paul Klee and Constantin Brancusi,” said Bonhams Specialist Fred Backlar.
The modernist theme continues to resonate throughout the sale with the finest collection of Hawaiian Bowls ever offered at auction, Backlar said.
Formed over a period of more than 30 years by a Japanese American, the collection consists of 17 hand-carved bowls, in a variety of forms and many with very important provenances. With an acute sense of craftsmanship, each was selected for the extraordinary grace of lines, elegant proportions, balance of color in the natural wood grains and provenance (estimates range from U.S. $2,000 – 3,000 to U.S. $12,000 – 18,000).
Elegant proportions, balance in design and color, and simplicity in form through complex craftsmanship can also be seen in many other Oceanic works of art in the auction, including a selection of intricately designed and rare fish hooks, graceful clubs and paddles used for both emblematic, ceremonial and functional use, and sophisticated works made for personal adornment for high-ranking individuals, including three Hawaiian marine ivory necklaces and three Maori jade pendants.
To free themselves from the established canons of Western art, German Expressionists and European modern artists – particularly Georges Braque, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso – found sources of inspiration in African art. The Loma (Toma) mask from Liberia/Guinea (estimate U.S. $60,000-80,000) featured in the sale illustrates stylized realism and abstract forms, often conceptual inspiration for modern artists.
Other highlights include: an enigmatic Bamana bovine figure from Mali (estimate U.S. $30,000 – 50,000); and a large, powerful and expressive Urhobo male seated figure from Nigeria (estimate U.S. $40,000-60,000).
